1. Championship Golf Courses blanket the entire region. This area is well known for its abundance of accessible, affordable golf for all skill levels.

2. Double JJ Resort offers championship golf, cross-country skiing, dog sledding, tubing and horseback riding. In its own words, it's just "Minutes Away" from Muskegon, but "Miles From the Ordinary."

3. Muskegon Winter Sports Complex is the most publicly accessible luge track in North America - and the training site for Olympic medalist Mark Grimmette. Skating, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing are also available.

4. Bike Trails stretch over 100 miles throughout the area - including 30 miles along the Lake Michigan coast from Grand Haven to Holland. You'll ride through shoreline, sand dunes, quiet rural roads, woodlands and farms.

5. Butch's Beach Burritos on the harbor in Grand Haven is a convenient refueling stop.

6. Grand Haven State Park and Tunnel Park in Holland are great sites for swimming. Charter boat rentals are available in Grand Haven.

7. Mt. Baldhead has 279 steps to get your legs and heart pumping. The reward at the top is a sweeping view of Saugatuck, the Kalamazoo River basin and Lake Michigan.

8. Oval Beach, at the base of Mt. Baldhead, is rated by Condé Nast Traveler as one of the 25 best shorelines in the world. The smooth, soft sand is great for a challenging run.

9. The Grand River, Michigan's largest, attracts fishermen (and women!) every day of the year. Cast a line near downtown's fish ladder and you might reel in salmon, steelhead, tourt, walleye, carp and even sturgeon!

10. Higher Ground Rock Climbing Center offers 7,000 sq. ft. of climbing surface in downtown Grand Rapids.

11. Millennium Park

12. Rosa Parks Circle is the Maya Lin-designed park that lets you skate under the stars. Skate rentals are available November through March.

13. Fifth Third River Bank Run is the largest 25K road race in the U.S. - and the course, starting in downtown Grand Rapids, is just one of many local runners can follow every day of the year.

14. Cottage Bar is a rejuvenating stop after a day of downtown play. More than 75 years old, it features the famous "Cottage Fries," chili, burgers and other pub fare.

15. The B.O.B. offers late-night fun - this renovated warehouse hosts several restaurants, a cigar lounge, microbrewery, comedy club, billiards hall, live jazz and a wine cellar.

16. White Pine Trail, north of Grand Rapids, is the longest rail-to-trail Linear State Park in Michigan - ideal for running and biking.

17. The Corner Bar in Rockford offers a different sort of competition - eat enough hot dogs, and you might be added to their "Hot Dog Wall of Fame."

18. The Timbers Inn offers a Northern Michigan Lodge dining experience, while the Bostwick Lake Inn provides casual dining on a small inland lake.