When August rolls around, I always find myself wishing to be Up North. For Michiganders, the line that separates North and Up North is contested. As a born Ohioan and newly formed Michigander, I don’t have a strong opinion on where this border lies. Everyone could make a separate argument for their opinion, and I would probably agree with all of them. For me and my family though, “Up North” meant traveling and spending time at my grandparents’ cabin near Mio, Michigan.
Some of my favorite childhood memories come from trips Up North. Most times these trips were taken with my grandparents, cousins, and brother. Our parents would drop their children off at my grandparents’ house and the next day, we’d wake up early and head north. We stopped at one specific McDonald’s for lunch, which had a scenic overlook, and then continued the drive to the cabin.
The drive would consist of my grandma side-seat driving with exclamations of “Russell!” as my grandpa would sometimes veer out of the highway lines hitting the rumble strip. I like to think he was just enjoying the general splendor of the scenery because sometimes I find myself hitting the rumble strip as I drive Up North and am gawking at the beauty of nature.
The backseat would include a chorus of “Miiiichigan license plaaaate” from my younger cousin and brother any time we passed a Michigan driver… in Michigan. Yes, that got old fast. Years later, my brother still did this on drives to Detroit- he was allowed ONE. Sometimes now though at random moments, it will come into my head as I drive around Detroit or when I catch a glimpse of my own “Miiiichigan license plaaaate”.
During drives my grandma would frequently announce “look for deer, kids” which started a contest on who could see the most deer, and how many deer could we find during our trip. We would keep count in a notebook throughout our trip. As I drive anywhere in the countryside, you’ll usually hear a “look for deer, kids” from me- an ode to the past, but also a safety warning to actually look for deer that may pass in front of the car.
When I say my grandparents had a cabin in northern Michigan, you may be picturing different rustic or fancy cabins in your head. It was not a huge, luxurious cabin. It was a hunter’s cabin- basically one room, a small living space, a small kitchen, two small bedrooms that housed enormous bunkbeds, and one bathroom. The bathroom was the only room in the cabin that had a door- curtains were used for the bedrooms. There was no air conditioning, heat came from the kitchen stove, no cable TV, or telephone. If the internet existed back then, it would not have had internet either. There was a small black and white TV with an antenna that we could watch CBS and PBS, and that was it for any modern amenities.
When we spent time at the cabin, we mostly played outside, and when we got hot or tired of the bugs, we would go inside, drink ice cold water from the tap, and play cards or watch Mister Rogers. My grandparents did take us on adventures- some evenings we would go into town and get ice cream (Superman ice cream, to be exact) then drive around looking for deer. They took us to Hartwick Pines and a dinosaur park. Looking back on it now, it brings a wave of 1990’s nostalgia- before the internet and cell phones connected us, before life got too fast, it was a time of slow enjoyment in simpler things. Sometimes I long for evenings with ice cream, drives in the countryside, card games, and conversation without the fast-paced world of cell phones, social media, and constant connection sneaking in.
My favorite trip Up North was in August 2000. I only remember the exact time because I was anxious for most of the trip. When I got home, I would be taking my driver’s exam. And I needed to pass, so I could drive my friends and myself to school for our early period English course that started in a couple of weeks. No pressure. (Spoiler alert: I passed!)
For that trip 25 years ago, it was the usual crew of my grandparents, cousins, and brother but my cousins’ parents joined us along with our two aunts. We were a large group in a small space, but we made it work. We drove around northern Michigan visiting different spots- and the traditional ones too, like the Au Sable river overlook near the cabin that we affectionately call ‘The Bluff’. We spent time by the campfire, taking walks around the cabin, and even canoeing down the Au Sable in a thunderstorm. Looking back on it now, I realize it would be the last time I would go Up North with both of my grandparents.
After my grandpa passed in 2003, we sold the cabin. But the memories of that place still remain. The feeling of Up North can still be found in all of the trips I take as an adult. Now I venture even more north to Mackinaw City and the UP (some people’s definition of the real Up North). But I find time to stop in Mio for some Superman ice cream, take a drive by the old cabin, and look out over the Au Sable river at The Bluff.
Up North is not just a place, for me it’s a feeling. It’s a connection to childhood memories, to my grandparents, and to nature. It’s where I can live in a bit of nostalgia where time slows down and the Wi-Fi can’t quite reach. (Literally. I had to Spidey sense my way from the Bluff to 75N once). Many of my vacations in recent years have been Up North and any time spent there is time well spent. My next trip is in a couple of weeks to the Upper Peninsula, and I can’t wait to be amongst the trees and once again, reunited with Lake Superior. I’ll know when I reach my “Up North” for it’s when the trees on the side of the highway get a bit denser, and my soul can finally exhale the stress of life and arrive at the wonder of peace and beauty that is Northern Michigan.
Have you been Up North in Michigan? Let me know your favorite spot below! Or what you consider to be the start of “Up North.”