There are two parts of Michigan, the quiet Upper Peninsula and the Lower Peninsula, where most ‘Michiganders’ live. They’re linked by a breathtaking bridge, the five-mile long Mackinac, which has a small toll to pay.

Interstate 75 – I-75 – is the road that crosses the Mackinac, and it continues north all the way to the border with Canada. Take it south and you’ll pass through dozens of charming small towns before dropping south-east to the major cities of Flint and Detroit.

From Detroit, roads spray out in all directions. Go west on the I-94 for pretty Ann Arbor, Jackson and Kalamazoo, or north-west for the state capital Lansing and Grand Rapids on the I-96. Away from the interstates, the U.S. Routes are some of the best driving in Michigan, especially Route 31 which hugs the western coastline and Route 23 which traces the contours of Lake Huron on the east.

Many of the driving rules will be familiar – compulsory seatbelts, no mobile phone use while driving – but there are a few key differences. The most significant is that you’ll have to drive on the right-hand side of the road, overtaking on the left – your hire car will be left-hand drive. In towns and cities, you can make right turns on a red at intersections when your way to proceed is clear.

Speed limits vary, with freeway speeds varying between 70 and 75mph. Residential areas have limits as low as 25mph, so it’s best to observe signs. There are particular lane rules for freeways it’s good to know in advance. On a three-lane freeway, you can drive in any lane, but on a two-lane freeway, you must drive on the right except for when overtaking in the left-hand lane.

With the sun twinkling off the many great lakes – choose from Erie, Superior, Michigan and Huron – and the dense forests making way for clear stretches and an endless sky, we bet you can’t wait to get out on the open road here. Stunning at any time of year, it really comes into its own in Autumn when the trees turn shades of russet and gold. You could even opt to take a tour of the lighthouses that guard the coastline on all sides here or drive over to the wilder Upper Peninsula.

Motor city

Detroit is the gritty heart and soul of Michigan, a city currently in a process of optimistic redevelopment. Petrolheads will adore the automotive history here, with both the Gilmore Car Museum and Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation bringing to life the story of America’s love affair with all things four-wheeled.

There’s Motown heritage too, with Berry Gordy’s houses of hits giving the world the genius of Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye – head to W. Grand Boulevard to see the museum and studio.

The shipwreck coast

With wonderful water surrounding much of Michigan, its maritime history is long and fascinating. Lighthouses line the state, but there are still shipwrecks aplenty in Lake Superior. Driving here on the northern coast is beautiful and eerie, as you pass sandstone cliffs shaped by the water over millennia. The minerals in the rock has given them a vibrant colour, and there’s a particularly amazing stretch called the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.

Out on the water lie the hulks of hundreds of boats, while you’ll also see waterfalls, the Big Spring and the ghost town of Fayette. There’s a shipwreck museum and you can visit Whitefish Point Light Tower, a lighthouse still in operation after more than 150 years.

Hungry? You’re close the Upper Peninsula here where, in the 19^th century, miners from Cornwall moved over from the UK in their thousands to work the iron mines here. As a result, the Cornish pasty is a staple of many parts of Michigan to this day.

On the food trail

One of the most relaxed and cosmopolitan places to visit here is Ann Arbor, a quintessential American college town. It’s not just a place for students – it also has a burgeoning reputation as a destination for foodies, while the nearby river guarantees fun on the water too.

Browsing the boutiques, bookstores and delis is a great way to spend a morning, before grabbing something to eat. You’ll see the name Zingerman’s a lot in Ann Arbor, a business that covers coffee, cream, cakes and all points in between. Zingerman’s Delicatessen birthed the legend, and the sandwiches here are perfect to take away for a picnic beside the Huron river. For solid American food, go to the same company’s Roadhouse – poutine, pit-smoked BBQ pork sandwich and stunning mac ‘n’ cheese are just the warm-up for the donut sundae desserts

Walk some of the calories off with a riverside stroll, or explore the Nichols Arboretum, hugely popular with locals since 1906. It feels a world away from Detroit and the splendour of the lakes, but really it’s just a short drive away – and with car hire in Michigan you can cover it all and make this the trip of your dreams.