"Say YES to Michigan!" the television commercials shout. "Say YES to white sandy beaches, lush green forests and deep blue lakes! Say YES to crystal rivers, rolling meadows, and exciting ski slopes!"

The shining faces and picturesque imagery drive home the message of Michigan, the Midwest's vacation answer to Florida.

But for many--the non-Michiganders, the uninitiated--the commercials don't ring true.

"Say YES to what?" the ignorant masses want to What white sandy beaches? How about the smog-filled expressways and crime-ridden neighborhoods of the Motor City?

Alright, so that is a part of Michigan you won't see in the commercials. But it's a different story just five hours north of Detroit.

In fact, northern Michigan is a year-round vacation wonderland--the Midwest's version of Hilton Head in the summer and Vail in the winter.

Yes, ye of little faith, there is skiing in Michigan, and not just the cross-country variety (though you won't find a better place for that, either).

Even the automobile trip to northern Michigan's recreation hot spots (cold spots, as the case may be) can be an experience--a trek through the wilds of middle America.

Heading north from Detroit along Interstate-75 you'll pass through wide expanses of farmland and across the locally infamous Zilwaukee Bridge--a multi-million dollar cement monolith that took ten years to complete and has nearly collapsed several times.

You'll see for yourself the plight of Flint, the once-bustling factory city profiled by filmmaker Michael Moore in "Roger and Me."

You'll pass through Grayling--a northern Michigan city that is, well, gray.

You'll discover local attractions like Bronner's Christmas Wonderland in historic Frankenmuth--the only store I know of that celebrates Christmas 365 days a year.

Maybe, if you're in an adventurous mood, you'll slip off the expressway and visit hokey Midwest tourist sites like the Call of the Wild Museum or the largest free standing crucifix in North America.

And if you're hungry, there's always an Elias Brothers Big Boy--home of the Big Boy Burger--every couple of miles.

Finally, at the end of your journey through the heart of the Great Lakes State, you'll find yourself in the northwestern corner--somewhere between the pinky and the ring finger--of the mitten that is Michigan.