Corn. Wheat. More corn, more wheat; this is what most think of when they think of the Midwest, and this is valid for the most part. Ohio has enough corn to fill the Atlantic Ocean with popcorn. Driving on US 23, north to Columbus, is the equivalent of driving through the fiery gates of hell. There might as well be a large sign at the beginning stating “Drive through at your own risk: death from boredom likely”. My friend and I attempted to keep sane on the long trek at one time by playing I spy. The things to spy are corn, center pivots, and the occasional Marathon gas station. After the treacherous journey through the cornfields, it was time to drive through Toledo or as I say, “Toledy-Under-Construction-O”. Finally there it was, the promiseD land, crossing over the 41st parallel into Michigan. In one day I had the luxury of driving from the bottom of Michigan to the very top in the Upper Peninsula, and I can say it was a drive every true Michigander should make before their time in the mitten state is complete.
The drive began slowly--still recovering from Ohio I guess. I started to see signs for Ann Arbor, then I saw more, and then I saw even more! Go Blue, am I right? People from Ann Arbor love Ann Arbor--a personal favorite moment for me was passing Exit 35 to the Big House, a holy sanctuary for all those who have attend/attended The University of Michigan. After Ann Arbor, I will admit there was quite a bit of corn and wheat…yeah yeah, Ohioans were in the Midwest too you know. I pit-stopped in East Lansing to gawk at the beauty of Michigan State University’s campus and have lunch at El Azteco. I quickly found myself in my hometown of Grand Rapids where my family was waiting anxiously with a fully packed camper and hiking boots on their feet. A 30-minute turnaround to pack, and I was on the road again headed due north, for Pictured Rocks.
I can’t put my finger on it, but after passing through downtown GR and merging onto 131 north, something changed. The roads weren’t packed like metal sardines; the trees grew an extra eight feet and you got the smell of Northern Michigan seeping into your air conditioning. The medley of white pine, birch, and poplar trees will make even the worst polluter want to hug them. The wild flowers that grew along the roadside, painted a picture that I would seriously love to have hung in my room. Getting off the interstate and switching onto M-55, a two-lane highway, was a refreshing change of pace. Getting to see the small tourist cities along the way was quite the change for someone who had lived in a populated suburb all her life. My mom, native to Cadillac, always says the only things to do up here are swim, drink, and ride snowmobiles (sometimes all in the same day). These towns reflect all Michiganders stand for on every level. Every town is different in its own way, much like the population of our high-five shaped state. My breath was ripped out of my chest when I saw the mighty Mackinac, a suspension bridge that stretched five miles over the connecting point of sandy Lake Michigan and rocky Lake Huron. At this point in my journey, this troll became a yooper.
The Upper Peninsula was a different world from where my journey through Michigan started. We actually spent the entire time on the Mackinac Bridge trying to convince my gullible 13-year-old sister that we were crossing into Canada. The forest was a darker green, and the temperature dropped 10 degrees instantly. Folks were driving windowless campers and there wasn’t a semi for miles, basically ideal conditions for a highway. Around this time the family became hangry and we decided it was time to quickly drive through McDonald's. PROBLEM. No McDonalds… no Burger King… no fast food. This McNuggets-loving girl was not happy. We found a local restaurant near Newberry where the owner served us and they did not take credit cards. I loved every second there. Fifteen minutes later my sister had to use the bathroom. To quote my father, “In the UP, you pee anywhere.” This is okay to do on the drive through the UP because there is nothing anywhere. We drove 30 miles at a time without seeing a single car. Finally, reaching our destination of Lake Superior around 9 p.m., we made it just in time to set up our campsite and go for a night swim in the brisk, blue water.
The drive in total, including breaks, took me about 10 hours. Many of these hours were dull, many of these hours I wished I had unlimited data to be able to watch Netflix, but watching the progression of beauty through the mitten state was a one-time special TV show that not many people get to watch. The change from Dundee, Mich. to Paradise, Mich. is immense, yet every mile has its own beauty, as I’m sure the people who live there do. Michigan’s beautiful and diverse scenery is what makes it so wonderful a state to visit, and even more so to live in. High-five, Michigan.
