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2017 MICHIGAN RV & CAMPGROUNDS
MichiganRVandCampgrounds.org
2.
that a city needed telephone numbers. The city? Detroit.
4.The Michigan State Police established the first state police radio system in
the world in 1929.
5.The world’s first floating postal zip code was acquired in 1948 by the J.W.
Westcott when it became an official mail boat of the USPS. The vessel is named after Captain J.W. Westcott, who established a marine company to deliver destination and dock information to passing ships in the Detroit River.
6.The Detroit Zoo was the first in America to feature cageless, open exhibits that
allowed animals more freedom to roam.
3.
In 1926, the first regularly scheduled
air passage service in the nation began operation between Grand Rapids and Detroit.
Michigan Association of Recreation Vehicles and Campgrounds
10. Lake St. Clair
A part of the Great Lakes
chain but not considered one of the Great Lakes, Lake St. Clair
is an essential waterway link between Lake Huron and
Lake Erie. Positioned between
the United States and Canada
and stretching 26 miles north to south and 24 miles east to west, Lake St. Clair offers plenty of room to go boating. The lake is also
one of the most popular fishing destinations in the state for musky, walleye, and perch. If you go
boating, enjoy not just water sports such as tubing and water skiing, but cruising along the shoreline going in and out of channels and bays and stopping at the shoreline towns, many of which have restaurants and shopping districts that are easily accessible because of marinas and docks.
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Since you’re in the area... For a real taste and feel of the past, visit the famous Eastern Market in Detroit. It’s open year-round and is one of the largest and oldest in the United States. There are multiple markets on several days of the week, but the Saturday Market – featuring more than 200 market vendors with fresh vegetables, fruits, meat, and dairy products – is the cornerstone. Be a part of the 125-year-old tradition, and make your next shopping trip be to the Eastern Market.
Did You Know?
There are some things in Michigan’s past that were the first ever, history-making events and inventions. We bet you can guess which invention made such an impact – and “paved” the way for the creation of the RV industry. There are also some things about Michigan that are simply interesting from a trivia standpoint, such as the first place in the Upper Peninsula to see the sunrise. Do you know where that is? We’ll tell you!
12.Vehicles continued to improve in design and performance.
The first Corvette, an iconic American car, was assembled in 1953 in Flint.
13.Those cars needed a faster way to travel. Michigan was the first state
to complete a border to border interstate: I-94 from Detroit to New Buffalo. The interstate was completed in 1960.
For those who enjoy the outdoors:
14.Calling all travelers! The first roadside park in the state was
established in Iron County off of U.S. 2 in 1919, likely America’s first facility.
15.The popularity of the UP as a camping destination can be
traced to 1923, when three of America’s entrepreneurs made their first camping trip there. Who were they? None other than Harvey Firestone, Thomas Edison, and Henry Ford.
16.1959 saw the nation’s first outdoor pedestrian mall, a four-block stretch
in Kalamazoo. You can still enjoy shopping and delicious food at this location.
Marblehead on Drummond Island
For those who enjoy general history:
1.Michigan State University was the first agricultural college in the U.S. It was
founded in 1855. The school remains an authority in agricultural programs today.
1879 saw the first time in the nation
For those who enjoy cars and roadways:
7.The first Ford Model T was manufactured in 1908.
8.Four years later, in 1912, the University of Michigan became the site for the
nation’s first highway materials testing lab.
9.Not long after, in 1913, the first moving automobile assembly line began
operations in Henry Ford’s Highland Park plant. Within a year, chassis assembly time was reduced to 93 minutes – down from 12 hours and 30 minutes!
10.The nation’s first practical highway snowplow was built in Munising
in 1922. It was designed and built
by Edward C. Levy, public works superintendent. According to Motorcities. org, the “plow was mounted on runners and consisted of two retractable wooden wings, 10 feet high and 20 feet long.”
11.The Packard Motor Car Company in Detroit manufactured the first
air-conditioned car in 1939. Unfortunately, they discontinued it as it wasn’t “paying off.” Now we can’t imagine life without it.
17.
gives hikers a stunning view over Lake Huron. Besides being the easternmost point in the Upper Peninsula, it’s also the first place in the UP to see the sunrise.