Hallelujah, summer has arrived. The happiness index in Detroit this time of year, despite the city’s latest financial stressors, is palpable given how shitty Michigan winters can get. Everything just appears … a bit easier: The morning commute seems lighter; fruit tastes sweeter; the landscape is prettier; and even the MT writers become slightly less cantankerous. (Unless you are our web editor. See “Surviving Summer,” by Katherine Montalto).
Naturally, the elevated mood around the newsroom makes the compilation of our annual tome to summertime awesomeness slightly less daunting and helps remind us how lucky we are to live in an area chock-full of opportunities to enjoy life. From music and the arts to sports and outdoor life, the bounty of the Great Lakes state is too often overshadowed by bullshit politics and financial strife.
Screw that … it’s summertime. Get half-naked and head to the shore — any shore; God knows we have enough of it. The last estimate put the state’s amount of shoreline somewhere around 3,200 miles and, except for Alaska, no state in the Union has as much shoreline as we do.
This year’s Summer Guide is feature-heavy with outdoor activities, including kiteboarding, camping and portaging. However, there is also the quintessential guide to city life, our picks for great summertime reads, short haul destination suggestions and, of course, the listings. So many listings, in fact, we nearly wished for winter to return.
Get out and enjoy your good fortune to live in a region that complements the outdoor elements so well. Wear sunscreen. Enjoy the summer.
