Wagonwheel Wednesdays: Michigan

I've always loved to look at Michigan on a map. All those lakes! The two peninsulas! It's really not that exciting in person. I didn't visit Detroit because I've never heard one person in my life tell me "Don't miss Detroit!" I stayed in Saginaw and bought a little walrus from the gift shop (his name is Donut if you want me to say hello to him for you). After Saginaw, I continued to the upper peninsula. This bit was actually pretty great. The bridge connecting the two is quite long and when you get to the other side you feel wonderfully isolated (more on that later).

I went on a little hike somewhere or other in Michigan. Not sure which peninsula it was. The person I was with got bit by some bug though. Days later we had to go to a hospital because her neck had quadrupled in size.

Am I not selling Michigan to you? That's fair. There's nothing to sell. It's a sad place. I can't even say "well at least the (whatever type of food) is good." Nope. I liked the lakes. They're large and in charge. Again, the peninsula bridge is fabulous. The sensation that I was on an island the whole time I was in the upper peninsula even though it's really a peninsula was oddly unsettling, despite what I said earlier about it being "wonderfully isolated."

I stayed in Marquette, which is the biggest upper peninsula city. It had some sort of offbeat quasi-vintage hippie shops. My vegan friend found real animal-less food. That was a welcome surprise given how rural it is up there. Would I ever return? Doubtful. Very depressing place. Just listen to Sufjan's album about Michigan. Way more than I could tell you.