Happy to have stumbled across this board. We recently (July 2016)moved back to Michigans Upper Peninsula, and do not intend to move ever again. This will be our retirement home, just a short walk from the shores of the the St. Marys. Forty years ago when living here, kayaks were not even on the radar. Last summer we hit the waterways, thanks to the local “outfitters” for their assistance. This year its time to buy our own and settle back into being a couple of retired old guys.
Loon Watcher— I’m not a fan of pasties. I find them to be rather dull, even if you use gravy. We do hope to go to the Manistique sometime.
Thanks— string and stevet
Rookie-- Unfortunately, we are not full blooded Yoopers. We were born trolls, moved to the UP in the 70s, became trolls again from the 80’s until 2016. Regretted moving back down below, but cant complain about how things ended up for us. Guess the actual term I have seen is that we are more technically called a “trooper”.
One of the water trails we want to do someday, is the “intercoastal” waterway. Should be in your general area?
“Trolls”. Hmmm. I haven’t heard that one, but it sounds far more complimentary than what some here call the teeming hordes of vacationers from Illinois!
Trolls are those who live “under” (south) of the Mackinac bridge. You can tell a non-Michigander because they pronounce the “c”.
My boyfriend, Kurt, during the few years I lived in Michigan was of Yooper extraction – his grand-dad was a Finnish immigrant named Toyvar who had come over in the 1920’s to work as a lumberjack. Kurt recalled fondly one particularly rollicking Thanksgiving Day at the grandparents in the UP when Toyvar and the Finnish Uncles all got bombed on akvavit and went outside to blow off steam by shooting skeet. It was shortly thereafter that Grandma discovered that they had run out of target clays and Toyvar had commandeered her good china to continue the game. She chased him with a large cast iron skillet and pounded the crap out of him.
@Guideboatguy said:
“Trolls”. Hmmm. I haven’t heard that one, but it sounds far more complimentary than what we call the teeming hordes of vacationers from Illinois!
We in Michigan who live below the Mackinac Bridge are called trolls by the Yoopers. Not sure what they called us before the bridge was built and the only way to get to the U.P. was by ferry. I like to think it’s an affectionate term.
Yes, the inland waterway isn’t that far from me. It has quite a (sometimes bloody) history, first being used by Native Americans thousands of years ago. I’ve paddled the Crooked Lake and Pickeral Lake portions, but stay off the connecting rivers in the summer because of heavy boat traffic.
Recalling that WYCE radio in Grand Rapids used to regularly play cuts from an album by the upper Peninsula based band called “Da’ Yoopers”. Only tune I remember distinctly is “Twenty Yoopers in a Pontoon Boat (fishin’ for Moby Dick.)”
"Recalling that WYCE radio in Grand Rapids used to regularly play cuts from an album by the upper Peninsula based band called “Da’ Yoopers”. Only tune I remember distinctly is “Twenty Yoopers in a Pontoon Boat (fishin’ for Moby Dick.)”
the St Mary’s is just over here between Georga and Florida.