The Michigan Tradition of Heading "Up North"

 

If you live in Michigan, you know there is one phrase that gets repeated every summer.

"I'm heading up north this weekend."

It doesn't even need an explanation. Everyone just knows what it means.

People from Detroit and the southern part of the state pack up their trucks, SUVs, coolers, fishing poles, and lawn chairs and make the annual migration north.

I always chuckle because I used to live up there.

The funny part was that traveling was actually easier for me because everyone else was driving north while I was heading south. I'd cruise right along with hardly any traffic while thousands of people were bumper-to-bumper trying to get to their cabins, campgrounds, and favorite lakes.

Meanwhile, I was enjoying the empty roads.

Living up north had a lot of great things going for it. The scenery was beautiful, the air felt cleaner, and life moved at a slower pace. You got used to seeing deer more often than traffic jams.

But eventually, the long winters started wearing me down.

There comes a point when you've shoveled enough snow to last several lifetimes.

You wake up in April thinking spring is finally here, and Mother Nature says, "Not so fast," and drops another few inches of snow on you.

By February, you're wondering if you'll ever see your grass again.

The cold seemed to last forever, too. You'd leave for work in the dark and come home in the dark. Some years it felt like winter was nine months long.

Then there was the pay situation.

After several years of not really getting paid any more money, it started to make me think. The cost of everything kept going up, but somehow the paycheck stayed the same.

That eventually helped make my decision.

I still love traveling up north, but now I enjoy it a little differently. It's nice knowing I can visit, enjoy the lakes, the woods, and the slower pace, and then head back home before the first snowflake decides to stick around for six months.

But every summer, without fail, you'll hear someone say those famous Michigan words.

"We're heading up north."

And every true Michigander knows exactly what that means.

The best part?

No matter where you live in Michigan, "up north" is never just a destination. It's a tradition. And somehow, every person has their own version of where "up north" actually begins.

Some say it's north of Flint.

Some say it's north of Bay City.

Others say if you can still find a coffee shop on every corner, you're not there yet.

Either way, you'll know when you've arrived because the traffic gets lighter, the trees get taller, and life slows down just enough to make you smile.

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