The US state of Michigan is home to the city of Grand Rapids, which is the 114th largest city in the United States. It is also the largest city in western Michigan and currently has a population of around 200,000. Grand Rapids is often nicknamed the “Furniture City” because its manufacturing is one of the most important industries. It is closely followed by the automotive, manufacturing and consumer goods industries. The city stretches about 30 miles from Lake Michigan and is a typical American Midwestern city.
The first Europeans to come to the area of present-day Grand Rapids were Dutch missionaries and fur traders in the 19th century. They established settlements here and lived peacefully next to the Ottawa Indian tribe, with whom they had good trade relations. French settlers, Joseph and Madeline La Framboise, established the first Indian-European trading post here. Even after her husband’s death in 1806, Madeline continued to expand jobs and continued to operate this station. Trading with furs was particularly successful in the west and north of the country. She eventually merged her successful business with an American fur company.
All of Michigan hides a lot of natural beauty, and it’s no different around Grand Rapids, one of the state’s largest cities. You can enjoy beaches, orchards, skiing or relaxing in the countryside. There are also several nice walking and cycling routes of various lengths and levels of difficulty around the city. Grand Rapids is large enough to accommodate many tourist, historical, artistic, entertainment and cultural attractions. There are numerous museums, galleries, the John Ball Zoo and extensive parks such as Frederick Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. Important museums include the Public Museum, the Children’s Museum, the LEED Certified Art Museum and also the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum – the final resting place of the 38th President of the United States.
Attractive downtown buildings include the DeVos Place Convention Center, the Van Andel Arena, the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, and the JW Marriott Hotel. Grand Rapids is also a major university town, home to the prestigious Calvin College. The Faith and Writing Arts Festival is held here regularly.
Isle Royale National Park
According to iamaccepted, Isle Royale National Park is located on the island of the same name located in the largest, westernmost and coldest of the five Great Lakes – Lake Superior. It is situated in the state of Michigan in the United States of America, on the border with Canada. The Apostle Islands archipelago is also significant on this lake.
Isle Royale is about 50 miles long and 10 miles wide, making it the largest island in the lake. In 1940, a national park was declared here, which is only open in the summer and protects truly untouched nature. It is only accessible by air or by boat. The area of the park is 2,314 km2, but only 542 km2 of it is above water. In the past, it was used for recreation, fishing and copper mining. Today there is only one hotel and a basic grocery store, otherwise it is a wilderness untouched by civilization. There aren’t even any roads on the island, it’s only criss-crossed by about a dozen footpaths.
Isle Royale National Park is also known for its large population of wolves and moose. However, their condition is quite changeable, when they don’t have enough food in the winter, they will make their way across the frozen lake to the Canadian mainland. The first wolves arrived here in the 1940s and were literally isolated from other members of their species on the island. Wolves hunt moose here, which live with them on the island. In almost 60 years, a total of 4 wolf packs with 24 wolves have formed here.
Those interested can rent canoes or kayaks and sail through the coastal bays and surrounding lakes. Due to the surrounding numerous small islands, several lighthouses were built here, such as Passage Island, Rock Harbor, Rock of Ages or Isle Royale Lighthouse.
