Today is the day that you have all been waiting for: the update on my college journey.
Well let's start from the beginning. The trip up here.
I remember leaving the house very well. Tory, Ezra, Bri, and Big Joe all came over to say good bye and help load the car (which was filled top to bottom by the way). Leaving wasn't as hard as I thought it would be to be honest; I guess I was just so excited! After we said our goodbyes to my brothers, friends, and cats, we were off.
The trip started off smoothly, with part of our journey going by my grandparent's old house. It was nice to see it again, and it made me wonder what they would think of me now. These thoughts were eventually interrupted after my mom slammed on the brakes a little too hard and brought down a bunch of stuff in the back. She got really emotional after this, exclaiming that she felt bullied because we were all joking about her driving abilities. It was a silent, awkward car ride for the next hour. And then the rain came.
We were looking on the radar a few hours prior, but we were not expecting what we got. We're talking people driving 10 miles per hour on an interstate bad. Here's a video during the beginning of the storm; my mother was still driving at this time.
Eventually, the storm got to be a little too much for my mother, so my dad decided to give it a shot. Spoiler alert, he pulled over too eventually!
After we got through the storm, we pushed through Ohio, which turns out to be the most disliked state in Michigan too! Here's a picture that sums up pretty much every rest stop in Ohio:
We didn't travel through Michigan for a long time, but we did have to go through it a bit on day one. I remember the Holiday Inn experience well. Apparently, something happened with our payment for the reservation, and we had to try and get in contact with the credit card company. We ended up sitting in the lobby for like fifteen minutes while my parents tried not to strangle the hotel staff. The next morning, we woke up and took advantage of the complimentary breakfast. When I say "took advantage", I mean we really, really took advantage. We grabbed as many muffins as we could stuff in a to go back without getting dirty looks. Needless to say, it got us through the morning.
Once we got further into the peninsula, my dad decided to give Noah and I a shot at driving. I really enjoyed it! It's interesting to compare a minivan driving 40 miles per hour down a road compared to a minivan driving down an interstate at almost 80 miles per hour. When we got to beautiful Mackinaw City, we stopped for lunch at the iconic Wienerlicious.
Here, they offer wonderful hot dogs and bratwursts. Highly recommend you stop at this joint if you're ever passing through! Now, possibly my father's least favorite part, the Mackinac Bridge.
To easily commute across the Michigan peninsulas, you should take the Mackinac Bridge. Now, the bridge has been around since November of 1957, and has had no major problems with the bridge itself. But, the bridge is an open grate bridge, with very little siding. My father did not like this. So instead of him driving, my mother decided that it would be best if she drove. In the video, you'll see my father photographing a stuffed animal; apparently, it's tradition for Michigan Tech students when they cross the bridge, or something of that nature.
Once you cross the bridge, it seems like a new world. Here are a few of my favorites taken along the northern coast of Lake Michigan. We unfortunately did not stop at any of these bridges because they were all on the left hand side of the road, and we didn't want to stop and try to cross. I believe all of these photos were taken on RT. 2.
It's just like the ocean, but better! Less people, less salt, and a lot less sharks! After that, we drove up north towards a town named Munising. This town gave me small, lake town vibes. Really nice! From here, we moved west towards Ishpeming, which is actually where Uncle Rodger moved from! He told my brother and I that he never really picked a side in the Tech rivalry with Northern Michigan University, but he would now pledge to Tech since we were going there! After Ishpeming, the excitement really kicks in because you approach Marquette, the biggest city in the Upper Peninsula! This is also the home to Northern Michigan University. From here, it's about a two hour drive to Houghton, MI! Here's a collection of photos and videos from the journey through the U.P.:
I also remember seeing a moose, but as we pulled over to go take pictures with the crowd (I know, stupid tourists, right?), it decided that it was done with the paparazzi and strolled back into the brush. Wish I got a picture, but oh well. I did get a picture of the field it had been in however:
Some time during our travels during the Upper Peninsula, my parents let me drive once more. I accidentally drove into the wrong lane, but I quickly and safely corrected myself! It was really just a straight, fast road for a few dozen miles. As we approached what I think was Munising, we pulled over so my dad could take the wheel in the town.
Before I knew it, I had left Palmyra, PA behind, and had arrived in Houghton, MI.
I'll post at least two other parts. Probably not today though!
As always,
Thanks for reading,
The Questionable Programmer
"The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step"
