Where It's At

This column probably doesn't apply if you aren't from Michigan. But the great debate in our state (that word series is uncomfortably close to alliteration) is, where does Up North begin? 

The Thumb isn't up north. Don't get me wrong: the Thumb is wonderful. It's the number two spot in the state. It has a lot going for it. But it ain't up north. It's too far south, too close to Detroit.

Some say up north begins at Bay City. Well, you start to taste it there, after mile 162 on Interstate 75. Yet you merely taste it, just get a whiff of up north air. 

West Branch? Just a lunch stop along the way.

Grayling? Gaylord? Too touristy. But you can feel the change from downstate as the positive vibes of the north country begin to reach you.

Mackinaw City, right at the top of the Mitt? Oh, oh, oh, so close it's tantalizing. Yet it too, along with Mackinac Island, while great places to visit, simply have too many vacationers, at least during the peak summer months.

But next, finally crossing the Mackinac Bridge into Michigan's glorious Upper Peninsula, you are Up North. The rest of the state is just an extension of Detroit. It's that simple.