Michigan Musings

Note: Edited 8/29/17--(because I was too tired the night I originally posted it to think of adding photos. oops!)

Michigan!

After spending two weeks exploring the state of Michigan I wanted to share some of our favorite observations. Some are trivia facts. Some are things perhaps I should have known, but didn't. And some are just things that caught our attention.

My Top 10.

Pasties: a Yooper Favorite.

10. What is the favorite regional food where you live? If you live in Michigan, it is Pasties, a meat and potato pie served hot or cold, with gravy or without. The one Larry tried was huge, hot, drenched in gravy and served on a plate, but I'm guessing some can be held in your hand. It is a staple in the U.P. Every roadside stand, food truck, diner and restaurant had big signs outside: PASTIES!!

9. A local commercial I heard one morning claimed that everyone in Michigan lives within 5 miles of water: lake, stream, or river. There is a lot of water in Michigan!
       But it made me wonder what is the average distance people live from a body of water? Since most communities are built near water, I would think that even in the desert, people live near a water source. So I Googled it. (God Bless the Google Creator--or maybe God is the Creator of Google too. It can do everything!) One survey/report says that 50% of the world's population live within 3 Km (1.8 miles) of water, but 10% live within 10 Km (6.2 miles). That is your Trivia Fact for the day!

8. Michigan is home to the Hiawatha National Forest, and the Land of Gitche Gumee, immortalized in the "Song of Hiawatha", by Henry Wordsworth Longfellow. He was a professor at Harvard and a poet who lived in New England, not Michigan. I probably should have known that Gitche Gumee was the Indian name for Lake Superior, but somehow I missed it way back in high school.  We saw many signs and motels named Gitche Gumee. I didn't miss it this time.

7. In 1975 an American Great Lakes freighter, The Edmund Fitzgerald, sank in a storm on Lake Superior, taking the entire crew with her. She is still the largest ship Superior has claimed. Gordon Lightfoot's song, The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, refers to 'the big lake they call Gitche Gumee'. I remember the song well, but I still never connected Gitche Gumee to Lake Superior!

6. SAND! It's not just for Ocean City, Florida, California and Hawaii. Lake Michigan has tremendous, beautiful sand dunes. Road signs warn of Sand on the Highway. We had to sweep the RV daily to keep up with the sand inside. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Shoreline was beautiful, but we saw sand dunes in many shoreline areas.

5. Residents of the Upper Peninsula are called Yoopers. As a friend said, "Beats being called UPee,r's!

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore on Lake Superior

4. Michigan is bordered by 4 of the 5 Great Lakes! Superior, Michgan, Huron and Erie. The only one it doesn't touch is Lake Ontario. I missed that in my Geography classes. (Another Trivia Fact)

Parallel Parking a la Mackinac Island style

3. Most people know there are no cars on Mackinac Island. (pronounced Mackinaw). A few cars were brought onto the island in the early 1900's, but they scared the horses so a law was made banning cars. The law stands today, with the exception of a few emergency vehicles: an ambulance, a fire engine, and a police car.  The island has the shortest state highway, a perimeter road of 8.2 miles. There is only one campfire allowed on the island; at the Boy Scout camp and with the Fire Chief present. With one fire engine and few roads, fire is a real risk.

Traveling through the Soo Locks in Sault St. Marie

2. The Soo Locks, connecting Lake Superior to the other Great Lakes via the St. Mary's River, is free to all boat traffic. There are no tolls or fares collected. (Your third Trivia Fact.)

Lakenland Junkyard Art

1. After paying out for pretty much every thing we did, (Pictured Rocks, Soo Locks, Ship Museum, Lighthouses,--all excellent sights) we passed Lakenland Junkyard Art and decided to take a stop. We expected to go in, take a look, and move on. Which we did-- an hour and a half later. That place was great! Beautifully maintained. Artistic. And Free! In fact, it was so neat my next blog will tell you all about it.

Michigan was fun. We enjoyed the state, the beaches, the lakes, the sights. I wonder where we will head to next!