By Ben Solis
Staff Writer
Posted: October 15, 2020 3:13 PM

With its vast array of forests and foliage, serene lakes and a surplus of adventurous outdoor activities, it is hardly a surprise to any self-respecting Michigander that our state would rank among the best places in the nation to visit during the fall season.

That's according to LawnStarter.com, which ranked 47 states in several categories to determine the best for a cozy and awe-inspiring autumn visit. The website left out the west coast states of Washington, Oregon and California due to the ongoing wildfires.

Overall, Michigan was No. 3 on their list, just behind New York in the top slot and Alaska taking second place. But of course, we know in our lake-blue heart of hearts that Michigan reigns supreme.

In individual categories, Michigan's fall entertainment received a solid No. 3 rank but barely fell into the Top 10 in terms of parks and forests at No. 9. Yard sizes in Michigan ranked at No. 12 while its natural hazards ranked at No. 11.

For those keeping score with our brethren and sistren in the Midwest, Ohio's overall rank was sixth place, Wisconsin was ranked seventh, Illinois ranked eighth and Minnesota took No. 16 overall. For any Hoosier expats reading at home, Indiana didn't fare as well coming in at 18th.

And while we routed Ohio in overall rank, Ohio beat us by a hair in terms of most pumpkin patches per state – we were at No. 3 while Ohio hailed at No. 2. I attribute that to our southern neighbor's affection for the color orange, but that could just be the Cleveland Browns fan in me talking (remember, I'm not originally from here).

One major affront, though, to Michigan was its trail ranking at 19th place. That means it also didn't appear on lists for most or fewest hiking trails. Fair enough, but I'd argue that you haven't really lived until you've hiked the trails that run through the Upper Peninsula's mighty Tahquamenon Falls State Park – among my favorite destinations in Michigan.

Michigan also failed to appear on the most and fewest scenic drives list, which again, I doubt the fine people at LawnStarter took the time to drive northbound on I-75 this fall, culminating in the crossing of the gloriously scenic Mackinac Bridge – a journey that should have been enough to take the whole pot.

Another notable curveball was Michigan's appearance, or lack thereof, on rank lists for highest and lowest hurricane risk. Puzzling to not have taken the top spot on the lowest risk ledger, as I've never heard of a hurricane landing on Michigan.

But The National Weather Service paints a clearer picture on this one. Although hurricanes by definition have never landed or formed on the Great Lakes, the remnants of hurricanes touching down in the south and northeast have indeed made their way to the Great Lakes region, so there's that.

Have I taken far greater offense to this list than pride? Probably, but only because my adopted home deserves, in my humble opinion, the highest of ranks when considering all it has to offer in the autumn season.