Wednesday 15 October 2014

TRAVEL: Dear Michigan

Cooke Dam

Oh Michigan, you funny little state you. You are a piece of land where your populace describes where they live using their hands. Where you can live happily in the thumb and the UP is more than a direction. It's a state of odd sounding and weirdly spelled place and road names, of Mackinaw, Mackinac, Ypsilanti to Dequindre and Schonherr. You know it's a place you call home when A2 makes sense as a city name, people argue over where "up north" actually begins, and you know that Hell freezes over when winter rolls around and it's down the street.



Of course you like to trick outsiders when calling liquor stores a party store but those are for insider giggles. Just like calling soda, pop and Vernor's ginger ale sits in our cupboards for both beverage and medicinal reasons. Call Michigan home and you know the difference between a coney and a chili dog, where people queue for hours for a paczki when pancake day rolls round and you prefer a coffee from Biggby over Starbucks any day of the week.

Harbor Springs

It's a land where road trips can be undertaken in the fall just as an excuse to see the changing tree colours and what a beautiful sight they are. Summertime can be spent along the coastline, a state with the most lighthouses (116 of them) in America, with grand sand dunes, clear waters and national forests. Yet any trip probably involves many a Michigan left and avoiding all those potholes our state seems to pride itself in and the elected don't want to agree to fix. Only the winter brings relief in filling said potholes for those chilly months with snow. Only for them to be even worse when spring rolls around.

The Michigan Left (source)

Michigan, you are a state which pits Detroit against everyone else, Detroit is the states downfall, it's Detroit against the lawmakers, Detroit against it's own suburbs, Detroit against Michigan. And even if your not a huge sports fan, it's always Michigan verses Ohio. Ohio you can thank us later for those algae blooms as we thank you for being close enough for Yuengling supply trips.

That's not to say you're all a jolly state dear MI. I always wonder how a state can go from being so darn cold to being so humid months later. Your politics could do with working on, and well actually getting things ya know, done. Lets face it those roads won't fix themselves. Plus lets not forget the underlying racism, sexism and homophobia that still hangs around.  

Mac City

Empty your pockets and you'll find just as much Canadian coinage as American but you may never stepped over the boarder. But leave the state and the Pure Michigan signs welcome you back like you never left.

You may have been the state were pop/soda was invented, the home of the first traffic light, state-fair and typewriter. It's the only place in the world with a floating post office (yes really - it even has it's own zip code), singing sand, the worlds largest tire, crucifix and weather vane. Home of the automobile and Motown, well Michigan, you don't like to brag about any of it really. 

FortyMilePointLighthouse

Your beauty and places rarely feature on anyone's bucket list. Your cities and Midwest rust belt towns might not attract the thrill seeking tourists, those which crave New York City or Disney who never travel to find the real America outside the bright lights.

Yet that gives us, those that call Michigan home the excuse to keep it's beauty our little secret.

24 comments:

  1. This is a lovely little post! I really like how you've written it. I think Michigan sounds like a pretty cool place to travel to to se the "real" America - at least, the way you describe it. The thing is if you only visit the touristy spots of a country then you never really get to experience the real thing.
    I sometimes feel that Glasgow gets a bit of a bad reputation thanks to the idiots of my city but it's really not as bad as it seems to outsider. It's pretty well know to the outside world for its violence but that isn't how I see it at all. To me, it's just a lovely city with beautiful architecture, plenty of greenery and (for the most part) lovely people.
    Debi x

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    1. Thank you - it's a pretty fun little state there's non of the big touristy things, but if natural beauty is your cuppa tea there's plenty here. I mean what you mean about Glasgow, I heard all the same about Hull which I grew up outside of. People always need those kind of cities to write off, compare their city to being better than. I guess it means there's always more for those of us who do like the underdog to enjoy and see!

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  2. I love the way you described Michigan! Even though I haven't lived there since I was little, I felt an odd twinge of homesickness when I was reading your lovely words that made me want to pack up and head there right now! Oh and those gloves are too cute by the way :)

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    1. Aren't they just?! I think I need to have a pair of those myself. Michigan is looking particularly beautiful at the moment with all the colours changing for autumn, weather is playing games though, it can't make up it's mind!

