Hospitals in Upper Peninsula of Michigan

Geocode an Excel file of addresses for Hospitals in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

The Upper Peninsula of Michigan, also known as “God’s Country”, for its clean water and air, natural beauty, warm and hospitable inhabitants, and their laid-back pace of life. Yes, there is so much to do and explore that this article cannot begin to do it justice, but one thing you will need to be informed of is staying safe and healthy. Things can get a bit remote at times in theUP and it’s a good idea to have some emergency preparations and first aid and an awareness of how to find the nearest hospital.

Michigan is a beautiful state, rich in history and culture.  Many people don’t realize how large Michigan is until they have taken a full tour.  Many people not familiar with Michigan may think of only the mitten shaped lower peninsula where most people live (~9.6M people, or about 97%).  However, those more informed know about the place where those other lucky 3%.

The Upper Peninsula of Michigan, also known as “God’s Country”, for its clean water and air, natural beauty, warm and hospitable inhabitants, and their laid-back pace of life.  The distance and time to get from Luna Pier (at the extreme south-east corner of Michigan, just north of Toledo, Ohio) to Copper Harbor (at the north tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula) is ~ 640 miles, or about 10.5 hours of driving at highway speed.  Just about the same distance as metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia driving in the opposite direction.

Those living in the UP are warmly referred to as “Yoopers” (as, in UP’ers) and they are typically quite proud of their unique heritage.  In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s this area drew many immigrants from Scandinavian countries to work in the rich copper and iron mining industries. Since these hearty folks were accustomed to cold weather and long-dark winters, this environment suited them well.  They also prospered in that period as the were feeding important raw materials to the booming industrial revolution in the lower Great Lakes region.

Today, Michigan’s UP is not quite as prosperous, at least financially.  Many of the mines have ceased and being so remote and without a particularly alluring winter climate, population growth there has been stable at best.  The actual “peak” US census was taken in 1920, with 332,556 people recorded.  Since then (one hundred years before this writing) the population has fallen to as low as 302,256 and risen again to 317,676. Current economic activity is in Retail, Hospitality, Construction, outstanding Universities, Public Service Health Care and Professional/Technical Services.  In other words, it’s a place that has settled into a pattern of slow-paced life that is just right for quiet living, vacationing, summer homes, hiking, camping and just plain getting away from the rapid pace of life that exists in places to the south, such as Detroit, Chicago, Grand Rapids, Milwaukee, just to name a few.Every summer there is an invasion of “Trolls” (those of us living below the bridge) that encroach upon the natural wonders of places such as Porcupine Mountains and Lake of the Clouds, Isle Royal National Park (the least visited and yet, most return %), Munising and the famous Pictured Rocks, Tahquamenon Falls, Whitefish Point (site of the Edmund Fitzgerald Maritime Museum), Sault St. Marie and the great locks that allow iron ore to flow down to the industrial heartland.

Thousands of hidden streams, lakes rivers and Great Lakes beaches, light houses, wa terfalls, and an abundance of wildlife are ready to be discovered.  If you do go there, don’t expect to find any “all-inclusive”, “dinner coat only dining” or “champaign brunch”.  You will have passed those on your way once you get north of the Mackinaw Bridge and Mackinaw Island (a delightful place as well, but certainly much more accommodating to upscale urban lifestyles).  No, you won’t find much of that type of culture in the UP.  What you will find is stunning peaceful places where you can sit with loved ones and have a bon-fire on the beach until dawn if you like, hang-out near the town landfill and watch the bears move in for a snack, have your own picnic of local pasties and some wild picked berries while washing it all down with something  from one of several local craft breweries.  Caution:  Locals don’t take well to tourists leaving any mess and you should always watch out for the bears and racoons raiding your campground pantry and at those bonfire parties.  These guys are the “original” party animals.

Yes, there is so much to do and explore that this article cannot begin to do it justice, but one thing you will need to be informed of is staying safe and healthy.  Things can get a bit remote at times in the UP and it’s a good idea to have some emergency preparations and first aid and an awareness of how to find the nearest hospital.

Ref:  Raw data for hospitals and locations provided by superiorsights.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Posted 4 months ago