Lansing’s Natural Beauty & Cultural Attractions By Vic Liang If you’re visiting the Midwestern United States, you should not miss Michigan. Lansing, the capital of Michigan, is definitely one of my first choices for a great vacation. From history and culture to beautiful green spaces and charming town districts to the famous Michigan State University, I deeply felt the city’s metropolitan and small town charm. Michigan Historical Museum On the first day of my journey, I visited the Michigan Historical Museum, which has a rich collection of Michigan-related exhibits. There are walk-through replicas of an Upper Peninsula copper mine, one-room schoolhouse, 1920s street scene, 1957 Detroit Auto Show and more. Walking around the museum, I was able to get a good understanding of Michigan’s history and culture. Lansing River Trail Recreation After leaving the Michigan Historical Museum, I headed to downtown Lansing. One of downtown’s most inviting features is the 21 km long wooden boardwalk along the river known as the Lansing River Trail. It creates a bond through downtown, connecting the urban spaces and green spaces. You’ll see some people rowing on the river, some people jogging on the trail, some people on benches by the river sipping coffee while reading a book. This is definitely a great place to spend some time. I walk along the trail and eventually came upon the Lansing City Market. Although the current market was built in 2010, the market has been operating since 1909. Inside the market selling fresh local organic produce, there are all kinds of unique, small restaurants. Lunchtime gathered a lot of office workers here to eat and rest. I chose a seat with a view of the market, ordered a fresh sandwich and juice, and enjoyed my leisure time. Michigan State University Further down the Lansing River Trail, I made time to visit Michigan State University in East Lansing. It is one of the nation's leading universities, and every year attracts a large number of students from all over the world, and especially there are a lot of Chinese students studying here. Michigan State University is known not only for its agriculture and communication theory, but is also a pioneer in manufacturing and music therapy research. In East Lansing, I also went to a world-renowned design of architect Zaha Hadid, the Eli and Edythe Board Art Museum, also located on the campus of Michigan State University. The building’s exterior is composed of stainless steel folds and glass, so that it stands out among traditional brick buildings surrounding it. It exhibits contemporary works of art from cultures all over the world, such as ancient Greece and Rome until now. Tightly integrating academic education and research, it has become a landmark of art, culture, education and architecture in Lansing. Old Town Lansing Speaking of art in Lansing, I have a place to recommend a visit to Old Town Lansing. How old? The first settlers arrived here in 1843, but now it is a business district full of artistic atmosphere. In beautiful Victorian buildings, you can find galleries, boutiques, specialty shops and fine restaurants. Here, you can enjoy food, shopping and picking out favorite works of art. If you want to come to Michigan, remember not to miss the capital city of Lansing. Its beauty and warmth will bring you unforgettable travel memories. When you go Exploring history Michigan Historical Museum michigan.gov/mhc Outdoor recreation Lansing River Trail lansingrivertrail.org Lansing City Market lansingcitymarket.com East Lansing cityofeastlansing.com Old Town Lansing iloveoldtown.org Arts Culture and Education Michigan State University msu.edu Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum broadmuseum.msu.edu For more information Please visit us at lansing.org

• published: 09 Dec 2014
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