Quote:
Originally Posted by deja vu
Not to imply that there isn't enough to cover on here already, but I'm tempted to "redefine" the regional boundaries covered by this thread.
There is no single, true geographic definition of "Northern Michigan" - it depends on who you ask and what their point of reference is. One explanation that I read recently (which I would mostly agree with) is that US Route 10 is the general dividing line. That would mean we could include places like Mason County / Ludington, Lake County / Baldwin, and Osceola County / Reed City, etc. Instead of a straight line across the state, it would veer southeast, towards the Saginaw Bay region. I think it gets a little more unclear near the eastern terminus of Route 10. Midland and Bay City do not register as "Up North" in my mind. And besides, they already have a dedicated thread.
It's hard to deny that places like Ludington are Northern. And there's a few things going on in Ludington and elsewhere that might be worth sharing on here (which is what got me thinking about this in the first place). Just a thought. Anyway, what do you (three or four) think?
Source (base map image): Wikipedia
that, vs. my previous (working) diagram, with US Route 10 superimposed -
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I like the 10 divide on the way up to Traverse City / Sleeping Bear once you take the 10 split off from 75 and get past the outskirts of Midland you get that up north feel White Pines start to take over from deciduous trees and you get into into the noticeable elevation changes of the central highlands.
Cadillac is the only real city you hit till either TC goin up 115 or Ludington continuing on 10 but Cadillac has much more in common with the Boyne-Gaylord-Greyling area than anything else ie tourist & summer home driven.
Speaking of Ludington it feels to me like the last of the old industrial ports on the Lake Michigan Coast going north also Mt Pleasant & Big Rapids are both south of it the last of the college towns with that “serve” southern part of the state. Not to mention the drive up into Mt Pleasant has a distinct Mid-Mich feel although the drive between is much more up north like speaking to the area being in the “gradient” between north and south.