North Country comparison

Wisconsin's Door County is a lot more "civilized" than Michigan's NP.  Actually, Door County (a peninsula) sticking out into Lake Michigan is more or less comparable to the peninsulas that stick out into the lake on the other side near Traverse City.  And both areas (given a similar climate) have wine and berries, and berries leads to good pies, and are lovely.

But the UP is a whole other story.  First, nobody lives up there.  And there is "nothing to do," if you want civilized pleasures.  The best book I found is the humorous You Wouldn't Like It Here:  A Guide to the Real Upper Peninsula of Michigan, by Lon Emerick.  It explains the reasons that sensible and more fortunate people ought to stay away.

Still, the UP does have a certain attraction.  We have been up that way three times, and keep going back.  The drive on US 2 along the northern shore of Lake Michigan is, I thought, quite pretty.  There aren't a whole lot places to stay, though.  Emerick's advice is to keep on driving, perhaps to Minnesota.

PS--it seems that the Yoopers call us "trolls," because we live down below the bridge connecting the two major parts of Michigan.  Which is, itself, quite dramatic:

The Bridge

Comments

[dewitte]

Sounds like the same thing you see in smaller cities like Richmond, or Norfolk, VA.  You always run into someone who lives in the "best" part of town, or knows to avoid the "worst" part of town.

[DoctorD42]

DeWitte, the Lon Emerick case is interesting.  He loves the UP, and has written several books about its various natural wonders and residents.  But, he has added to them with a volume of humorous tall tales and regional criticism.  There is also a sequel.  

I find that I am wondering in how many places people really like their living territory, and at the same time a very conscious of its foibles.  Yoopers, it seems to me, definitely are--and seem to like them.  I can't think of anyplace else that shares that kind of attitude at the moment, but maybe there are some.

Perhaps the way that the movie The Blues Brothers both makes fun of and celebrates Chicago and its musical heritage?

There also is a Yoopers musical comedy show, and a "tourist trap and museum."