Yooper scoopers ready for snow season at Ace Hardware in Newberry

Planning a trip to Michigan?
Or just interested in learning more about the sights, sounds, foods, people and history of the Great Lakes State?

In these books I share my recommendations based on my experiences from exploring both peninsulas with the family, and gathered throughout a lifelong career in Detroit and Michigan tourism communications and as a travel writer, photographer and editor.

By their very titles, these books don’t include everything there is to do in the state. They do include some of the expected, top attractions as well as lesser known hidden gems, based on my knowledge, interests, personal preferences and recommendations. I hope you have a great time discovering Michigan through my stories and photos.

Click here if you want to know where to buy the books. Of course, you may contact me directly for copies—signed, if you’d like, at kathusitalo @ mac.com.

IT HAS ARRIVED!

Just released in April 2025, 100 Things to Do in Michigan Before You Die takes you to some of my favorite “must sees” across both the Upper Peninsula and The Mitten.

Of course, there are a zillion things to do in the Great Lakes State, so my challenge was to select a good mix of familiar, iconic places with lesser known but worthy sites that I love and think you’d enjoy taking the time to discover.

All are unique to Michigan, from foods that originated here to natural wonders, one-of-a-kind museums and experiences, and souvenirs and shops you won’t find anywhere else.

Bonus: This book contains color photos of several of the featured locations.

If there was a Rodney Dangerfield “I don’t get no respect” club, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula would be eligible for membership.

The land north of the Mitten was considered a booby prize when it was awarded to the Michigan territory to settle The Toledo War of 1835-36. Although it occupies a third of the state’s area, the U.P. has been left off many maps, including a Medicaid map of the U.S. on the White House website in 2013.

Lately, though, the U.P. has been popping up on the radar of travel journalists and tourists seeking “new” destinations.

My book 100 Things to Do in the Upper Peninsula Before You Die was published in 2017 by Reedy Press of St. Louis, Missouri, which covers the U.S. with its extensive “100 Things” series of books.

I updated it each year, but made extensive revisions in 2024, and the 2nd edition features many updates and cool new additions.

I’m so happy to share this info with people who love the U.P. or are curious about it. I hope to inspire visits to the well over 100 places included here, and encourage folks to stop along the way to discover much more that I just couldn’t squeeze into the book’s 160 pages.

Even on timeless Mackinac Island, things change.

I’ve contributed to other books but the U.P. book was my first solo outing. It was so much fun, I wrote 100 Things to Do on Mackinac Island Before You Die (April 2018). It, too, had been updated a couple times, but now there’s a 2nd edition, which came out in March 2025.

Although the appeal and magic of Mackinac Island is its history, Victorian charm and quirkiness as a car-free oasis, there are new places to eat, drink, stay and shop, as well as experiences to enjoy.

It’s a secret worth sharing.

Secret Upper Peninsula: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure is very different in content and format than the “100 Things” books.

In it I share 89 stories about people, places, foods and historical events that make the U.P. so unique. Each story is accompanied by photos, a fun fact and other info.

I truly enjoyed researching and learning about this sampling of the oddities and curiosities you’ll be able to visit on a road trip across the U.P., or as an armchair traveler who likes a good Yooper tale.

TO PURCHASE BOOKS FROM ME:

100 THINGS MICHIGAN: with sales tax and mailing: $26

100 THINGS UPPER PENINSULA: with sales tax and mailing: $22.00.

100 THINGS MACKINAC ISLAND: with sales tax and mailing: $22.00.

SECRET UPPER PENINSULA: with sales tax and mailing: $24.00.

If you would like a copy, please send check for the amount, mailing address and note whether you would like to have the book signed and the name(s) if you’d like a dedication. I send via USPS media mail.

Make check payable to: Lines & Letters Communications, PO Box 316, Naubinway, MI 49762.

Thank you!

Check here often for sources that carry the books.