A Little Slice of da Harbor...: Rural Arkansas Tour

Friday, February 17, 2017

Rural Arkansas Tour

It seems like they are having quite the winter up in da Keweenaw. Man, it's really weird to say "they" when talking about the Keweenaw. And the U.P. It is my home, but here I am soaking up the sunshine in Arkansas.

This is the first winter I have cheated (it sure feels like cheating) in my whole life. And the people down here say that this hasn't really even been winter either! It's only mid-February, but buds are forming on the trees, the grass is greening up, and new shoots are coming out of the ground. I am getting a suntan too. I can't lie, though. I like it.

Here's a little tour of some of my favorite natural beauties in my current place of residence near Kingston. Remember, I am not a photographer. The lighting is bad and things aren't focused well, but I am using an old iphone. Like an iphone 4S that isn't even connected to a tower. Haha. I am still a yooper at heart!

Anyway, here we go!

Some landscape shots.

A pan of the Ozarks and a beef cattle field

A fifteen foot high rock pyramid

(Photo does no justice)

The Kings River at a low crossing

Some cool boulders -- perfect for a picnic or sunset

My favorite tree

Brady P. overlooking the valley

That little boy. He is eating a granola bar, so pardon the messy face. Aaron took that picture, that's why it looks so good. Plus, well, Braeden makes everything look better.

How about some fauna?

Aaron and Brady P. calling the cows

Horses at sunset

Not pictured are the turkey vultures that consistently circle the skies. Or the lovely birds of prey that sit in the trees after a rain. Or the deer that scamper out of site when our family crests the hills in the side-by-side.

That's kind of the jist, really. This area is rural, hilly and quiet. I would come back here next winter for sure... Don't judge!

1 comment:

Rich F.February 17, 2017 at 5:04 PM
Good to see y'all are doing fine down there. There's a heat wave this weekend up here. 45 and sunny today.
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Unofficial Overview from a Resident's Point of View

“If you’ve never been there, you wouldn’t understand” is a quote printed above an outlined picture of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula on a t-shirt sold in gift shops in the area. Some people cock their heads in bewilderment of what this could mean. Well, if you’ve never been there (to da U.P.), then you wouldn’t understand.

It’s simple really. Where are you guaranteed to see more trees than people on any drive or walk? Where can you sit in a bar in April and know everybody’s name? Where can you wear flannel and Carharts anytime of the year without a flinch from a passerby? Where can you end most of your sentence with the colloquialism eh, eh? Where can you go to truly get away from the civilized world? If you answered “da U.P.” to all of these questions, why, you must have been there.

Michigan’s Upper Peninsula makes up one third of the state’s land mass, but only 3% of its entire population. It’s no wonder the average number of people per square mile is 19.3. Nineteen people per square mile! Its lack of inhabitants combined with a plethora of wilderness, unique geographical features and an abundance of water is a big part of what makes the U.P. so unique. In fact, it was included in the Sherman Travel worldwide “Top 10 Places to Go in 2005."

And unique in itself, at the most northern tip in the Keweenaw Peninsula sits the little village of Copper Harbor. “Tops in Michigan,” “the beginning of the road” and quite frankly, the hardest place to leave once your soul has found its peace. It’s the least visited and most revisited place in America. Returning visitors make an appearance at least once a year, no matter what gas prices are. And when they’re back at home, they dream of their next visit to the end of the world.

Why would people want to return to a place where their cell phones don’t work and they can’t get a Big Mac for at least 54 miles? Once you drive through the one and only blinking stop light in town, you are 99% guaranteed not to see any authorities. The town can take care of itself for the most part, and people respect each other and each other’s property.

To the local residents and the handfuls of returning tourists (of which some have been adopted), Copper Harbor is the only place where they can be themselves -- completely and shamelessly (at least until the next morning). Fashion does not exist, but comfort is a must. Possessions mean nothing, but attitude means the world. Loitering is encouraged, and talk is ceaseless. Fresh air is plentiful, and serenity is down the block on Lake Superior’s shore. Ahhh.

Only 90 people can bear to live there year-round (good thing because the post office only has 130 mailboxes), but the population peaks around 250 in the busy summer months when people reopen their business or their summer home.

Copper Harbor and the rest of the Keweenaw Peninsula average 270 inches of snow each season. Whether it falls consistently throughout the winter or all in one dump, it’s guaranteed to fall if it isn’t drilling sideways. Only four businesses stay open through these long months because sometimes, there’s just nobody there.

U.S. Highway 41, which runs all the way to Miami, Florida, begins in Copper Harbor, and yes, it gets plowed the whole way up. A half mile north, six miles east and five miles south of this landmark puts you in magical Lake Superior. I know it’s magical because I’ve caught myself and many other people staring, mesmerized by its pure vastness, undulations and crashing waves.

When you can enjoy every breath of Lake Superior air, wear clothing soley for funtion and not mind seeing the same people day after day after day after day, then, my friend, then, you’ll understand.

A Little Slice of da Harbor...

Copper Harbor, That is!

Friday, February 17, 2017

Rural Arkansas Tour

1 comment:

Unofficial Overview from a Resident's Point of View

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