Tahquamenon Falls State Park
Southeast Lower Tahquamenon Falls(Click for more photos…)
As mentioned previously, Danielle and I headed up to Tahquamenon Falls State Park in northern Michigan this past weekend. I guess I don’t have too much to say about it, except that it was a nice weekend.
In short, as I remember the UP is much like many of the scary southern states, except without the accent. There are loads of pretty parts, good food is hard to find (Pickelman’s Pantry was not very good), and long distances between things. There were lots of nifty things around the park to look at, including the falls themselves, hiking trails, multicolored mushrooms, puffballs, and people who don’t know how to row.
I found the gift shop particularly interesting, especially the wall of fantasy figures in the gift shop. I guess the 80s have finally reached the UP.
Hmm, I’m going to stop now and state that I’ll likely make a lengthier post tonight or tomorrow. For now I’m feeling a bit hungry, so I want to get home and eat. Finishing captioning the photos was the last thing on my to-do list, and now that it’s done I’m happy.
If you’d like to look through the photos, just click here (photo gallery retired).
“In short, as I remember the UP is much like many of the scary southern states, except without the accent.”
ha ha ha, what a ridiculous statement…. ummm, what’s so scary about the South? Or, rather, what are the “scary” southern states as opposed to the not so scary ones?
As for the accent… Da Yoopers definately have their own accent.
Hicks. Mullets. Guys in big trucks glaring at those in cars with foreign nameplates. Typical wastefulness. NASCAR t-shirts, crap food, closed-mindedness, etc.
You know, the typical small-town over-religious over-conservative-ness.
So…basically things that fall under a stereotype.
And, it’s not so typical. There is culture if you just bother to look and get over prejudices.
I’m not saying there isn’t, but stereotypes exist for a reason, and I’ve run into these prejudices before.
They exist because people keep perpetuating them.
I think the majority of Macomb County is more close minded then anywhere else I have lived, including “small town” extreme southern Kentucky. If anything else the people were definately more friendly.
I’m not saying that anyone in a particular area isn’t friendly or isn’t open-minded, just that I’ve run into some kinda scary things. Scary doesn’t mean just that the people are bad, either. There’s also situational things like the lack of diversity, lack of jobs, things like that.
I think you are reading far more into that statement than was intended.
I think maybe your choice of language isn’t conveying what you really mean.
What? That the area is scary to me for a number of reasons, and not a place I’d want to live? And that it is scary for the same reason that a number of places I’ve been in the south are?
Maybe I can shorten that up by saying that the UP is much like many of the scary southern states, except without the accent.
Oh, wait. That’s what I already said.
the Eastern UP is VERY different from the Western UP. big big differences.
hah i meant to use this icon instead!
Ha! Well… I’ve been to Da Yoopers Tourist Trap! ;)
Yeah, I believe that… I’ve been through the western UP and while it seemed nice, I don’t really remember it. What I remember was Wisconsin / Minnesota-like. The eastern UP reminded both Danielle and I of downriver, and not in a good way, unfortunately. :(
Eastern UP is VERY downriver.
Western UP is LOVE.
Your bear prints picture made me really excited. I always look for bear prints on the beaches but I never see them!
Also Lake Superior makes me very excited, and also brings a bit of longing.
I never rowed over to the island at that park, was there anything interesting there? Is there a developed hiking trail?
Also, I agree that the Eastern UP certainly has the same conservative, Christian, militia type towns that intimidate me in the South. I have to say that the UP has never been scary to me, but maybe just because it is more familiar? We’ve been in some pretty backwoods places in the Virginia’s that had me anxious to leave.
Yep, it’s actually worth it… There’s a nice little trail running around the island and a bunch of nifty places where one can stand right next to the falls. The cost for renting a boat is $3/person, which seemed reasonable to me.
Glad you had a nice time.
Oh wow, the leaves are turning up there already. I’ll be heading north in two weeks to a cabin on 120 acres. Cannot wait!
So is Danielle your gf?
Yeppers.
That’s what I thought because you mention about her a lot in your post :) That’s great! How long have you 2 been together?