• Most Michigan vacations offer child-friendly activities.boy on beach lake michigan great lake image by Paul Retherford from Fotolia.com
  
  The state of Michigan is an outdoor wonderland with 11,000 inland lakes and thousands of acres of state and national park land. Metropolitan areas feature children's museums, zoos, parks and sporting events. Families looking for child-friendly places to go in Michigan won't be disappointed.
  
  

Great Wolf Lodge in Traverse City

• Great Wolf Lodge in Traverse City is on every child's list of dream vacations, with an indoor water park, games and activities. The 38,000-square-foot water park features eight waterslides, five pools and an interactive water tree house. An outdoor water park is open during the summer. On dry land, children and families can play games in the large arcade, play mini-golf in the summer and listen to story time before bed. Rooms, suites and cabins accommodate families of all sizes and needs. Some rooms have themes that make kids feel like they're camping in a cabin or sleeping in a wolf's den.
  
  Off the Great Wolf Lodge grounds, families will find plenty to do in the Traverse City area. Children will enjoy beaches, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, fishing, boating, and skiing, snowboarding and snowmobiling in the winter.
  
  Great Wolf Lodge
  3575 N. US 31 S.
  Traverse City, MI 49684
  231-941-3600
  greatwolf.com/traverse/waterpark
  
  

The Detroit Zoo

• During summer months, families who vacation in the Detroit area should check out the Detroit Zoo in Royal Oak. This large zoo has unusual attractions like the Arctic Ring of Life, which features an up-close view of polar bears. In the Australian Outback exhibit, visitors can walk through a barrier-free exhibit with red kangaroos and wallabies. Associated with the Detroit Zoo, the Belle Isle Nature Zoo features Michigan wildlife and offer nature programs for kids and families on weekends.
  
  The Detroit Zoo
  8450 W. 10 Mile Road
  Royal Oak, MI 48068
  248-541-5717
  detroitzoo.org
  
  

Mackinac Island

• Mackinac Island sits just east of the Mackinac Bridge and Straits of Mackinac in Lake Huron. The island is accessible by boat, and going there is like traveling back in time. No cars are allowed on Mackinac Island, leaving transportation up to horse-drawn buggies, bikes and feet. Hotels and bed and breakfasts with charm provide lodging on the island. A historic downtown has stores, fudge shops and restaurants. Exploring the island by bicycle is a must. An 8-mile trail leads visitors around the perimeter of the island for views of natural areas, wildlife and lighthouses. Rental bikes are available. Fort Mackinac is a historic British outpost that features interactive exhibits and a children's play area. At night, families can take a boat ride beneath the Mackinac Bridge to view its lights.