The comforts of a friendly, small-town atmosphere combined with the pleasures of big-city life make Grand Rapids an ideal choice for a fun getaway with a host of indoor and outdoor activities. Once known as the furniture capital of the world, the city has a reinvigorated downtown area and a thriving arts and cultural community. Its most popular attraction is the museum dedicated to native son Gerald R. Ford, 38th US President, where interactive exhibits take you to the White House and the 1976 Republican National Convention. Wander through the state's largest tropical conservatory at the Frederik Meijer Gardens, a magical wonderland of gardens, woodlands and over 100 bronze statues by famous artists, including Leonardo da Vinci's 24-foot bronze horse. More outdoor fun is half an hour away at the sandy beaches of Lake Michigan. Golf lovers have plenty of places to hit the greens since Grand Rapids has more privately owned, daily-fee, public courses than any other US city. Wind up your busy weekend with a cold beer at the Hair of the Frog Brewery or the Grand Rapids Brewing Company.

Founded by Dutch Calvinists in 1847, the city of Holland, Michigan, is an outpost of Dutch culture and tradition in the midst of the American Midwest, home to dikes, canals and even an authentic Dutch windmill. Proud of its heritage, the city purchased 100,000 tulip bulbs from the Netherlands back in 1927, and these colourful flowers still fill the city's gardens and parks with colour annually, just in time for the famous Tulip Time Festival, attended by over half a million people every year.

Kalamazoo, Michigan may be most famous for its unique name, but it actually has much more to offer. Home to research oriented Western Michigan University, as well as major industrial and pharmaceutical corporations, Kalamazoo is famous for innovation. The immense Air Zoo features restored historic aircraft, a flight simulator, a 4-D theater and the Michigan Space Science Center, with 17,000-square-feet of exhibits dedicated to everything space related, from Moon Rocks to Russian space suits.

The birthplace of the Oldsmobile and Michigan's automotive centre, Lansing has a number of car-related attractions such as plant tours and automobile museums, but there are other forces driving this capital city. On the political side, there's the award-winning State Capitol Building, completely restored in 1992, where tourists are impressed by the glass-floored rotunda and acres of decorative hand-painted surfaces. The Michigan Historical Museum, which boasts a great collection of items from Michigan's past, including a recreated copper mine, will please history buffs. Children and families will enjoy taking a camel ride at the Potter Park Zoo or spending the day cycling through Sleepy Hollow State Park. On the cultural side, the nearby campus of Michigan State University is a must-see for the Kresge Museum and for the beautiful campus itself. Entertaining and educational attractions, great shopping, fabulous restaurants and a variety of affordable accommodation make Lansing worth the ride.