OT: What is really considered "Up North?"

Submitted by UM4ME on

Being that the Memorial Day weekend is almost upon us, I've always wondered what most people truly consider "Up North."

Is it just absolutely over the bridge or anything north of, say, Flint? I've always thought that if you draw a line across the state parallel to the tip of the thumb maybe that would be a good cutoff point. Thoughts? 

ander2ta

May 27th, 2010 at 10:23 AM ^

agreed.... and for those who are curious, I found this Gem a while ago...

http://www.michigannative.com/ma_home.shtml

 

Company names as possessives

In the early 1900's, the Ford Motor Company's sole factory was known by people all over Michigan as "Ford's Factory", since it was owned by Henry Ford. Like a virus, this wacky mispronunciation spread to any large shrine of industry or commerce.

"Where do you work?" "Oh, I work at Ford's." "I see, and evidently you were schooled in Ohio."

So "Meijer" became "Meijers", "Kroger" became "Krogers", and inexplicably, "K-Mart" became... "K-Marts"! For the record, folks... there is no family by the name of "K-Mart" that owns that chain. 

clarkiefromcanada

May 26th, 2010 at 10:38 PM ^

I am north of Sault Canada to cottage about 8 times a year and it doesn't feel to "north" until I get north of Gaylord. Just FYI, but for any of you MGoBloggers with the kids the Energy Outlet Kids Park next to the Gaylord arena is a really good kids playground and free with a quality picnic area if you are doing that drive.

AMazinBlue

May 26th, 2010 at 10:49 PM ^

to me.  From the time I was two in 1966 until the property was sold and the lodge and all the cabins destroyed, Glen Eden on beautiful, crystal clear Glen Lake was my "up North". 

I have been to Hawaii, California, Florida and many points in between, but nothing on this earth compares to the beauty of Glen Lake in the summertime.

I learned as a small child that Clare was the "gateway to Up North", but I never feel like I'm getting there until I pass Cadillac on 115 going North.

On the eastern side of the state, I'd call Grayling Up North.

whyyoumadtho

May 26th, 2010 at 10:52 PM ^

I grew up in Houghton Lake and I always considered Clare and above "Up North." Unless you live there in which case anything above you is now "Up North"

ncampbell

May 26th, 2010 at 11:45 PM ^

growing up in the ann arbor area and never getting to the cross the zilwaukee bridge (we took 96 to 127 north) id give 'up north' the old porn definition: i know it when i see it.  That being said, i am headed to Glen Arbor this weekend and am incredibly excited.

NFZ

May 27th, 2010 at 12:10 AM ^

I am from Traverse City and now live in Grand Rapids but since i have lived here i have considered TC to be up north. TC is a great place to be in the summer.

hokiewolf

May 27th, 2010 at 12:32 AM ^

On the Ann Arbor-to-cabin run (Garden Peninsula) I usually started feeling it just past West Branch.  On Memorial Day weekend, though, if you aren't there by now you are fucked. 

 

Flying Dutchman

May 27th, 2010 at 12:50 AM ^

You guys just caused me to Google "Zilwaukee Bridge".   There's 10 seconds of my life I wouldn't mind having back.

But, on the upside, in that area, there is a township known as Frankenlust.   That sounds like one fuck of a place to be from.   Word.

Mr. Robot

May 27th, 2010 at 1:02 AM ^

Because that's where I am for a weekend of work right now, and a lot of the mountain tops still have snow on them.

Could be worse. The other owner and the guy who got me this job went to San Jose this weekend, and Donnor's Pass is still totally covered with snow. That is well south of Boise, and even Michigan.

As far as Michigan goes, I'd say by the time you get past Flint, you're getting "Up North" by most standards. Personally though, I don't REALLY feel that way until I get to around Petoskey or Traverse City, or most epsecially after you get to Mackinaw. SAY YA TO DA UP, EH?

MMBhorn

May 27th, 2010 at 2:07 AM ^

As a yooper I always defined the bridge to be the "Up North" line, but after a few years at U-M this has become too inconvenient (I would get excited when people said they were from Northern Michigan and meant Bay City or Gaylord) so in my mind "Northern Michigan" is Bay City to the Bridge, and everything north of that is God's Country.

UM2k1

May 27th, 2010 at 6:58 AM ^

being from the Saginaw area, I always considered north of US-10 (north of Clare) to be up-northish but close enough for a day trip, while I consider North of M-55 (Tawas to West Branch to Cadillac) truly up-north.  Whoever said north of Flint is up-north needs to be slapped.  if you have ever been 30 miles north of there, Saginaw County is either farmland or gangs.

Blazefire

May 27th, 2010 at 8:26 AM ^

we had a family cabin that backed up to the southwest side of Huron National Forest. We always said we were going "up north" when we went there. So I'll take Huron National and anything on that latitude.

mbrummer

May 27th, 2010 at 9:01 AM ^

In my home community of Standish, where M-13 and US 23 split, the demarcation line was Worth road.  This is now home of a casino, so has some noriety now. 

it was amazing how everything North of there, had that feeling (my hometown) of that country, while everything below, Pinconning Kawkawlin and Bay City had some of the city constructs of industry. 

Thus I believe anyone who said Sterling, West Branch or Standish is dead on.  While Bay City is the biggest town on the South side of "Up North"

RickenbockeR

May 27th, 2010 at 9:26 AM ^

I live in the Metro Detroit area and spend many summer holidays traveling to Ludington. I've always considered it "Up North." I agree that anything North of Mt. Pleasant seems reasonable. I guess it depends on where you live.

readyourguard

May 27th, 2010 at 9:33 AM ^

Coming from Metro Detroit:

Once you cross the Zilwaukee Bridge, you officially enter "Up North"

If you go north or west of our capitol city, you too are "up north."

As a public service announcement, if you go south of Detroit, you are NOT "up north." 

Tater

May 27th, 2010 at 10:24 AM ^

I know people who call Gerogia "up north."

In Michigan, though, I consider anything north of I-96 to be "Southern Canada;" eh?

st barth

May 27th, 2010 at 10:32 AM ^

My simple definition for "Up North" used to be road size.  If there were only two lanes roads around then you were definitely there.  Also, those painted white wood bollards that could be found along side some roads & parking areas also used to be pretty emblematic of Up North to me.  Probably development during the past twenty years has obliterated all of this.  I used to be an expert since I've been all over the northern Michigan (have even stood on Isle Royale gazing north to the barely visible grain towers of Thunder Bay, Ontario) but it's been so long since I've been any of those places that I probably have no idea what I'm talking about anymore.

Also, slightly off-topic, but Vermont also feels very Up North to be. 

Oh, and last thought, I can't believe nobody has said North Campus or Bursley Hall as an example of Up North yet.

jamiemac

May 27th, 2010 at 11:42 AM ^

Burt Lake is Up North. Everything else is just riding its coattials.

Seriously, I think first you have to be beyond the 45th parallel, then you're Up North.

And what happens above the 45th parallel, stays above the 45th parallel.

Blue Ninja

May 27th, 2010 at 1:22 PM ^

I grew up in a small town called White Cloud, about an hour north of Grand Rapids. Our welcome city sign read "Where the North begins and pure waters flow". So growing up I always thought thats where it started. Now that I live in Cincinnati its pretty much anything in Michigan....or God's country, whichever you prefer to call it.