1. Yoopers Are The Bravest And Toughest Friendly Folks You’ll Ever Meet
When hunting game, fending off wildlife and digging your own home out of snow becomes business as usual, you’re bound to look a little tough and worse-for-wear. But dealing with Mother Nature on a regular basis builds a strong character, which means all of your new neighbors will be just that—neighborly.
2. Nature On The U.P. Makes The Rest Of America Look Like A Wasteland
Whether you’re looking at evergreens standing in feet of snow, an impossibly long stretch of forest, or the crystalline blue of the Great Lakes, which could just as well be called Small Seas, there isn’t a dull vista in the whole U.P. A family road trip across the Upper Peninsula is always a guarantee to see some gorgeous… well, everything!
3. Yoopers Can’t Believe Other States Complain About An Inch Of Snow
When Atlanta got an inch of snow and had to close down their airport earlier this year, every Yooper must have died laughing. Maybe they should have played “Heikki Lunta Go Away.”
4. Shaun White Might Be Asking You For Snowboarding Lessons
It doesn’t hurt that everyone’s backyard instantly becomes a low-end ski resort when the winter hits, but the main reason you’ll be qualifying for the Winter Olympics is because you have nearly half the year to become a pro. Seriously.
5. Even Way Out Here, You And Your Friends Are All Tigers
While the team is geographically way closer to Wisconsin and Chicago in some places, it doesn’t matter. All Yoopers have their favorite Tiger.
6. But Come Football Season, You Better Unpack The Cheese Hats
The Lions aren’t so lucky—Green Bay gets all the U.P. love. Whether that’s because the peninsula isn’t even technically connected to downstate Michigan, or because Green Bay borders much of the southern beaches, or because Green Bay is just more superior in every way, isn’t too clear. Though the third one is probably the strongest bet.
7. The Wellbeing Of The Deer Is More Important Than Some Family Members
After all, if the winter’s too rough, where’s all that venison going to be come springtime? Now you see how serious it is.
8. You Will Use “Yah” And “Betcha” In Every Single Conversation You Have
We’re not unconvinced Sarah Palin didn’t emerge from the woods of the Upper Peninsula, considering how close her dialect is to how most folks talk up there. Anyway, any true Yooper expresses any agreement with a hearty “Betcha.”
9. Iceberg Surfing Is A Super Fun Pastime… Even In The Summer
The sheets of ice on Lake Superior in the winter definitely haven’t fully melted by the beginning of summer, so it’s a great excuse to hop on and take one for a little ride. If you can handle the cold water. If not, you’ll get used to it pretty quick in Michigan.
10. Your Shovel Will Become One Of Your Closest Friends
The question becomes, which one? The one in the trunk of your car you save for when it gets piled in? Or the one next to your front door so you can get to your car in the first place? Because you will have multiple. And don’t come carting any of the plastic junk around here.
11. Every Resident Of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula Is A Flatlander And A Troll
People in the UP will tell you—everyone in the Lower Peninsula lives “under the bridge”, hence the troll-ness. The flatlander bit comes from the boring, flat plains of the downstate Michigan are. This all compared to the greenery mentioned above, of course.
12. Your Mosquito-Swatting Will Become A Martial Art In The Summer
Some people jokingly refer to the mosquito as the state bird of Michigan. Some people are convinced it really is. Either way, you’ll want to work on your swatting.
13. Once You Taste Thimbleberry Jam, You’ll Turn Your Nose Up To Everything Else
Thimbleberries, for the uninitiated, are basically larger, better versions of raspberries. And they make excellent jam. Chokeberries are another regional treat, but slightly less appealing in a headline.
14. Morning Pasties Guarantee A Perfect Day
This delicacy is almost as old as Yooper culture itself (as we know it today, anyway). Basically a turnover made awesome by the meat/onion/pepper/sometimes-rutabaga filling, you’ll be thanking the pastry gods for this savory treat.
