Over two years ago I posted a blog about the origin and first use of the word Yooper. My source for the blog was Professor Richard W. Bailey from the University of Michigan who did a more extensive write-up on the history of Yooper.  It cites a contest that was held August 5, 1979 by the Escanaba Daily Press.  Brett Crawford of Bark River was credited with submitting Yooper.

Many people commented that they had heard the word used earlier than 1979, many stating that they recall hearing it used during their college days in the 70s.  I have no doubt that it may have been used earlier, but when was it first published?

However…

Introducing Dan Rosandich…

Recently I received an e-mail from Dan Rosandich who was a cartoonist for the Daily Mining Gazette.  He attached a few images and sure enough, they predate the Daily Press article.

Then editor, and U.P. evangelist, Bob Skuggen asked Dan to contribute a comic bi-weekly to the Mining Gazette.  At the time Dan, an Ontonagon High School graduate, was just 21 years old.  This was the very first comic which was published on May 11, 1979.

Dan had the following to say:

“Bob Skuggen has since passed away, but was a big promoter of the Upper Peninsula back in those days, when tourism wasn’t promoted like it is now. Initially the cartoons I showed him back in those days had no title, so he insisted I think one up… I showed all of these U.P. cartoons to a few friends and we brainstormed one day and eventually after saying “U.P. , U.P.’er….YOOPER hit me in the head like a ton of bricks and it stuck.”

–Dan Rosandich

When I posted the original blog entry there was a lot of conversation (mainly on the Yooper Steez Fan Page) if this was the first use of the word Yooper, or at least the first time being published which is what I focused on.

I think we can agree that it’s not difficult to derive the word Yooper.

U.P. —> U.P.-er —> and finally Yooper.

Regardless, I have to hand it to Dan Rosandich, Bob Skuggen, and Brett Crawford.  They have helped give the people of the Upper Peninsula and the Upper Peninsula itself a strong identity.  Well done gentleman, well done.  I owe you all a lot of credit (perhaps a beer and a pasty?) and it’s now a word that I use daily. I find it pretty remarkable how strong of an identity Yoopers and the Upper Peninsula have.  There are only a few places across the country that can compare.

By all means, let the conversation continue.  Leave a comment and share what you think.  Perhaps you can dig up some more resources on the early publications of the word Yooper.

(click the photos for a larger version)

Photo by WisDoc on Flickr

Each day I check in to see the web stats of Yooper Steez and what people have been Googling to bring traffic to the site. I thought I could make good use of this information by answering all of the “how” questions that have landed people on Yooper Steez. All of the questions below are verbatim searches people used to land on Yooper Steez. You ask the questions, I’ll do the research.

Part 2 coming soon.

General Upper Peninsula Questions

Q: how to draw the upper peninsula of michigan
A: I am probably a terrible resource when it comes to drawing lessons. My co-workers were laughing at the giraffe I had to draw at work because they could tell which end was the head and which end was the tail. The best advice I can give is find a quality outline of the Upper Peninsula (if you’d like, you can purchase a Yooper Steez shirt and trace that to practice, they’re quite accurate). Trace it a few times, look at it, study it, and I have faith that you’ll master drawing the Upper Peninsula. Even I can draw it fairly accurately these days.

Q: how many square miles is the lower penninsula of michigan
A: 40,352 square miles of land area
16,452 in the Upper Peninsula (29% of Michigan’s land)

Q: how many square miles of water is in michigan
A: Michigan has the highest % of water of any state at 41.27%
Michigan has the 2nd most water of any state, only second to Alaska

Q: how many ppl go to northern mi university
A: As of 2008-2009 there were 8,438 undergraduates and 685 postgraduate students. (9,123 total)

Q: how far is detroit from the upper peninsula
A: Driving from Detroit it is approximately 295 miles of driving. A straight line would be about 258 miles.

Q: how many people live in the upper peninsula of michigan
A: 317,258 people, according to the 2000 Census

Q: how many inland lakes are there in michigan’s upper peninsula
A: Approximately 4,300. The largest is Lake Gogebic.

Q: how far is north pole from marquette, mi
A: Approximately 3,002 miles. What’s cool is that the 45 degree parallel runs right through Michigan, which is half-way between the equator and the North Pole.

Q: how did michigan acquire the upper peninsula
A: The western 3/4 of the Upper Peninsula came as a result of the Toledo War in 1836. As a result of the war, Ohio was given the Toledo Strip and in turn Michigan received the Upper Peninsula. At the time it was perceived that Ohio was the clear winner of the war. It wasn’t realized until many years later that the Upper Peninsula was one of the richest sources of minerals in the United States.

