By Jessica Mathews/News@whmi.com


We may cooped up in our homes as we practice social distancing, but Michiganders can still explore Pure Michigan.

The state's tourism campaign is now going virtual featuring live cams of beaches and destinations across the state, as well as virtual tours of unique exhibits. It provides alternative experiences while promoting social distance guidelines.

Dave Lorenz is Vice President of Travel Michigan, which is part of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. With the Governor’s Stay Home, Stay Safe order, Lorenz tells WHMI they recognize how it can be working from home. He says many of their staffers have family members and kids at home so they understand what it’s like. He says they wanted to provide a virtual travel experience to make it easier for everyone at home to dream and plan for their future travel plans because before long, everyone will get back to their normal way of life and people will want to travel. Lorenz says people might as well take some time now for research and planning but also try to eliminate some stress in the household by providing various virtual Pure Michigan experiences.

Lorenz says virtual Pure Michigan experiences include groupings of interesting things such as live web camera feeds from all over the state like Holland, Frankenmuth and the Mackinac Bridge. He says people can also visit places virtually as many feature online exhibits that are inspiring but also educational such as the Henry Ford Museum. There is also a live stream of the butterfly exhibit at Frederik Meijer Gardens and a virtual kayak experience along the St. Mary’s River in Sault St. Marie.

Information and resources are available online at www.Michigan.org and on Pure Michigan social channels. A web link is provided.