It's a summer tradition as old as the State of Michigan. Going 'Up North' to get away from it all and enjoy summer sunsets on bucolic lakes. Evidence even shows that Native Americans headed north during ancient summers.

But where is 'up north'? Is it a state of mind? Or does it officially start at a given point, like the Mackinac Bridge or US-10?

This question was asked recently on the Michigan sub-reddit category on Reddit.com.

The redditor SlimChiply (if you're from the East side of the state you'll recognize that name) posed the controversial question this way:

I've had this discussion with coworkers and family before, but I wanted to get your input as well. My goto was always that I was up north when I could see a Glen's Market. I've also used BC's pizza as a signpost, or if you were in range of a television stations that shared two channels.

Here's some of the responses thus far:

For me it's when you get past Clare.

 

As a Yooper who now lives downstate, I get excited when people say they're going "up north" and then disappointed when they are still an hour or so away from the bridge. For me, "up north" will always be the UP.

North of the 45th parallel.

 

My line has always been US-10, but that only counts until you get to Clare and it veers south.

 

I suppose you could say the southern county lines of Manistee, Wexford, Missaukee, Roscommon, Ogemaw, and Iosco Counties. Just for consistency.

 

For me personally its when I go further North than the tri-city area. I think it's different for everyone though. The best generalization I can think of is you are going up north when you are going far enough north that you probably don't want to drive back south on the same day.

 

It's more personal for me, but I always take a deep breath as soon as I cross the Betsie river because I'm only 20 minutes to the cottage at that point, and I'm going up and down the hills around Crystal Mountain.

 

It depends where you are coming from. For me, anything north of Standish unless I'm staying at my property near Tawas then it's anything past M72

 

I always enjoy the argument and how passionate people get about it.

 

"Traverse City? Are you KIDDING me? When did it move across to the UP? Oh, it didn't? Then your 6 hour drive was a few hours short of Up North! You people!"

 

For me, our cottage off M-46 was always up north because it was 3 hours out of Detroit and that's still manageable for a weekend.

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