This is an attempt to see what parallels there might be between the mitten and that galaxy far, far away. So we used the force, and some Jedi mind tricks, to mash-up areas of Michigan with the world of Star Wars.

Sault Ste. Marie - Yoda

Yoda (Star Wars via YouTube)
Yoda (Star Wars via YouTube)
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Founded in 1668, this is the oldest city in Michigan and Yoda is the oldest known character in Star Wars. The Jedi Master was much older than Sault Ste. Marie, at least 900-years-old, before he passed away and became a 'force ghost' in The Empire Strikes Back.

Lansing - Darth Vader & Emperor Palpatine

Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine
Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine
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Because government. Sorry, being Sith Lords is what you get for being Michigan's capital city. We still believe there is good in you, though.

Battle Creek - Jar Jar Binks

Jar Jar Binks (Star Wars via YouTube)
Jar Jar Binks (Star Wars via YouTube)
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Before you get angry Battle Creek, this isn't a slight like you think it is. Because think about it... Jar Jar really looks like he could be a cereal mascot, doesn't he?

Grand Rapids - Princess Leia

Princess Leia (Star Wars via YouTube)
Princess Leia (Star Wars via YouTube)
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One thing these two have in common: they're both very pretty. Princess Leia is smart, feisty & brave, which sort of fits the Grand Rapids community, one of the most economically diverse in the state. It is also the only city in Michigan that is the childhood home of a U.S. President, Gerald R. Ford, so Leia's connection to government also makes it a fit.

Kalamazoo - Luke Skywalker

Luke Skywalker (Star Wars via YouTube)
Luke Skywalker (Star Wars via YouTube)
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Endearing to those who get to know him, Luke constantly grows stronger and learns  amidst any challenges. Called to adventure, he goes out facing trials and ordeals, and comes back after his victory with a boon for the community. This resembles Kalamazoo's story of big growth and development in recent decades.

Detroit - Millennium Falcon

Millennium Falcon (Star Wars via YouTube)
Millennium Falcon (Star Wars via YouTube)
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This thing gets bumped, banged around and beaten down, but just keeps bouncing back and chugging along. Anyone associated with this ship has a lot of pride in it, no matter what others say about it. Besides, if there is one place in Michigan where the Millennium Falcon would have been made, we know it's the Motor City.

Flint - Han Solo

Han Solo Star Wars via YouTube
Han Solo Star Wars via YouTube
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Overcoming danger and challenges, a little rough around the edges, and often in financial debt, Han Solo fights hard to stay ahead of certain doom and survive his complicated life. Flint has too, as Michigan's "scruffy looking nerf herder", but it doesn't give up.

Ann Arbor- Obi-Wan Kenobi

Obi Wan Kenobi (Star Wars via YouTube)
Obi Wan Kenobi (Star Wars via YouTube)
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Old and wise. Also known as "Ben", Obi-Wan is a mentor in the Star Wars films. Ann Arbor, of course, is home to the sprawling University of Michigan, known for its many research and training programs.

Upper Peninsula - Hoth

Hoth (Star Wars via YouTube)
Hoth (Star Wars via YouTube)
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When you think Michigan winters, the Upper Peninsula always comes to mind with some of the epic cold and snowfall that comes with the season there every year. It also brings to mind when the good guys are on the icy planet of Hoth and Luke Skywalker gets stranded in the freezing cold and snow. Brrr!

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