Lake Superior

Q: how big is lake superior in miles
A: Shore length of 2,725 miles

Q: how many rivers feed lake superior
A: over 200 rivers

Q: how many feet high is lake superior than the other great lakes
A: Lake Superior surface elevation: 600 ft
- Lake Michigan surface elevation: 577 ft
- Lake Huron surface elevation: 577 ft
- Lake Erie surface elevation: 571 ft
- Lake Ontario surface elevation: 246 ft

Q: how big is the surface of lake superior
A: read below

Q: how does lake superior compare to the great salt lake in size
A: Lake Superior surface area is 31,820 square miles and 2,900 cu mi in volume
Great Salt Lake surface area is ~1,700 square miles and ~2.7 cu mi in volume

Q: how many miles of lake superior shoreline does michigan have compared to canada
A: 917 miles of Lake Superior shoreline in the Upper Peninsula (read more)

Mackinac Bridge

Q: what two towns connect the mackinac bridge?
A: St. Ignace is on the north side in the Upper Peninsula and Mackinaw City is on the south side in the Lower Peninsula.

Q: how we can get best picture of mackinac bridge
A: To truly get the best photos of the Mackinac Bridge you should go to the very top (in my opinion), but this takes some connections. Some other suggestions are the Labor Day bridge walk, taking a boat beneath the bridge, from a park in St. Ignace, or an aerial view from a helicopter.

Q: how to get to the top mackinac bridge
A: It’s not an easy task. 1) You could be on Mike Rowe’s camera crew. 2) You could do it illegally, this is not recommended. 3) Be a worker on the Mackinac Bridge to help keep it in tiptop shape. 4) Each year the Bridge Authority gives away a designated number of certificates for tours of the Mackinac Bridge to go to the very top. Here’s the story of how I made it to the top of the Mackinac Bridge.

Q: how long is mackinac bridge
A:

Facts & Figures

Q: how tall is mackinac bridge
A:

Facts & Figures

Q: how to climb to the top of mackinac bridge
A: There are two ways to get to the top of the Mackinac Bridge. 1) Climb the large green cables that stretch from the base to the top. You’ll need a harness. 2) At the road-level of each tower you can enter a little cubbyhole where an elevator will bring you to the second cross beam. From there you climb a steel latter straight up to the top. Once again, there are several photos here.

Q: how far does the mackinac bridge move out when windy
A: The Mackinac Bridge bows as far as 20 feet on windy days. One misconception is that it actually sways, which is not the case, rather it will bow in one direction. In addition, the towers move as much as 18 feet in either direction, which isn’t from wind, but from the weight of traffic on the bridge.

Q: how many people cross mackinaw bridge a year
A: In 2005 there were 4,236,491 crossings (average 11,608 per day)

Q: how many people have been to the top of the mackinac bridge?
A: My guess is that the answer of this is probably unknown. Every year several workers of the bridge go to the top to make repairs, change light bulbs etc. Several others are given the chance, such as people from the governor’s office. The last I heard is that the Bridge Authority gives out 100 certificates each year for people to go to the top, though I am not sure of the accuracy on this.

Q: how long did it take to build the mackinac bridge
A: Construction on the bridge began on May 7, 1954 and was opened (on schedule) on November 1, 1957. The 50th anniversary was celebrated in 2007.

Q: how far can you see from the top of the mackinaw bridge
A: The distance to the horizon for a 5’7″ person is 2.89 miles. If this person was standing on the road level of the Mackinac Bridge (200 feet above the water) the horizon increases to 17.6 miles away. If a person is standing on the very top of the Mackinac Bridge (522 feet) the horizon is now about 28 miles away.

Q: how far is it from the mackinaw bridge to marquette
A: Driving from Marquette (via US-41 and US-2) it is approximately 175 miles of driving. A straight line would be about 137 miles.

Q: how far is it to mt. pleasant from the mackinac bridge
A: Driving from Mt. Pleasant it is approximately 161 miles of driving. A straight line would be about 149 miles.

Q: how far away from the mackinaw bridge is lake superior state
A: Driving from Lake Superior State University it is approximately 50 miles of driving. A straight line would be about 46 miles.

Look for part 2 to come out soon!

Let me know if you have questions of your own. Post a comment. You ask the question, I’ll do the research.

According to our poll result 62% of people prefer eating their pasty with ketchup. Personally I think this has been one of my favorite poll questions on Yooper Steez. If you’re new to our poll questions you can check out the poll archive.

