Up North In Da U.P.!

 After yet another approach down to minimums due to fog, we landed late at night in Marquette, Michigan. Perhaps the passengers sensed just how close we had come to aborting because more than one person said, "Thanks for landing!" on their way off the plane. Our shuttle driver to the hotel was a colorful local who was everything I hoped a "Yooper" would be. "Oh yeah, head over der if ya want da runs. And if ya head down this street a couple blocks, you go plonk!  . . . right in da god damn lake." Yoopers, for those who don't know, are the affectionate term for those folks living in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. They are also a band who have created such classics as the following...

 Now that you are familiar, I shall recount my day in Marquette. I was fairly cold outside in the damp 40 degree temps, but this did not seem to phase the local populace. I saw two people wearing just t-shirts, and another wearing shorts. While small, I found the downtown area to be quite vibrant. Many people were frequenting the shops and restaurants. When I got lunch at a place called Donckers, I found it difficult to find a place to sit. I continued my stroll down toward the lake and followed a bike path toward a light house.

I couldn't get up close because apparently it's property of the U.S. government and currently controlled by the Coast Guard, but I was able to get a few photo ops from a distance. Flying for a regional airline definitely leads me to places I would never otherwise visit. You won't see 767s landing at Marquette anytime soon, but you could . . . the runway is over 12,000 feet long -- a relic of the Cold War when B-52s used to be based up here, ready to strike the Soviet Union if given the call. It was a quaint town -- certainly nicer than Dayton, but I suppose that doesn't take much.

As it got to be later in the afternoon, the fog started rolling in and I began to be concerned that the airplane I am supposed to fly this evening may have some difficulty landing here to begin with.

It would be unprecedented in my career if I got stuck somewhere. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I can think of worse places to be stuck. I had to kill three hours in Detroit airport yesterday evening and it was like an eternity. At least the town has been welcoming and friendly. Marquette, I am pleasantly surprised by your small town. If I'm back here again, and there's three feet of snow and a temperature of -10º, I may change my mind, but for now, thanks for the hospitality.