The state of Michigan offers many exciting opportunities for holiday travel. Located in the northernmost region of the continental United States, Michigan is situated in the Great Lakes area. In fact, the name Michigan itself is a French transliteration of mishigamaa, a native word meaning "large lake" or "large water" in the Ojibwe language.
In keeping with its name, Michigan can boast a freshwater coastline that is not only longer than that of any other state, but also more than any other political subdivision in the world. Out of the five Great Lakes, five of them have borders with the state. In addition, Michigan is bounded by Lake Saint Clair and has almost 65,000 different lakes and ponds within its boundaries. In fact, no location in Michigan is more than six miles from the Great Lakes shoreline or another source of natural water.
Easy access to all these waterways means that recreational boating is one of the major pastimes for both long-time residents and tourists booked into Michigan vacation homes. Places to stay consist of city houses as well as rustic cabins in the woods, and bookings are available on both the Lower and Upper Peninsulas, although the northern region of the state is most often preferred by tourists. These two vast land areas make Michigan unique among the states; in no other state is the land area composed exclusively of two peninsulas separated by a strait.