What is "Up North" in Michigan?

Michigan has it all and it is a wonder that more Michiganians don't stay in their home state when they plan their vacations. We have golf courses, antiques shops, amusement parks, historic sites, great state parks, lighthouses, the Great Lakes, thousands of inland lakes, and much more. These are a mere fraction of the many reasons we are considered a tourism hotspot in the Midwest. Still, it does not answer the question of why so few Michiganians are tourists in their own state. With all of the talk of creating "cool cities" in Michigan one wonders if we don't even consider our state "cool" enough to vacation in. Are other states and vacation spots being more heavily marketed here in Michigan than our own state? Are people embarrassed to say that their summer vacation was spent in the state in which they live? I have vacationed in other states many times, but the vacations that stick in my memory the most are those that were spent here in Michigan.

At least once a year I am beckoned as if by some primal call to go "Up North." "Up North" has many different meanings for those native to Michigan. It can be very confusing to a non-native Michiganian to hear someone say they are going "Up North" for their vacation. The non-native might think they are going to Canada or possibly even the North Pole itself. The native Michiganian merely intends to point their vehicle north and stop only when their instincts tell them that they have finally reached "Up North." For some this might mean going as far as Sleeping Bear Dunes. Others might find that they need to go up to Sault Ste. Marie or even to Copper Harbor.

"Up North" is not just some physical location a little bit further up the road. It tends to be a state of mind as well. You head "Up North" and life slows down. You notice your worries slip away with each mile and your troubles seem smaller in the rearview mirror of your life. They say that life is too short. Well, if life is too short why waste so much of it driving to some other state? Head "Up North" and find your own little slice of Michigan to brag about to your friends. Especially the ones who just spent all that money to take a cruise in "paradise" or some other exotic locale.

Construction Will Not Slow You Down This Weekend

MDOT will be lifting suspending work in most construction zones starting at 3 p.m. on Friday. When you are driving through construction please remember to drive 45 mph in construction zones where workers are present. Keep our road workers safe when driving in construction zones and keep you and your family safe by wearing your seatbelts.

Travelers Will Not Let Gas Prices Stop Them

According to a report by the Detroit News many believe that high gas prices will not be a deciding factor when it comes to traveling over Memorial Day Weekend. Many determine this weekend as the start of the summer season and folks have been itching to hit the road for a change of scenery. Gas prices that are averaging in the neighborhood of $2.80 per gallon apparently will not stop the majority of travelers. About the only area that seems to be taking a noticeable hit is the boating community. Marinas across the state are seeing a definite drop in the number of people putting in their boats compared to this time in years past. I guess if you want to own a boat, make it a sailboat so gas prices won't affect whether or not you hit the big blue.

Bed & Breakfasts, hotels, and resorts across the state are not taking a chance on high gas prices keeping visitors away. Many are offering cheaper rate packages, free gas cards with multiple night stays, and other assorted extras.

What do you think? Will gas prices keep you from traveling?

"Click It or Ticket" is Coming

The "Click It or Ticket" seatbelt enforcement program runs May 22 through June 4. Various checkpoints will be set up around the state along with advertisements and partrols that are designed to get more people to buckle up those seatbelts. It boggles my mind to see people not wearing a seatbelt. What do they think is going to stop them when their vehicle goes from 60 m.p.h. to ZERO in an instant?

Another thing that angers and scares me is seeing parents or caregivers (yes, even daycare workers) putting kids in the front seat of a car. Sometimes buckled, sometimes not. Not only do they not belong in the front seat, but they also should have been in a car seat.

It is one thing to be careless and reckless with your life when you have a say in it. It is far different when you are too young/little to have a say in how you travel. Check out Michigan Safe Kids for information on what you can do to help increase child passenger safety in Michigan.

For more information on the "Click It or Ticket" campaign head on over to www.buckleupamerica.org/.

Via the Traverse City Record Eagle

Mackinaw City Travel Deal

There are some great travel packages to Mackinaw City that start at $154.97. Go to www.mackinawcity.com for the full list. Here are the details on one of the better looking packages -

• 3 Nights Lodging at your choice of hotels
• Round trip ferry boat ticket to Mackinac Island
• Mackinac Island carriage tour
• Admission to your choice of three parks (Fort Michilimackinac, Historic Mill Creek, and Fort Mackinac)
• Mackinaw Trolley Tour
• Live show at Mackinaw Theater

Prices for this package start at $154.97 (now until June and then again in October) and go as high as $374.34 in-season at a premium waterfront hotel.

If you were to pay for all of these items separately it would break down as follows -

1 Adult Roundtrip Ferry ticket - $20.00 1 Adult admission to Fort Michilimackinac - $9.50 1 Adult Mackinac Island carriage tour - $19.00 1 Adult Mackinaw Trolley Tour - $20.00 1 Adult ticket to Mackinaw Theater - $19.00

A grand total of $87.50 without even considering the hotel costs. A nice hotel room in Mackinaw City could easily run in the neighborhood of $80-$100. This package deal looks pretty good with all of the extras they are giving you.

If you are going to be heading up north this summer I would recommend that you look into taking advantage of one of these packaged deals.

Sleep in a Tipi at Wilson State Park

Want to stay someplace so unique that your kids will talk about it years later? Wilson State Park offers such a place. For $30 you can spend the night in an actual tribal replica tipi. The 20-foot tall tipi stands on a wooden platform and sleeps up to four people. Don't worry, the park staff will have your tipi set up for you in advance. Just call 1-800-44PARKS or on the web at www.midnrreservations.com to make your tipi reservation. Wilson State Park originally was the site of the Wilson Brothers Sawmill and Company Store, which was a big part of the lumber boom in the late 1800s. Located on Budd Lake just north of Harrison, Wilson State Park offers swimming, fishing, hiking, and even a metal detection area.

Apparently metal detecting is so big at Wilson State Park that they have a designated area. Those wishing to use metal detectors are limited to the beach area only. Evidently since there was a lumber mill and other buildings previously located at the park people have been using metal detectors in the campground and other areas and making a mess with their digging.

If you go:

From S. US 27 to Harrison Exit, right 3.5 miles to park; from N. US 27 to Harrison Exit, right 4 miles to park.

P.S. Don't forget to purchase your annual state park pass for $24. A daily state park pass will cost $6, but if you are staying a couple of nights you might as well spend a little extra and get the annual pass. That way you won't have an excuse to not check out Michigan's many other state parks this summer.