Summertime Dreams

Summer in the UP is magic. Let's start with that. I believe there are few places in the world so green, fresh, brimming with new life, and filled with natural wonder. The forest scents, the bird songs, the night stars, all add to the magic.

Summer in the UP is all the things summer should be. Endless meanderings through fragrant forests, endless choices of fresh, clear water for water sports or fishing, hot sun and cool breezes, night skies so dark and clear one can view the Milky Way from horizon to horizon. And then there are the sounds. The din of frogs from a wetland or pond, the chatter of a pack of coyotes, the solitary call of a loon from an otherwise deserted lake, the call of an owl, all audible through the open windows of a summer night.

In addition, there is what could rightly be called a migration, of people. I would guess the population of the UP doubles, or even triples, during the summer months. Most everyone who is "from the UP," tries, at least once a year, to make it back. The desire to re-experience those exquisite memories of summers past is a powerful draw, almost instinctual, as salmon returning to their home stream to spawn. So summer brings a variety of friends and family, smiling and excited to be home for some part of the  summer.

Add to that the tourists, and you have a sizable influx of people during the summer months. Tourism in the UP is an important part of the economy, and the culture. From late fall to early spring, people are few and far between in the UP. Not so in the glory days of summer. With two dozen state parks, and more campgrounds than you can shake a stick at, as well as uncountable lakeside cabins and many a spare bedroom, there's plenty of room for the influx.

The tourists come in every imaginable form. The two lane highways of the UP are clogged with vehicles towing travel trailers. License plates from every state can be seen wandering the back roads. Young and old, solo or with families or friends, tourists are everywhere. Some are veterans, having made the pilgrimage many times, often for generations, with destinations and favorite places in mind. Others are first timers, wide eyed and tenuous, having only stories they have heard to guide their travels. Stories of bear, wolves, provincial people, and endless forest.

For UP residents, summer also carries an urgency. Three months, three and a half if Mother Nature is feeling generous. While those three months were an eternity as a child, rushing from the doors of the school, with nothing but summer fun until September, as an adult they are far short of an eternity. Those three months provide the window for gardening, home maintenance, landscaping, motorcycles and boats, open windows, shorts and sandals, and all other things summer. Needless to say, they go by in a flash. 

Beautiful summer, endless summer, lazy summer, hectic summer, pick your adjective. Summers in the UP are all these things and more. A time to savor, and socialize, and explore, and find awe in the natural wonders of the UP, and at least briefly, to once again experience that summertime dream.