A Little Slice of da Harbor...: Back UP!

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Back UP!

Hey, I'm back! Did you miss me? Okay, you don't have to answer that.

Downstate Michigan was full of sunshine and blue skies. Only on the drive down did we (Rachel and I) encounter snow. We laughed as it snowed on our way through Christmas, MI. How appropriate! By the way, if you have ever driven through that town, you will notice a larger-than-any-building-size Santa Claus cut out with his fingers pointing in the air like he's doing the Hokey Pokey and turning himself around. Maybe that's what it's all about.

On my solo drive back up from Mio, MI, where I visited some friends and made some new ones, I drove all day in the sunlight. The real beauty started as I was about to cross back over the Mackinac Bridge to da U.P. Da U.P.! I squealed as its honorable earth came into my view.

I kinda had a moment crossing the bridge that time. Have you ever been on that thing? It's one of the longest suspension bridges in the world! I'm usually not gaga over man-made structures, but when it holds my life in its hands and allows me to return to my precious land, I will definitely give it some credit.

As I turned west on Hwy. 2 on the southern border of da U.P., I was mesmerized by Lake Michigan. The sun was making it sparkle, I noticed a group of islands to the south, I saw my first freighter of the spring, I watched the sand beaches blow by -- I know, I shouldn't have been driving! But it was quite exquisite for part of an eight hour drive. I relished in it.

On how many drives can I see three of the Great Lakes, anyway? What a treat! I got my first glimpse of Lake Superior in Munising. Oh! I squealed again! She is just such a beauty, I must pay my respects in her presence.

I made the trip home by myself (I had to stop and buy a map, however) with only a couple roundabout turns. I was proud of myself. I have never driven that distance in such a short time by myself from a place I have never been before. But my motivation to get back to my sleepy little town was what helped me drive most of the way.

Today I ventured along the shoreline and saw a 1/2" thick layer of ice piled at the end. I have never seen that before! Check it out!

Enjoy your day!!!

2 comments:

DeeMarch 30, 2011 at 9:34 AM
I love that drive. We come from NY every summer and I have the same reaction to the bridge and route 2. Glorious. If you haven't ever done it, stop just before the bridge and visit the exhibit about the building of it. Well worth the time. (As is the fort.) Foggy's in Christmas is a good place to stop for lunch. Wish I were doing this right now! Thanks for your post and pix.
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AmandaMarch 30, 2011 at 10:10 AM
Oh, thanks for the advice, Dee! Fortunately, I don't have to drive that distance even once a year, but since it is still new to me, I have places to explore!
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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!

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Back UP!

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Unofficial Overview from a Resident's Point of View

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