As for myself, I prefer naked pasties, no condiments for me. I have nothing against ketchup or gravy, but my usual take is that condiments are one more step between deliciousness and my mouth. However, one person suggested sour cream, and I thought that does actually sound pretty good.

Speaking of the sour cream, for those of you who are in the 4% other category, please leave a comment and let us know what exactly it is you prefer on your pasty.

Our latest poll is always found here.

During her weekly radio address Governor Jennifer Granholm made this statement. I was planning to write up a small piece myself, but Governor Granholm already did a much better job than I could have. It’s incredible how many unique products come out of the Upper Peninsula.

This is Governor Jennifer Granholm.

This weekend, basketball fans around Michigan and across the country will watch some of the nation’s best college players – including the Michigan State University men and women – continue their march to the NCAA Final Four championships. I think you’ll agree that at a time when the news of the nation’s credit crisis and rising unemployment rates is so painful, the fun and the frenzy of March Madness is a welcome diversion.

For those of us in Michigan, the anticipation of the Final Four is magnified, because for the first time, the men’s championship will be played here in Michigan at Ford Field in Detroit. But as the late Paul Harvey used to say: And now, for the rest of the story. When the men take to the floor in Detroit and the women take to the floor in St. Louis, Missouri, for their championship games – they’ll be playing on beautiful, maple hardwood floors that were manufactured right here in Michigan by Connor Sport Court International in the Upper Peninsula town of Amasa.

As the exclusive supplier of the championship floors for both the Men’s and Women’s NCAA Final Four and the floors for more professional sporting events than any other company in the world, Connor is a great example of the kinds of great businesses that can be found in Michigan. The Iron County plant has been part of the Amasa community since 1872, and the 100 employees who work there embody Michigan’s proud manufacturing tradition. They are using our plentiful renewable resources – in this case, our forests – in ways that honor our commitment to being good stewards of our land, air and water.

This week, as the truck carrying the maple flooring bound for Detroit made the trip from the U.P., there was excitement and pride at every stop. I hope that fans across our state will turn to their friends next weekend and say, “Did you know that floor was made right here in Michigan?”

The pride we feel for Connor and its talented workforce is the pride we feel for all our Michigan companies, companies whose names are easily recognized: Whirlpool, Stryker, and, of course, our Big Three auto companies and their workers that we’re fighting hard for in the face of a daunting worldwide recession.

In the coming days, more than 70,000 people will visit Detroit to see the Men’s Final Four with a direct economic impact to our state of $30-$50 million, which is a great boost to our local economy. Day in and day out, though, it’s Michigan’s workers and Michigan businesses like Connor that keep our state going. They truly are our champions, and they deserve both our pride and our support.

To learn more about Connor Sport Courts you can visit them online.

In 1976 W.T. (Bill) Rabe started one of the greatest public relations campaigns in history. And it is right here in the Upper Peninsula, at Lake Superior State University.

During 1971 many people still believed that Lake Superior State University (LSSU) was a branch of Michigan Tech University (and is was, just a year earlier). In the world of advertising and public relations this is a major identity crisis.

One of Rabe’s first answers to this problem was the Unicorn Hunters. Along with a small group of other LSSU faculty they set out to achieve various things to garner up some publicity for the university such as, yes, snowman burning. And of course, to this day you can still buy a Unicorn Hunter’s License, and it’s available online.

The greatest stunt from Bill Rabe and the Unicorn Hunters has become the annual List of Words Banished from the Queen’s English for Mis-Use, Over-Use and General Uselessness. Since New Year’s Day in 1976 the annual list has been published.

Typically, the list has grown out of words that have been over-used and turned into cliches during the previous year. Often they are pulled from hot news topics from the year, meaning that this years words mostly relate to the election, bailout, and environment. The words, all submitted by other people, typically include a few excerpts from the submissions to support the case of why it should be banned.

“After Rabe retired in 1987, the University copyrighted the concept and continued the tradition. The popularity of the effort shows no signs of dwindling. Hundreds of nominations are received each year, and LSSU Public Relations Office staff conduct dozens of news interviews, largely with radio stations throughout North America and sometimes overseas on all major networks, including Cable News Network, Associated Press, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and more.”

