There is no other place in the world like West Michigan. You live at the heart of one of Michigan’s most beautiful lakes. West Michigan is home to many towns, small and large, and remains to be one of the “must see” locations in Michigan. Tourism crowds the streets in the summer, and leaves us West Michiganders in a big pile of unpredictable weather in the winter. We are the heart and home to one of the United States’ best leaders, President Gerald Ford. What is there not to love about West Michigan? We have it all and all of it is great; four seasons, beaches, diversity, food, people, stores, history, leadership, entertainment, and more. If you can relate to these, you’re most certainly from beautiful West Michigan.

1. Going to Michigan's Adventure to get two parks for the price of one on summer days.
2. When someone doesn’t know where your town is so you reply “near Michigan’s Adventure.”
3. Explaining to people it's “Michigan’s Adventure”, not “Michigan Adventures”, “Michigan Adventure”, or “Michigan’s Adventures.”
4. Knowing that on opening day, everyone will be out at deer camp and you don't expect to find many people in town.
5. Taking pictures at the beach for prom and homecoming.
6. Watching WZZM13 on winter mornings, hoping that you'd see your school as one of the ones closed.
7. Even after you don’t see your school’s name, waiting 10 minutes before your bus/ride comes just praying your school will decide to close last minute.
8. As soon as you got your first phone, you set up the automatic texts from WZZM13 informing you of school closings so you didn't have to wait and watch.
9. When your school doesn’t close, learning how to drive in the 20 foot tall piles of snow on the roads.
10. Always getting excited to go to Tanger Outlets, Rivertown Crossings Mall, or Woodland Mall.
11. You’ve been on a date to Craig’s Cruisers at least once.
12. Sharing M Live’s links to vote your school for “game of the week.”
13. Coast Guard Festival in Grand Haven.
14. People watching the Electric Forest tourists every summer. (They make showers out of anything).
15. Getting a red light at every stop light on 31 between Grand Haven and Holland.
16. Putting some sort of mitten or Michigan sticker on the back of your car.
17. Collecting pop cans for school fundraisers.
18. Knowing the beverage is called “pop” and not “soda.” (What even is soda?)
19. Visiting ArtPrize in Grand Rapids and taking aesthetic pictures.
20. Spending every spare minute at Lake Michigan becoming a fish in the water with leathery tan skin.
21. Going to Wesco for doughnuts and slushies.
22. When you’re with friends, you for sure know how to play euchre.
23. Watching a Whitecaps game and singing along to “Take me out to the ballgame.”
24. Friday night lights against rival schools.
25. Having friends from other West Michigan schools.
26. Having 93.7, 104.5, 105.3 and 107.9 on your radio’s “list” in your car.
27. Saving up for Electric Forest, Birthday Bash, and Faster Horses every summer.
28. Taking senior pictures at the beach during sunset, wherever your sport is played, at a barn, at a sunflower field, or in the fall leaves. (Either wearing something white or your sport uniform).
29. Sporting a Wet Michigan hoodie or crew neck on chilly Michigan nights.
30. Everyone is prepared for the rivalry Michigan vs. Michigan State Game.
31. Watching double feature movies at Getty’s Drive-Ins
32. Going to bonfires and not knowing what to expect of Michigan's weather that night. “Should I bring a sweatshirt? Jeans or shorts?”
33. Not liking a certain vehicle brand because that brand was a rival of the company half your family used to work for.
34. Hoping that the Lions will make it to the Super Bowl before you die.
35. Making a commitment to go to all the haunted trails, ranches, and houses in the month of October.
36. Taking a trip to Lewis’ Farm to take a picture in their huge chair and drinking their apple cider.
37. Taking pictures in the photo booth at the Pump House with your delicious fro-yo and great friends.
38. Having a mental breakdown when thinking about what you’d do without a lake 10-15 mins from your house.
39. Ice skating in the winter.
40. Stopping at G&L for a quick bite.
41. Somehow always being prepared for Michigan's unpredictable weather. (Having both a beach towel and a snow shovel in your car because you really just never know).
42. Going with friends on snow days despite the purpose of the snow day.
43. Visiting Tulip Time in Holland to see all the pretty flowers.
44. Seeing thousands of pictures and videos of the sunset on every type of single social media each night.
45. Never failing to be at awe with West Michigan’s sunsets.
46. Taking pictures and tagging them #puremichigan with pride.
47. Going snowboarding/skiing is always a perk of winter.
48. Finding your free four tickets to 107Mus Moose Fest.
49. At one point or another either having to have someone pull your car out of snow/mud/sand or having to pull someone else out.
50. Trying new flips and tricks at the piers.
51. Spending time in Silver Lake Sand Dunes tearing it up.
52. Spending the summer days on our fresh water lakes.
53. Taking a trip up to Country Dairy to have their famous bottomless cup of chocolate milk and getting a yummy ice cream cone.
54. Knowing the West Coast is the best coast. And I'm not talking about California.