The Portage Canal is somewhere I’ve driven past hundreds of times in my life, but never have I seen it like this. This snow falling in the photo gives it a second effect of it being a grainy photo, adding that to the tone gives it a fantastic vintage look as if this photo was taken in the early 1900s. However, it was snapped just two weeks prior on May 3rd, 2008.

“Although beautiful, I couldn’t believe it was snowing at the beginning of May.”

– DailyInvention on Flickr

A Brief History of the Portage Canal

• The only road across the Portage Canal is the Portage Lift Bridge
• Also known as the Keweenaw Waterway, Lily Pond, Portage River, and Portage Lake
• Connects Lake Superior at both North and South entries (see map below)
• The primary tributary to Portage Lake is the Sturgeon River
• Originally a small river, it was dredged in the 1960s for mining industry and allowing freighters in
• The area north of the Portage Canal is known as Copper Island

Photo courtesy of DailyInvention on Flickr.

Tourist season is coming! Time to travel, camp, go sight-seeing and vacation in the Upper Peninsula. If you’re a local don’t forget to be a tourist in your own town this summer and visit all the places you’ve read about but have never visited. For tourists and locals alike we put together a list of resources to help you plan your Upper Peninsula vacation, road trip, or afternoon drive.

However, this isn’t your typical tourist guide, you won’t find any brochures here. Here are a few great sites to explore places you want to visit this summer. From Mackinac Island, Tahquamenon Falls, Pictured Rocks, Lake Superior, to the Porcupine Mountains and hundreds of places between, you can browse photos, read the history, and see exactly what’s available on the route you’re traveling.

Panoramio — Pictured Rocks

Panoramio is a service offered by Google to map all of your uploaded photos. Enter the name of any town in the Upper Peninsula for a quick exploration. It becomes a great way to plan a trip and find locations that are really interesting. Our linked example shows you several photos of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.

Explore Wikipedia in Google Maps

Are you a history buff? Or, perhaps you’re a student that just needs to finish a paper about the Upper Peninsula. Google Maps now offers a feature to explore Wikipedia entries by geographic region. Need more information on Doyle Township? This makes it a piece of cake as well as finding relevant Wikipedia entries in the same region.

Google Maps is a powerful tool. You can also YouTube videos by region if you have a Google account, just browse their directory for the YouTube application. You’ll also find dozens of other awesome Google Maps tools such as real estate, weather, elevation contours, and more.

Browse Flickr Map — Escanaba

If you haven’t checked out Flickr before, it’s incredible. Be prepared to explore photos from across the world, just don’t forget to check out the Upper Peninsula as well. With millions of users you can usually find photos tagged in every corner of the United States. For starters check out some places to visit in Escanaba.

Flickr also has a featured called Places. Here’s an example of Marquette where you can find users, area groups, photos, featured photographers, and even get the weather.

Everywhere Magazine — Ambassador

Need to find a place to eat? Maybe a few travel stories about somewhere you’re headed? Everywhere Magazine is the site to check out. But they need more reviews for the Upper Peninsula and it’s all up to you! Everywhere’s content is reader-generated. That means you have the change to write in about your favorite spots in the Upper Peninsula, send in a few photos, and get published.

Over the years every Yooper hears stereotypes, jokes, and definitions of the word “yooper” that we can all chuckle about, roll ours eyes at, or even confirm in rare instances.

At Yooper Steez we’re always looking for people using the word “yooper” online, in books, or anywhere else. Well, our latest research came across something completely blasphemous. Let us know what you think…

Yooper — “Person from north of the bridge. a second class citizen of the U.S.. A canadian trapped on american soil.”

Example: Yoopers think they’re american, but everybody in america hates them. which is why michigan is selling the u.p. to canada for a carton of cigarettes.

Courtesy of ‘Bob Saget’ on Urban Dictionary

Out of the 9 user-posted definitions on Urban Dictionary, thankfully this one has the least number of votes.

What do you think, worst “Yooper” definition ever? We’re opening this up for discussion, let us know what you think, are we really worth just a carton of cigarettes?

This shot was snapped by James M Phelps yesterday, validating that spring is here. A photo that speaks for itself, the yellow feathers pop out on the green background (and foreground) of the spruce needles.

Check out more of James’ photography at www.jmp-photography.com

Photo courtesy of JMP’s Flickr page.

At Yooper Steez we love the latest in the world wide web, including social networking. We’re also hoping to reach Yoopers across the globe.

