In between our Arizona and Virginia house sits, we decided to hit a couple of states that we haven’t yet visited as we’re a few states short of 50. The first state we chose to visit was Michigan. Based on some research and some input from one of my cousins (thanks Lyndsey!), we decided to base ourselves in Lansing but do a couple of day trips to Grand Rapids and Ann Arbor. The three cities are pretty similar in size and relatively close together with Lansing being in the middle, so it worked well. We have enjoyed our time here and are impressed with the greenness of this area (so many trees!) as well as the cleanliness of the cities.
Lansing is the capital of Michigan. It has a population of about 115,000 which makes it the fifth largest city in MI. Directly east of Lansing is the city of East Lansing, home of Michigan State University. We spent our first afternoon in MI exploring the campus. We were surprised to learn of its dairy program as well as its strength in botany and horticulture. FYI — Botany is regarded as a broader pure science in regards to living plant organisms. Horticulture is an applied science focused solely on edible and ornamental plant life.
We also spent some time touring the Michigan Capitol and the Michigan Hall of Justice, which houses the state Supreme Court. Michigan was admitted to the Union in 1837 as the 26th state with Detroit as its capital. The capital (seat of government) was moved to Lansing in 1847. The current building is the second building in Lansing to serve as the Capitol (building) and was completed in 1879. The Hall of Justice is a gorgeous new building, completed in 2002, as the headquarters of the state’s judicial branch of government. It houses a great learning center focused on teaching students about the judiciary and has some great views of the mall.
Finally, we had a nice walkabout along the lovely River Trail which runs along the Grand River.
Peckish Travels 
