Day 15: Michigan's Upper Peninsula (U.P.)

Finally time to leave Ironwood. As I checked out of my motel this morning I talked one last time with Kevin, the motel owner. I gave him and his wife a jar of Oregon marionberry jam as a thank you for their kindness and helpfulness over the past few days. He shared some more U.P. tidbits with me as well. He said that many people outside the state forget the U.P. even exists. It's sparsely populated and fairly remote. (I checked, and it contains 29% of Michigan's land area, but only 3% of its population; Marquette is by far its biggest city, with about 21,000 people). I asked him what they call the lower part of Michigan. He said sometimes "the mainland" or "lower Michigan," but U.P.-ers (otherwise known as "Yoopers"!) often call it "below the bridge," the bridge being the Mackinac Bridge, which links the upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan. Yoopers tend to refer to people in lower Michigan as "trolls," since they live "below the bridge."

I ventured into downtown Ironwood before heading east. Signs of economic depression are everywhere: houses and commercial buildings in disrepair, and boarded up windows on buildings. The immensity of some of the structures (such as the post office) are reminders of when the city was thriving. Still, there is life in Ironwood and tourism brings many people to the area (especially in winter). Gogebic County is just one example of many boom and bust economies throughout the country, and I'm sure I'll see plenty more on this trip.

I stopped very few times today as I drove 193 miles east to Munising, MI (bringing my total miles driven to 2,764). A scenic rest area at Agate Falls was one of them, and another was a viewpoint on Lake Superior. I passed a burger place named Upchuck's shortly before reaching the town of Ishpeming. I wasn't able to stop for a photo, but a place with a name that bad must serve great food (I would hope!).

The topography of the U.P. is mostly rolling hills, but there are some larger, steeper hills in many places. It's mostly heavily forested, and I noticed that the mixed forest that was dominated by deciduous trees in the far western end became dominated by conifers (pine, spruce, and fir) about halfway between Ironwood and Marquette. I intend to explore the Munising area tomorrow, including the western end of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.

Another Lutheran Church!

Ironwood, MI.

Hiawatha Park in Ironwood. The sign below it reads in part, "Hiawatha: The World's Tallest Indian. 52 ft. high. 18,000 lbs."

Downtown Ironwood.

Mural commemorating the iron miners who contributed to the growth of Ironwood.

The Ironwood Theater.

The huge post office in Ironwood, pop. 5,200 (this shows less than half the building).

Michigan State Highway 28 bridge at Agate Falls.

Clearer water here, but still colored by tannins from vegetation.

You don't see signs like these in Oregon! I saw several in northern Minnesota also (signs, that is, but also one cow moose).

Some color starting to show. I've seen quite a bit of orange and red also, but never at a spot that has been safe to pull of the road for a photo.

Lake Superior shoreline showing beach, dune, and grasses.

This dune is about ten feet high.

Looking north toward Ontario, Canada (well beyond the horizon).