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  3. Love that picture of the Mackinac Bridge.

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  4. Paczki Day. Oh, glorious fat tuesday. This last Paczki day was my boyfriends first one in the mitten. He did not understand why everyone was so excited. He'd never had one before. Trust me, he understands it now.

    Sarah
    Midwest Darling

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    1. Haha I bet! Michigan - especially around Detroit has some great food and food traditions for sure.

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  5. Beautiful photos -- and words! Loved the photo of the Mackinac Bridge; I've never seen it at night before. The mittens are too cute. Wish they had a pair with just the UP. (Sorry.)

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    1. We stayed in the city for a night after we headed to the Headlands International Dark Sky park and took a picture on the way back to the motel. Haven't been across it yet mind.

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    1. It certainly is - I'm very lucky to call this place home.

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  7. I actually started crying when I read this. I miss Michigan. SO much. Sometimes I wish I would have transferred back to Michigan after my freshman year instead of just relocating in Minnesota. My childhood was there, my family's there, my memories are there, I love it. Driving home for visits is the best thing ever - that Pure Michigan sign is comforting, the Mackinac Bridge is just downright heartwarming, and the Michigan lefts make me as happy as they do uncomfortable. I miss it and I can't wait until the next time I get to head home...I may live in Minnesota for school, but in my heart I'm still smitten by the Mitten <3 <3 <3
    ~ Samantha
    samsamcherie.blogspot.com

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    1. Awww I feel the need to apologize for making you cry! I have no idea how long Michigan will be home (mind you saying that we brought a house here we've certainly put our roots here) and we've talked about moving to Traverse City as much as we've talked about moving closer to Pittsburgh, but for right now and for the next decade or so, I love that Michigan is home (and having Pittsburgh ties).

      I'm looking forward to all the years ahead exploring this state - barely seen any of it i have to admit!

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  8. As always beautiful pictures and I love your writing ! :)

    http://letmecrossover.blogspot.com/

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  9. I find pretty much everything about North America infinitely fascinating, being from the United Kingdom. I really enjoyed reading your love letter to Michigan - I'm going to read more about Michigan now!

    Owl Girl | A London lifestyle blog

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    1. Same! I have to admit to not really knowing that much about the US (other than a bit of history and say all the popular destinations) and very, very little about Michigan other than things i'd learnt over the years with regards to say the history of the car. But Michigan has given so much to the world that just never gets a second thought and it's just an out of the way state for people to visit that it deserves a little more attention!

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  10. Sold! Can I come and visit?! You make Michigan sound like a pretty cool place to live, and from your photos it looks beauitful! :)

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    1. Make sure you wrap up warm though - Michigan's got chilly over the last couple of days!

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  11. Ahh the Michigan left! Loved this post-- and love those mittens!

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  12. I think this is one of my favourite posts of yours! I love how you wrote it, must say, you have quite the way with words. I'm not so great at describing things like that. I'm quite in love with that first photo too!

    This is my kind of place to visit! Not saying that I don't want to see New York, because I would love to see it too. But I like the out of the way, tourist free spots. Even going to Stockholm, we didn't go to the museums or spend to much time in the tourist areas, the must sees, because we just don't have as much fun. Instead we climbed around on the rocks and we to look dinosaurs!

    People tend to write Belgium off because it's a boring place and there isn't much here, but it's not too bad. It has some lovely nature, cities and it's well connected to other places too. Shame about the people, they ruin it to be honest. But when it's a flying visit, you won't notice that :)

    Every single person I have told I live here, says "why, it's so boring!" but Kris and I, we aren't bored.

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    1. When the words don't get away, we get along rather well. This was actually a really nice post to write, it just flowed and while there was a little moving around, it was just all natural and not thought about too much. I guess that's the best way of writing.

      I think a place is what you make of it, there's always something to find, or eat at, or do, or see. I think people can get so close minded and therefore can't see some of the things that's right in front of them so they need to go thousands of miles away to find it.

      Some people around here could do with keep comments to themselves, there's a LOT of racism still kicking around which do ruin it I have to be honest.

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