Muskegon, Michigan, built on the fur and lumber trade, is now a calm vacation spot on Lake Michigan, calling itself "The Riviera of the Midwest." Sunbathe on several beautiful beaches along Lake Michigan, including Pere Marquette Beach, a certified Great Lakes "clean beach." Muskegon State Park provides hiking and camping opportunities in the summer, and ice skating, cross-country skiing and even a luge track in the winter. The city is also home to Michigan's Adventure Amusement Park.

Surrounded on almost all sides by water, Port Townsend offers many places to launch your vessel of choice, from rowing scull to yacht. Frequent races, regattas and the annual Wooden Boat Festival testify to the relationship between land and sea. For the land lubbers, there are also numerous parks surrounding the city, including Fort Worden and Old Fort Townsend State Parks and, further away, Olympic National Forest. An artists' haven, the town is home to many galleries and a vibrant Art Walk.