Upper Michigan (Up North)

Up North Michigan is synonymous with a mystical place for many Michigander and I cannot think of any other place in this country where someone can say "going up north for the weekend," and people know that you're not leaving the state. The meaning "up north" has a very distinct and very different meaning for anyone living in this great state of Michigan and it certainly is that way for my family. The meaning of Up North for me is a place called Tawas, MI where as a child I spent many summers traveling there to our family cottage with my parents and grandparents.

I remember walking the white sands of Tawas state park beach and the feel of the rushing waves come crashing up on the beach and the frigid waters rushing over my feet as I would run to try and escape the torture of the icy waters of Lake Huron. On a hot midsummer day, the icy waters of Lake Huron brought a cool refreshing escape from the heat of the sun, even if you could not stay in the water very long.

Tawas also brings another image of childhood fun, I recall after spending the day out on the beach we would go into downtown, where there are a number of shops that line up and down Main Street. I remember visiting the ice cream shop that overlooked Lake Huron and enjoying the cold treat. We would then go down to the mini golf and enjoy a game with the family during the dusk of night. I remember the mosquitoes that came out and would feast on our flesh, and even from the nuisance of this we still had lots of fun.

As an adult now with children it’s these same memories that I am trying to give to my children. We still have the same cottage and now my parents are the grandparents and we are the parents. As I watch my child play on the same beach that I played on, and play at the same mini golf place, and eat ice cream at the same shop that overlooks Lake Huron. I am able to give the same meaning of Up North to my kids.

So where is your Up North, you may not live in the same state as me, but you can still create a place like this to share with your family, to create lasting memories of days of fun and summers spent relaxing. You don't have to live in Michigan to have a mystic place to share, so go out and start creating these lasting memories and pass them along to your family!