–LSSU

With the popularity of social networking, blogging, and power of the internet news service, LSSU has probably seen more and more press in recent years. Their have already been nearly 400 related news articles in Google for the year and featured on Yahoo’s site. So here it is, the list you’ve been waiting for…

Lake Superior State University 2009 List of Banished Words

• GREEN: “If I see one more corporation declare itself ‘green,’ I’m going to start burning tires in my backyard.” Ed Hardiman, Bristow, Va.
• CARBON FOOTPRINT or CARBON OFFSETTING: Mike of Chicago says that when he hears the phrase ‘carbon footprint,’ “I envision microscopic impressions on the surface of the earth where an atom of carbon forgot to wear its shoes.”
• MAVERICK: “I’m a maverick, he’s a maverick, wouldn’t you like to be a maverick, too?” Michael Burke, Silver Spring, Md.
• FIRST DUDE: “Skateboard English is not an appropriate way to refer to the spouse of a high-ranking public official.” Paul Ruschmann, Canton, Mich.
• BAILOUT: “Now it seems as though every sector of the economy wants a bailout. Unfortunately, ordinary workers can’t qualify.” Tony, McLeansville, NC.
• WALL STREET/MAIN STREET: “When this little dyad first came into use at the start of the financial crisis, I thought it was a clever use of parallelism. But it’s simply over-used. No ‘serious’ discussion of the crisis can take place without some political figure lamenting the fact that the trouble on Wall Street is affecting ‘folks’ on Main Street.” Charles Harrison, Aiken, SC.
• <3: Supposed to resemble a heart, or stand for the word ‘love.’ Used when sending those important text messages to loved ones. “Just say the word instead of making me turn my head sideways and wondering what ‘less than three’ means.” Andrea Estrada, Chicago.
• ICON or ICONIC: “Just because a writer recognizes something does not make it an icon (a visual symbol or representation which inspires worship or veneration) or iconic. It just means that the writer has seen it before.” Brian Murphy, Fairfield, Conn.
• GAME CHANGER : “It’s game OVER for this cliché, which gets overused in the news media, political arenas and in business.” Cynthia, Mt. Pleasant, Mich.
• STAYCATION: “Occurrences of this word are going up with gas prices.’Vacation’ does not mean ‘travel,’ nor does travel always involve vacation. Let’s send this word on a slow boat to nowhere.” Dan Muldoon, Omaha, Neb.
• DESPERATE SEARCH: “Every time the news can’t find something intelligent to report, they start on a ‘desperate search’ for someone, somewhere.” Rick A. Hyatt, Saratoga, Wyo.
• NOT SO MUCH: “Do I like concise writing? Yes. Do I like verbose clichés? Not so much.” David W. Downing, St. Paul, Minn. “A favorite of snarky critics and bloggers.” Jeff Baenen, Minneapolis, Minn.
• WINNER OF FIVE NOMINATIONS: “It hasn’t won an Academy Award yet. It has only been NOMINATED!” John Bohenek, Abilene, Tex.
• IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN: Nominated by Kathleen Brosemer of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., for “general overuse and meaninglessness. When is it not ‘that time of year again?’ From Valentine’s sales to year-end charity letters, invitations to summer picnics and Christmas parties, it’s ‘that time’ of year again. Just get to the point of the solicitation, invitation, and newsletter and cut out six useless and annoying words.”

Some of my favorites…

You can log on to LSSUs website for a year-by-year list of all the cliches and misused words you can handle. And you can also view their list of every single word they have banished.

• i-ANYTHING: ‘e-Anything’ made the list in 2000. Geoff Steinhart of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, says tech companies everywhere have picked this apple to the core. “Turn on…tune in…and drop out.”
• BLACK FRIDAY: “The day after Thanksgiving that retailers use to keep themselves out of the ‘red’ for the year. (And then followed by “Cyber-Monday.”) This is counter to the start of the Great Depression’s use of the term ‘Black Tuesday,’ which signaled the crash of the stock market that sent the economy into a tailspin. – Carl Marschner, Melvindale, Michigan.
• RANDOM: “Outrageous mis- and overuse, mostly by teenagers, i.e. ‘This random guy, singing this random song…It was so random.’ Grrrrr.” – Leigh, Duncan, Galway, Ireland.
• FLIP FLOP/FLIP FLOPPER/FLIP FLOPPING: They belong at the beach, not in a political dialogue. “Republicans used it; Democrats used it back. Flip-flop back and forth it goes.” – Jeff Lewis, Ada, Mich.
• BODY WASH: “Also known as ‘soap.’” — Ray Hill, Jackson, Mich.
• UPSCALE: Examples of its overuse: “upscale homes,” “upscale villages,” “upscale, rural neighborhoods,” even “upscale soft drinks” – Nancy Fletcher, Oscoda, Mich.

