Do you ever think you'd like to learn some weird and wonderful things about where you live or travel? Perhaps there's a secret speakeasy in your town, or you're headed somewhere new and would like to get off the tourist trail. 

 

Well, if you live in or are coming to visit Michigan, I've got the book for you!

 

 

Amy Piper (we LOVE her book, Read This: 100 Things to Do in Lansing Before You Die) is back with yet another excellent read and travel guide, entitled Secret Michigan: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure.

 

As you can tell from the title, this is one book you'll start and then not want to put down. Who knew that we had SO MANY oddball things in our beautiful state? Yes, Michigan is much more than the Great Lakes, my friends. 

 

 

In this book, we discover some interesting history, great places to eat, quirky nature, Hell, creepy dolls, and even half a house. I devoured it and then went back and re-read, as one does with such an extraordinary book.

 

 

From the only king who ruled in the United States to the only President who was also a king, you’ll unearth the fascinating stories behind popular places. From a state with a car culture history, discover the origins of the world’s largest tire, the only state highway that doesn’t allow motorized vehicles, and what ship is a designated continuation of a United States highway.

 

You’ll learn about the people who made history in the Great Lakes State, like a hall-of-fame rock band that turned around a small-town football team’s losing season, the first Black woman to sue a White man—and win, and how a man survived the atomic bomb on Nagasaki.

 

 

 

We were lucky enough to catch up with Piper and ask her about her book, inspiration, research (YAY!), criteria for inclusion, and more. Here's what she had to say...

 

My latest book is Secret Michigan: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure, which has 84 featured destinations. Each has a title and a question, leading to an exciting story. I tell the story, and then you’ll find a box with a place to experience, the cost, and a pro tip. Finally, you’ll find a pull quote with an interesting fact that doesn’t fit the flow of the story.

 

What’s surprising is how many secrets Michigan hides behind the well-known destinations. The mysteries it keeps, places you may have been, but things you never noticed. Stories that only the locals know. Places the locals didn’t want me to reveal. Occasionally, they would request that I not disclose an exact location for fear of spoiling it.

 

For this book, a secret may be a surprising backstory behind a well-known attraction, the world’s largest, most miniature, and unusual food—things that make you exclaim, “That’s weird!” As a lifelong resident of Michigan, even I was surprised at what I didn’t know. Harry Blackstone, Thomas Alva Edison, and Sojourner Truth are historical figures I associated with other places that had roots in Michigan.

 

 

This book is a series by Reedy Press, the publisher that published my first book, 100 Things to Do in Lansing Before You Die. I went on a road trip through Kansas with one of my traveling friends, Roxie Yonkey of RoxieontheRoad.com, who was writing Secret Kansas. And we had so much fun discovering places throughout Kansas. We drove by some ruins in Kansas that she didn’t see because she was driving. I mentioned them, and we did a 180. The ruins had an exciting story and ended up in her book. I thought there must be some equally unknown places in Michigan. Or well-known places with interesting backstories. There are so many stories to tell. I’m still discovering them.

 

 

The joy was in learning so many new things about my home state of Michigan. Also, talking to people and hearing their suggestions was fun. Interestingly, some preferred not to share specifics for fear of ruining a destination with too many visitors.

 

Some challenges had to do with getting to the places on the great lakes, like Turnip Rock and Shipwreck Alley. In one instance, I had trips canceled twice due to rough water. In another example, I went earlier because the weather people predicted rough weather.

 

 

While the book covers the entire state, there are already books covering Secret Detroit and Secret Upper Peninsula, so I chose stories different from the tales covered in those books. I also picked fewer attractions from those destinations as they had books of their own.

 

Michigan has so many great stories. This series tends to highlight the largest items, like the largest cherry pie pan or the largest tire, so I included as many of those things as possible.

 

 

Then, the other criterion was to talk about places around the state. So, I used a map with dots of the approximate destinations throughout the state so I had a visual that the stories were not in a single area.  

 

 

Additionally, I wanted a balance of weird, wonderful, and obscure.

 

 

I’m currently working on Michigan content for my blog so people can have itineraries and recommendations when visiting the destinations in my book. Then, I’ll be looking for new projects, partnering with destinations to help them meet their objectives and tell the stories of their towns.

 

How can people find your work?

Website: https://followthepiper.com/

 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amythepipertravels/

 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amy.piper2

 

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amypiper/

 

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCb8mLZ9xOYQ9oA-qyAkevAA

 

Launch Party at Aspen Lakes Community Center, Holt: Wednesday, April 3 from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm

House of David Museum, St. Joseph: Thursday, April 11 from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm

Barnes and Noble Lansing: Saturday, April 13 from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm

Old Town General Store, Lansing: Saturday, April 20th from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm

The Otherside Paranormal & Mortuary Science Museum, Lansing: Saturday, April 27 from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm

Hooked (Book Store), Lansing: Friday, May 15 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm

Indian River Area Library, Indian River: Friday, June 7 from 4:30 to 5:30 pm

Hell, Michigan Vendor Show, Hell: Saturday, June 15 from 11:00 to 5:00

The Restaurant at Les Cheneaux Cooking School, Hessle: Saturday, June 22 from 5:00 to 9:00 pm

Portage Library in Houghton: Tuesday, June 25 from 6:00 to 7:00 pm

Castle Museum, Saginaw: Tuesday, July 9 from Noon to 1:00 pm

 

 

 

Jessie Voigts is the publisher of Wandering Educators. She has a PhD in International Education, has lived and worked in Japan and London, and traveled around the world. She’s published six books about travel and intercultural learning, with more on the way.

Jessie is one of the top 50 travel bloggers in the world, and was named a White House travel blogger with her site, Wandering Educators, a travel library for people curious about the world. She is constantly looking for ways to increase intercultural understanding, and is passionate about study abroad and international education.