After merging those two ideas we thought it’d be great to give you an awesome list of Yooper related Facebook Groups. Though these are far from all the groups, they are some of favorites and most unique.

The Yooper Appreciation and Protection Society

“This group is for everyone that has ever encountered the ethnicity known as ‘Yooper’, and feels the need to embrace and appreciate the Upper Peninsula. The people that live in the Upper Peninsula or the U.P. are called “Yoopers” and are proud of it. The people that live under the bridge are called “Trolls.” Although Yoopers are generally considered to be citizens of the State of Michigan, they constantly yearn for release. With their own culture, dialect, and food the Yoopers perhaps should be considered a nationality.”

For Yooper Girls Only

“A collection of women from Michigan’s beautiful Upper Peninsula. Women from the U.P are better, stronger, smarter and prettier than women from all other places. You can only be a Yooper Girl if you have lived in the U.P. for at least 20 years.”

Ya know yer a yooper when…

“You use the Yooper Rule of Apostrophes: dinty = didn’t he; shounta = shouldn’t have; and wounta = wouldn’t have. Gotta love the U.P. Language!
The word “Eh” seems to find its way onto the end of every sentence.
You leave you beers outsite to get cold.
You break something and then fix it with duct tape.
You refer to downtown Iron Mountain as a classic example of urban decay.”

Yooper Bar Fan Club

“The ultimate fan club for those yoopers and beyond that are in love with the ultimate chocolate bar - The Yooper Bar!”

Give da yooper back to wisconsin eh!

“I met a dude from Mich. the other day, the real Mich, not the UP and he was a complete tool. So in honor of that bag of douche and others like him, I’m starting a petition for Wisconsin to take control of the UP. Frick man, its not even connected to Mich. WTF mate?”

Yooper and Yooper wanna-be’s

“This is a group for all of those people who are Yoopers and are in a different state, but still want to show they are Yoopers. It is for those who unitentionally say “eh!” when they are talking. It is also for all of those who want to become Yoopers or get to know some Yoopers. If you dont know what a Yooper is, it is anyone who comes from the upper peninsula of Michigan.”

I think I’m getting a Yooper accent!!

“If you think you might be going to the darkside…and getting YOOPERized!!!!!! If you have recently said ya, der, or any usage of the yooper dialect.”

I went to the U.P. and now I want a pet Yooper

“There are too many yoopers lost out in the wilderness up there that need a good home. Let’s be good citizens and take them under our wing and give them the experience of real english and the normal human culture…. Even though their true Yooperness is what makes them just so darn cute!!! Whatch out for Discovery Channel’s new series on Yoopers… I know they are planning on making one. Such rare and beautiful creatures they are”

Upper Michigan: We’re not part of Canada, Damnit!

“For all those with a slighty ridiculous yooper accent who are perfectly comfortable driving in 6 feet of fresh powder in August to the first day of school. Your rusty 1982 Chevy still runs and you are dressed to impress in your flannel shirt and your long underwear. You keep your beer cold by sticking it in a snowpile, and you own atleast one article of Carhartt clothing. Dignity is not an issue, since we are aware that yoopers have little to no etiquette and have come to terms with the fact that your girlfriend can out drink you and your two best friends combined. You start every sentence with “Da”, end every other sentence with “Eh”, and you feel completely comfortable peeing between the parked cars and bushes. You learned to shoot a gun before you could walk and yes, we are home to the worlds largest chainsaw, and the worlds largest rifle.”

Yeah i’m from the U.P.,but i’m not a $@%& hick!!!!

“this group is for any ‘yooper’ that is continually made fun of or laughed at because ‘we talks funEE’ and because we come from the U.P. Everybody other than a yooper makes fun of us only because they want to be a yooper.”

Petition Facebook to create a Upper Peninsula, MI region network

“For those you in the UP who are sick of not having your own region network—or worse yet, using the Green Bay or Thunder Bay region network. This is the biggest Upper Peninsula group on Facebook, containing more than 1.2% of the UP’s population! Everyone is welcome to join.”

The Upper Peninsula (U.P.) isnt Canada

“This group is created to clear up the fact that the U.P. of Michigan has no affiliation with Canada. Also to state when calling a Yooper a Candian it is a huge insult.”

So if you’re on Facebook, check out these groups for one more way to stay connected to the Upper Peninsula and show you’re Yooper pride.. And don’t forget to join the Yooper Steez Facebook page as well.

Also, which group should we award with the “Best Damn Yooper Facebook Group Award”? Let us know and we’ll do our best to hook up that group with some Yooper Steez.