I am already looking forward to the 2010 list, hopefully I won’t be contributing to the future list of banished words. And if I have used any of the previously banished words in earlier posts, please forgive me.

Earlier today I was talking with my friend Kevin in Marietta, GA. I met Kevin for lunch there over a year ago (where I had a very tasty calzone at the Marietta Pizza Company just NW of Atlanta).

Kevin, having spent time in Marquette years ago and being a generation older than me, has done a great job of informing me of what Marquette used to be. He’s mentioned a few things that have gone missing over the years and what he educated me about this afternoon was Bunny Bread.

Kevin told me about a sign that was once famous in Marquette… a sign for Bunny Bread. And apparently the sign was taken down several years ago (it outdates my young memory, I’m only 25). Kevin inspired me to do a little research and find out where the sign went to.

After a little research I have an answer for my friend Kevin, and hopefully for some of you out there who may have been wondering whatever happened to the sign. (The sign is even mentioned in Marquette’s Wikipedia entry, so you know it has to be an icon then.)

Though I haven’t been able to find an old photo (yet) of the Bunny Bread sign in Marquette, here is a duplicate one that is in Anna, IL.

*This sign matches what used to be right here in Marquette.

There was another Bunny Bread plant with a sign in Marquette, MI. The sign came down in 1990 and went into storage. In 1996, it was installed at the Upper Peninsula Children’s Museum in Marquette. The entrance lobby, partly designed by children, was built high enough to include the bunny’s ears. The sign’s neon tubing was replaced with blue rope light.”

–Super Signage

Yes! The sign still exists today, and absolutely everyone is welcome to come and see it at the Upper Peninsula Childrens Museum.

Though it’s a small photo you can see the bunny just inside the entrance, facing out of the large window.

In addition there has been some great dialogue on Pasty.com about the old Bunny Bread sign. To sum it up best Ed C. wrote the following…

“The Bunny Bread sign was the signal to our three kids that we had “arrived” in the U. P. after a long trip from Detroit to the Copper Country.”

–Ed C.

It’s signs like these that often make towns unique (I should know as apparently I’ve become some sort of hometown expert). What is ironic is that day I met Kevin he made sure I got a photo of another famous sign right there in Marietta. Marquette used to have it’s Bunny Bread sign, Marietta has it’s 30-foot tall Kentucky Fried Chicken sign.

*If anyone has an old photo or has seen one of the old Marquette Bunny Bread sign please let me know.

Louis “Big Louie” Moilanen is a legend in the Upper Peninsula, a legend that transcends much more than just the Upper Peninsula.

Louis Moilanen was born at the turn of the century in 1900 and grew up in the ghost town of Boston, which is about five miles north of Hancock.

Though he was born to a 4 foot tall mother and a 5′ 9″ father, Louis Moilanen would grow to be 8′ 4″ and approximately 450 pounds. During his lifetime it was said that he was the tallest man in the world and become known as “Big Louie”.

Like many locals in the area, “Big Louie” worked in the mines. At one time he also worked as a bartender in Hancock. That is one bartender I would not want to upset. I can’t imagine walking into a bar and seeing a bartender who is 8′ 4″. I would probably be a little scared.

Word traveled fast about Louis and he would eventually work for the Barnum and Bailey Circus for a short time.

The medical condition which lead to his enormous height would also be the cause of his death. “Big Louie” Moilanen passed away in 1926 at the young age of 26. A custom built coffin was built for him and he was buried at the Wasa Cemetery near Hancock.

Photo courtesy of A. L. Paulson, Calumet, MI

Just in case you didn’t know, 906 is the only area code for the entire Upper Peninsula of Michigan. In addition, 906 is the largest area code in Michigan.

On March 19th, 1961, area code 906 was created as a split from what was then area code 616. Currently, according to Wikipedia, the area code is not expected to be exhausted until 2023.

Area code 906 happens to be the 6th largest area code east of the Mississippi River. And although it is one of the largest geographically, it is one of the smallest area codes in terms of population. Here are the five area codes that are larger than 906 and the Upper Peninsula east of the Mississippi…

• 207 – The entire state of Maine
• 304 – The entire state of West Virginia
• 662 – The northern half of Mississippi
• 217 – Central Illinois
• 715 – The northern half of our neighbor, Wisconsin

Though one of the biggest in the East, 906 doesn’t stand a chance in size when competing against the area codes of the Western United States. The states of North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, and New Mexico all have just a single area code for the entire state. To add to that list, the largest area code of all, is area code 907, of the great state of Alaska. Ironically, it’s just one digit area from our area code of 906.

