Pure Michigan Photos: Sean Chess Wins Tourism Agency's Contest To Show State's Beauty

Pure Michigan is at it again.
The state's tourism arm is back to bragging about the Mitten's natural wonders once more. They've announced the winner of a photo contest last week that asked people to submit photos that "capture the beauty and serenity of Pure Michigan."

With Pure Michigan seemingly dominating our social media, and a fawning Tim Allen ad lurking on what seems like every radio station, perhaps we should feel overwhelmed by the sheer power of Michigan's purity. Fortunately, we're in absolute agreement that Michigan is probably, most certainly, almost definitely the best and most beautiful state ever (or at the very least, far better than Ohio).

So why not celebrate our good looks? Congratulations to Sean Chess of Coldwater, who won the contest for his photo of St. Joseph North Pier Lighthouse in St. Joseph, Mich. and gets the esteemed prize of his photo appearing in the 2013 Pure Michigan Travel Guide.

“My brother and sister and I would always check out lighthouses with my dad, who recently passed away,” Chess said. “This year, we decided to explore the shore of Lake Michigan and ended up at the St. Joseph Lighthouse. When I was looking out on the vast coast of Lake Michigan, I felt it was truly an honor to be standing there."

Below, take a look at some of the best photos of the 3,300 submitted to the contest to see how gorgeous Michigan is. Seems like state pride is catching.