Upper Peninsula Excursions

Explorers seeking a true escape from the predators of progress and development will always be welcomed by the stark, untouched nature of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The great northern isthmus, while larger than many states, is home to just over 300,000 citizens. Yet the preservation of this great wilderness is due as much to the populace's respect for the landscape as to its sparseness.

Most travelers venturing to the remote northern landscape of Michigan's upper peninsula must come by way of the great Mackinac bridge, the intimidating steel-cabled structure spanning more than two miles of water and connecting two very different cultures. And if the massive conduit isn't evidence of a separation in itself, the first glimpse from the northern foot of the suspended passage leaves no doubt that the visitor has entered a different land.

The air is at once crisp, clear and quiet. Evidence of civilization is immediately dispersed. Freeway signs give no indication of the distance to the next ‘exit’ – should there even be one. Words like remote, seclusion and isolation spring subconsciously to mind. Trudging apprehensively onward, it quickly becomes evident that the narrowing road, and not the dense ancient forest, is the unwelcome invader in this landscape.

This is Michigan’s northern wilderness, a landscape known only to that North American region to the immediate north and south of the U.S.-Canadian border. Untouched by progress, undesirable to the white-collar pursuits of modern urban culture and closely guarded by the governments of both countries, it represents the sole remaining vestige of pristine earth. It is the last resort for a displaced, endangered wildlife and for the world-weary spirit of the human animal.

Although the region has welcomed a handful of transplanted retirees and nature seekers, it is truly home only to the survivors and descendants of its original settlers: the mining and logging pioneers. Today, the aging edifices of the region's first settlements mirror the silent expressions of the aged citizenry, both ghostly reminders of a glorious history. Now mines and museums serve as monuments to the bygone era of what was once the great kingdom of a blue-collar aristocracy.

This cultural undercurrent serves as the unique and appealing backdrop for the visits of the outside world. Students of Northern Michigan University, compelled by the solitude and separation of the school, give little thought to the native population. Tourists, drawn primarily by the natural beauty of locales like “Pictured Rocks,” and the popular Winter recreations of skiing and sledding, catch only a glimpse of the reality of the local culture when they happen upon obscure attractions such as the almost metaphysical “Da Yoopers’ Tourist Trap.”

Go To Page: 1 2

Articles in this Topic    Discussions in this Topic