15. You Will Drive For Miles To See The Monarch Butterflies In Early Fall
Down in Escanaba—one of the great vacation spots on the Upper Peninsula—swarms and swarms of beautiful Monarch butterflies come in over the beaches around early Fall, and it is just one of the unmissable sights in this region.
16. The Super-Quaint Lighthouses Put New England’s To Shame
Whether you’re taking the kids out on a local history tour or simply relaxing on a beach near one of these rustic beauties, the UP lighthouses are a sight to behold. 12 of the more than 40 lighthouses on the peninsula are public, too, so you can climb to the top and just gaze in awe.
17. You Will Become A Reigning Master Of Euchre
Euchre is the best card game of all time. You won’t want to learn it, but once you know it, you won’t want to play anything else.
18. Cudighi Is The Long-Lost, Far-Superior Cousin To All Other Italian Sausages
The Upper Peninsula might be the only place to find cudighi, a nice and spicy sausage brought over here by Italian immigrants who really knew how to cook. You’ll never be able to go back to pepperoni again.
19. If You’re Looking For Fresh Fish, You Couldn’t Be In A Better Spot
Whether it’s smoked, fried, grilled, baked, split, smoked, smoked—seriously, get your hands on some smoked fish. Whitefish, trout, pike, salmon: The list goes on and on. The Vierling is a prime spot to try.
20. You Won’t Be Able To Eat Normal Pancakes Again After Pannukakku
What is the one thing missing from pancakes? Nothing? What about, a custard-y flavor? Yeah, we thought so.
21. Drizzle It With Some Local Sugarbush Syrup And You’ll Be In Breakfast Heaven
With a name like Sugarbush, you know this is going to be some instant-cavity-inducing syrup. You can start with the pannukakku, but we’ll be impressed if you stop there. This might just become your new sriracha.
22. Michigan Tech And NMU Are The Ivy League Of The U.P.
There’s this misconception that people who live up in the woods or the Midwest are uneducated. It’s just not true. Seriously, these are some good public universities. And the fan bases are, ah, enthusiastic to say the very least.
23. Bigfoot Fever Is Even Stronger Up Here Than Out Washington-Way
With an entire regional society devoted to catching ol’ Sasquatch, and a spot on Animal Planet about some folks who snapped a couple (albeit grainy) photos of the mysterious mountain dweller, and the high-quality garden statues of him dotting your neighbors’ yards, Bigfoot is kind of an unofficial mascot.
24. It Might Not Be The Only Place That Makes Blueberry Beer, But They Definitely Do It Best
Don’t like fruity beers? Have you had any up here? I thought so.
25. You Will Be Able To Live Out All Of Your Lumberjack Fantasies
Okay, so, the whole logging industry (and the mining industry, for that matter) have, admittedly, fallen by the wayside due to the rise of conservationism (which is keeping the U.P. beautiful!) But, between the freezing weather and blue collar lifestyle everyone up in the U.P. leads, a beard and flannel are all too necessary, and there’s always the option to split your personal lumber in your considerable backyard.
26. You’ll Have Calves Of Steel From The Breathtaking Trails All Over
It’s almost guaranteed a trailhead will start in your backyard, but even if you do want to venture out farther there’s a state park (Ottawa, Pictured Rocks, you name it) with a hundred, so go out and commune with some albino deer already!
27. When It Comes To The Mighty Mackinac, You’ll Just Call It The Bridge Like Everyone Else
The Mackinac Bridge is on license plates, in case you were wondering at the significance of a bridge—San Franciscans can relate. Lots of pride about the Mackinac Bridge abounds, for the views you can see while crossing, to its symbol as a reminder of your place in the world, according to some wistfully rare Internet commenters. And seeing the thing in person, and the rest of the Upper Peninsula, it comes as no surprise that the place is commonly referred to as The Superior State.
What you love about living in the Upper Peninsula? Tell us in the comments below!
