Saginaw, Michigan

Saginaw is a mid-central Michigan community, located in Saginaw County, along the Saginaw River. (The name Saginaw may be familiar to non-residents as the place it took Paul Simon four days to hitchhike from in his 1968 song "America.") Saginaw is set 17 miles (27 kilometers) south of Bay City (which sits on Saginaw Bay), 29 miles (47 kilometers) southeast of Midland, 38 miles (61 kilometers) north of Flint, and 103 miles (166 kilometers) northwest of Detroit.

There are things to do in Saginaw to suit a variety of tastes. Learn about area history at the Castle Museum, operated by the Historical Society of Saginaw County. Saginaw, whose sister city is Tokushima, Japan, is also home to one of five authentic Japanese tea houses in the United States, where you can not only take traditional tea, but enjoy courses in bonsai, origami, and more. Sports fans can cheer at home games of the Saginaw Spirit of the Ontario Hockey League, who play at Wendler Arena at the Dow Event Center (which also includes the Heritage Theater). Speaking of theater, for a dose of drama, head to productions of the Pit & Balcony Community Theatre. Music fans will enjoy the sounds of the Saginaw Bay Symphony Orchestra and the Saginaw Choral Society. Art lovers can visit the exhibits at the Saginaw Art Museum. Those who can't get enough of community events should check out the website of Pride in Saginaw, which organizes events like farmers' markets from May to October, Friday Nights Live summer concert series, and festive fun like Holidays in the Heart of the City and the Saginaw County Christmas Parade. (Of course, the CVB will also give you the scoop on the dozens of area festivals.) Got kids? Trips to the Children's Zoo at Celebration Square, which in addition to animals, has gardens, and carousel and train rides, will be on the agenda.

Saginaw is a four season community, with January highs averaging 30F (-1C) and July highs averaging 84F (29C). There are plenty of opportunities to enjoy the outdoors in and around Saginaw, which holds Tree City USA designation. Get out to a city or county park. Take in a round of golf at any of the many area golf courses. Hike, ride, or ski along the Saginaw Valley Rail Trail, which is almost 10 miles (16 kilometers) long and follows a path that was once a rail corridor. And the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge is located just outside of town, and includes 9,427 acres (3,815 hectares) of bottomland-hardwood forests, rivers, marshes, managed pools, fields, and croplands. The refuge is a great place to get outdoors, particularly for bird-watchers, as it's located along the Mississippi Flyway migration route.

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