Scenic Michigan

After months of collecting photos and judging we are excited to announce our overall winner for our 2025 Scenic Michigan Photo Contest!

This years winner is Marquette Aurora by Michele Aucello, taken off the coast line in beautiful Marquette.

This striking photograph captures the natural beauty that Scenic Michigan works to promote and protect. Featuring the tranquil waters of Lake Superior’s iconic shoreline, framed by lush green landscapes, all illuminated by the breathtaking glow of the northern lights, the image showcases the extraordinary diversity of scenery found across our state all in one frame.

This view is especially rare for those outside of Michigan because we are so fortunate to have such amazing views of auroras.

Over the next six weeks we will be sharing the winners of the individual categories from our 2025 Photo Contest, so stay tuned for many more photos to enjoy and congratulations to Michele!

Sign, Sign… Everywhere a Sign? Not in the Right-of-Way!

We love seeing the community share events, sales, and announcements — but a quick reminder from the City of Ludington: signs are not permitted in the public right-of-way.

The City of Ludington Unified Development Ordinance (UDO), Article 9 – Signage, states that signs are prohibited from being located in or overhanging public rights-of-way or public easements, unless specifically allowed by ordinance or placed by the City for public purposes. Signs placed in the right-of-way may be removed by the City with or without notice.

👉 What does “right-of-way” mean?
It generally includes the area between the street and private property lines — often where sidewalks, utility poles, and street signs are located.

Why this matters:
• Signs can block visibility for drivers and pedestrians
• They can interfere with utilities and maintenance
• They create safety hazards during mowing, snow removal, and public works operations

Best practice:
Place signs on private property with the owner’s permission and outside of the street right-of-way.

Thank you for helping keep Ludington safe, tidy, and easy to navigate for everyone! If you have questions about sign placement, please contact the City’s Code Enforcement Office.

Two weeks ago Senate Bill 834 of 2026 was introduced to amend the Highway Advertising Act to increase right-of-way access to sites for billboard companies. Amendments to the Highway Advertising Act are particularly sensitive to us as it is a core part of Scenic Michigan's mission to combat billboard blight.

Scenic Michigan has voiced our opposition to this bill to the Senate Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. It is our review of the bill that this proposal would access sites along the right-of-way that would otherwise be considered inaccessible or undevelopable for billboards. It would cause unnecessary interference with vehicular traffic and endanger travelers, as well as construction and maintenance personnel. The inaccessible areas often are the most picturesque. And the impact of such would increase the potential for greater billboard proliferation along our beautiful roadways, thereby diminishing Michigan’s scenic beauty.

Please reach out to us at [email protected] if you are interested in learning more about this bill and the impact it may have on Michigan's highways.

Senate Bill 834 of 2026 - Michigan Legislature The Michigan Legislature Website is a free service of the Legislative Service Bureau in cooperation with the Michigan Legislative Council, the Michigan House of Representatives, the Michigan Senate, and the Library of Michigan. This site is intended to provide accurate and timely legislative informa...

"Milky Way season," is underway!

From now through October our galaxy will be visible to the naked eye on clear nights throughout Michigan. Due to our latitude and natural light protection from our abundant coastline we are uniquely situated to see the night sky. Remember when you see a particularly beautiful starry night, or even an aurora, we will be having our Photo Contest again this year!

Spotting the Milky Way? When the galaxy rises over Michigan "Milky Way season" is here, and dark sky areas in Michigan offer prime visibility of our galaxy.