In addition, nearly every state west of the Mississippi has an area code that’s larger than 906.

Hawaii, Delaware, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Vermont also have their own area codes, though not as big as 906. That makes a total of 14 states to have a single area code.

Click for larger map

Buy a 906 sticker…

Twenty-nine years ago today on August 5th, 1979 the Upper Peninsula’s identity changed forever. That date marks the earliest known publication of the word “Yooper”.

Contrary to popular belief, the term Yooper isn’t very old. Many people who recall going to college in the Upper Peninsula during the ’70s do not recall use of the word. However, there are others that argue the word was still in use earlier than 1979, but there is a lack of evidence to support this. By all means, if you know of additional evidence to support the first uses of the term Yooper, we would like to know.

According to an article by Professor Richard W. Bailey at the University of Michigan, it was The American Heritage dictionary that discovered the first published use of the word Yooper.

On August 5th, 1979 the Escanaba Daily Press hosted a competition for people to come up with the best word to describe residents of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. For those out there who have laughed at the word Yooper, take a look at some of the other nominations that day in the newspaper…

• Skeeter-eater (as in mosquitoes)
• Michupper
• Bush turkey
• Pastian (as in pasty)

After seeing a few of the other submissions, Yooper seems to be as good of choice as any.

Brett Crawford of Bark River was credited to submitting the term Yooper, and he will forever go down in history as a legend, creating one of the greatest influences in Upper Peninsula history.

Clearly, Yooper is derived from the abbreviation of Upper Peninsula (U.P.) plus “-er”. As in, “He’s a U.P.-er”. Bailey reported that the Pittsburgh Press used the term spelled as U.P.-er in a 1987 edition. That was 21 years ago.

Today, the term Yooper is still being published in mass media and was recently used by Stephen King in his latest novel. It has also been used in one episode of Jeopardy.

To date, The American Heritage dictionary remains the only dictionary to recognize Yooper as an official word…

SYLLABICATION: Yoo·per
NOUN: A native or inhabitant of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
ETYMOLOGY: From UP.

For your entertainment purposes, you can read a ridiculous definition of Yooper here.

Marquette continues to be published as one of the top cities to live in among different categories. Earlier this year we reported that Outdoor Life ranked Marquette the 7th best town in the U.S. for hunters and fishers. Not bad.

This time around it’s CNN Money, and they have ranked Marquette the #1 town in the country to save money with a short commute to work, school, or elsewhere in town.

With a median commute of just 8.93 minutes (according to CNN Money) you can’t go wrong living in Marquette. Myself, I live on 3rd street and use my car about once a week. Within walking distance is the grocery store, beach, university, hospital, pharmacy, grocery store, movie theater, and of course numerous restaurants, bars, and places to shop.

“Where to ride out a gas crunch”

It’s lucky that residents of the biggest city in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula don’t have far to drive – they get more than 140 inches of snow per year.

Northern Michigan University, and a local hospital, and medical center keep road-time to a minimum for many of the locals who work within its 11.4 square miles. Compare that with Jacksonville, Fla., the nation’s biggest city by area, which covers a whopping 757.7 square miles and has an average commute time of 21.9 minutes.

– CNNMoney.com

Here are the rest of the cities in the top 10

• Hays, KS
• Laramie, WY
• Aberdeen, SD
• Naples, FL
• Bainbridge Island, WA
• Westport, CT
• State College, PA
• Hoboken, NJ
• Santa Paula, CA

CNN also posted a video with a brief mention of Marquette in addition to their article. They also have a full data sheet on Marquette, thought it is yet to be rated in their top 100 towns to live, I’m sure it will be soon.

If you’re planning a move or visit to Marquette you’ll love it, take it from me after just a couple months living here with great job offers trying to pull me out of Marquette. You’ll save on gas money, but it’s tempting to spend all that saved money on all the amazing restaurants in the area.

Also…

Thanks to Steve for passing on this information.

Marquette is ranked the 23rd best town for singles.

Marquette offers plenty of outdoor activities as well as downtown shopping and dining, making it a great home for singles on the southern shore of Lake Superior. Residents here enjoy hiking, biking, beach walks, kayaking, skiing, ice climbing, hunting and fishing.

The city’s arts and culture center brings residents together for classes on ballroom dancing, African drumming, yoga, drawing and glass work.

– CNNMoney.com

Photo courtesy of yours truly, J. W. Sailor