Sharing the Upper Peninsula in Washington, D.C.

This week I headed to Washington D.C. as part of my quest to have a beer with Richard Branson. One of the biggest inspirations for Yooper Steez was telling everyone about the Upper Peninsula and the Great Lakes while on my 50-state road trip. I still love to share it with people everywhere I go. So before heading out I thought I’d update the Yooper Steez Facebook Page…

“I’ll be spreading my Upper Peninsula love and knowledge in the Washington D.C. this week :-) What should I tell them about the U.P.?”

I was impressed to see 40+ comments and thought they really provided a lot of great insight to what people think about the Upper Peninsula.

I wanted to share them with all the Yooper Steez readers in case you didn’t see them on the Facebook Page. Feel free to add to the comments on Facebook or add one here.

And thanks for all the comments and likes on the Facebook page, keep them coming and feel free to share the Facebook Page with others.

• April Riutta-SchoeningerOh my gosh. You should tell them that the people in the U.P. are unique and wonderful people! And to quit forgetting that they are there!
• Jenifer BradyTell them that we don’t have outhouses. My best friend went to college downstate, and when anyone found out she was from the UP, they’d ask her if she had an outhouse. At first she thought they were just joking, but it turned out that they were serious. :) And tell them we aren’t part of Canada!
• Kit CarlsonThat it’s only a two-day drive, and to stop and spend some money in the Lansing area on their way north. (I made the two-day drive every year, prior to moving to Lansing and cutting it to a one-day drive.)
• Amanda Rae NaybackWe are part of Michigan, despite what many “educational” maps may show.
• Laura McIntosh BelueThat when they cross the bridge …. they will be in Heaven :)
• Tammy MetivaThat it is beautiful, I travel there from lower Michigan 2-3 times a year at least.
• Amy Lynn SpitzleyThat there are very educated people who live and work there, not just a bunch of hicks who like the snow too much.
• Lori Ann Reich RenshawTHAT IT TRULY IS GODS COUNTRY
• Mad FishermanTell em we need more jobs eh!
• Karl AhoThat rural unemployment is just as problematic as urban unemployment.
• Chere LaRoseSupport rural communities and invest in the hearts and minds of a culture that at it’s heart is the definition of perseverance and hard work.
• Paulie MihelcichMake the Whole U.P. A national park!!!!
• Gretchen CasparyThat there is nothing in the world more beautiful than a July day by Lake Superior. And that they should come and see!
• Walter SvedSend the tree huggers to California and create some real jobs in the mining industry. That’s what made the UP great in the past.
• John BlanchardTell them that the 51st state should be the U.P.!!!
• Christine Lattrel RenforsThat Yoopers are the smartest, most honest, hard working, and proud Americans anywhere, let us run the country we’ll get it right.
  Steve OviattBring pasties.
• Yooper PastyIf you can get anyone to listen. Tell them Yoopers need work. YP
• Nancy Syrjala Holwerda
  jobs….jobs….jobs….jobs…oh and taking the wolf off the endangered species list could help as well.
• Eric Rohloff
  how about paid snow days
• Kara Haarala Schroeder
  Don’t say too much – I don’t want the secret of it’s awesomeness to spread.
• Mad Fisherman
  Kara,I agree with you.We don’t want it loved to death like Montana
• Carrie File Eno
  The UP of MI is one of the most beautiful sights to see in the US and half the people in the US are too stupid to know it even existis…What MI has two parts?
• Theresa Craig Brown
  We don’t want the preciousness of the U.P. to be ruined! I have travelled the U.S. and I have NEVER found anywhere like the U.P. nothing smells as good, looks as good, the U.P. truly is God’s Country! If we could bottle air, da Yoopers would make a fortune!
• Pam Pant Johnson
  I love all your comments!! From the MI IN border!!
• Tara Mullen
  nothing because if they found out just how great it is they might come and ruin it
• Robin Schaefer
  Keep the lakes and lands from pollution and over population!
• Mimi Christensen
  Read an article written by someone down state– All we care about in the U.P. is how much money we’ll get from the government and our guns– you could tell them the truth– or– just let them sit their with their foot in their mouth.
• Patricia J. Beesley
  Please tell them that no matter what Washington is going to have to spend money to prevent an Asian Carp invasion of Lake Michigan! PROTECT THE GREAT LAKES!!
• Marianne Britt Duvendack
  Nothing! Don’t let them near it!!!!!!!!
• Kat Brandow
  We’re a real hearty bunch of people that can fix anything with duct tape, but it would be nice if we didn’t have to use it on potholes…
• Dana L. Haltug
  I miss the UP :-( … but had to leave because of lack of living wage employment .. now I am in New Jersey & can’t wait to be able to retire & return to da’ UP for good :-)
• Paula Jane Schroeder
  The people are smart, hard working, kind hearted folks who don’t take anything for granted! The scenery is breathtaking! Help to get businesses started up there! There’s no place like it—pure heaven!
• Kathleen Ann Rakow
  Amen to all these comments (from a Yooper wannabe!!)
• Stephanie Dymond
  needs more union jobs~
• Rachel Morin
  You should tell them that everyone in the UP is a “farmer”, we have no electricity or cars, and we still live in wigwams ;)
• Barbara Jean Donato
  that we are fun loving upper people
• Donna Sandstrom
  Everything…tell them everything.
• Rudy Brinks
  Don’t forget about the snow monkeys!!
• Michelle DesJardin
  Upper Michigan is “Someplace special” and that we need more Union and Non Union jobs. And that we have 2 sports up here that we play often SWATTING AND SNOW SHOVELLING. And when it comes to winters we are tough enough to handle it and can show other states that get pummelled how we survive through it without any problems.
• Dana L. Haltug
  If it gets TOO developed – it will destroy the beauty. But jobs are sorely needed for those who are there now … can’t wait to retire up there!
• Daniel Tannheimer
  Leave us alone!