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I think we can agree that certain lakes look different but in general the bigger the lake, the nicer it is. The nicer the beach front will look, the less mosquitos will use it as a breeding pool, etc. And most of those 12,000 Minnesota lakes are tiny, imo they are glorified ponds.
Lake St. Clair, while not a great lake, is bigger than any lake in Minnesota besides a great lake, Superior.
If you go to northern Michigan, kind of like Wisconsin or Minnesota, you begin to pick up these little lakes everywhere. However, the energy in Michigan is around the great lakes (Michigan, Huron, Superior). Michigan is almost an island surrounded by great lakes. Almost.
So next time Genghis tries to bring up 12,000 lakes remember that.
Generally, northern lakes have less algae and gross build-up because they're not hot-lukewarm bathwater much of the year. Southern lakes generally always look really muddy and gross compared to what I grew up with.
Wisconsin, Minnesota and Upper Michigan all have similar amounts of northern lakes, as the geography of the Canadian Shield is so similar.
The energy in LOWER Michigan may in fact be "around the Great Lakes," I'm not sure. But I can tell you for a FACT that the energy in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Upper Michigan has to do with inland lakes and cabins. Period. When the roads north are packed with WI/IL plates, the vast, vast majority are hitting a lake somewhere, not the shores of Lakes Superior or Michigan.
The music impact of these 2 cities aren't even close - MN hit above its weight in the 60s, for sure, but at the same time, Detroit was amongst the top places in the world for rock, and arguably the #1 place for soul. As the decade was ending, the White Panther groups (MC5, Stooges, UP, etc.) transformed music entirely, where pre-punk nearly every single (what's now referred to as proto-punk) band 1970-1976 cited Stooges and MC5 (along with Beefheart, Velvet Underground, and others) as their inspiration. Those bands in turn helped inspire the Ramones and other early first wave punk bands. And let's not forget practically inventing modern US techno. MN had its Prince-and-friends along with brooding Midwestern post-punk (Replacements, Soul Asylum, Husker Du) blip, but Detroit is year-in-year-out a top local music location. Think 10-15 years ago and the White Stripes/Detroit garage boom, as well.
The argument that Minnesota's lakes are all "ugly small ponds," and/or that Michigan has better lakes due to size, is ridiculous. The argument that "Lake St. Clair, while not a great lake, is bigger than any lake in Minnesota besides a great lake, Superior" is completely false. Michigan's lakes, on a scale of size, number, and density, do not parallel those of Minnesota, nor do they come close.
Ok I was wrong about Lake St. Clair, you have ONE larger lake, well in the most isolated part of the state (in contrast to lake St. Clair which is apart of Detroit metro). After that lake, St. Clair is bigger than any other Minnesota lake.
But you missed the point.
All those small inland lakes are basically like glorified ponds to Michiganders. Michiganders have Lake Michigan, on their west, Lake Huron or Lake Erie on their east. And Lake Superior on their north. Those inland lakes that begin to appear in northern michigan are ignored, everyone who has a little money in Michigan has a cabin on a great lake. My parents had one on Beaver Island, in lake Michigan. There is no culture of Michiganders going to those small lakes like Minnesotans do, because well they're uninteresting.
Ok I was wrong about Lake St. Clair, you have ONE larger lake, well in the most isolated part of the state. After that lake, St. Clair is bigger than any other Minnesota lake.
But you missed the point.
All those small inland lakes are basically like glorified ponds to Michiganders. Michiganders have Lake Michigan, on their west, Lake Huron or Lake Erie on their east. And Lake Superior on their north. Those inland lakes that begin to appear in northern michigan are ignored, everyone who has a little money in Michigan has a cabin on a great lake. My parents had one on Beaver Island, in lake Michigan. There is no culture of Michiganders going to those small lakes like Minnesotans do, because well they're uninteresting.
I could not disagree more with this. SO many Michiganders have cottages on those inland lakes and they exist in every corner of the state, not just the north. The coast line defines Michigan, but the average in state resident can't afford the $500k for the tiny cottages with lakefront property. The lions share of the natives grew up on those inland lakes. It is very much the same culture as what I experience in Minnesota.
I could not disagree more with this. SO many Michiganders have cottages on those inland lakes and they exist in every corner of the state, not just the north. The coast line defines Michigan, but the average in state resident can't afford the $500k for the tiny cottages with lakefront property. The lions share of the natives grew up on those inland lakes. It is very much the same culture as what I experience in Minnesota.
Everyone I grew up around who had a northern cabin, had one on a great lake. That I can remember. Vast majority were somewhere on Lake Michigan, one had it on Lake Superior. But I can't think of one on one of those inland lakes.
But maybe that was the Grosse Pointe's in the late 90s, early 2000s. Most of us lived within a couple blocks of Lake St. Clair if not on the lake itself, why would we buy some property on a smaller, muddy lake?
I could not disagree more with this. SO many Michiganders have cottages on those inland lakes and they exist in every corner of the state, not just the north. The coast line defines Michigan, but the average in state resident can't afford the $500k for the tiny cottages with lakefront property. The lions share of the natives grew up on those inland lakes. It is very much the same culture as what I experience in Minnesota.
You bet, every word of it!
The vast majority of people are vacationing on the tens of thousands of small lakes, not along the Great Lakes. Inland lakes are also far more user-friendly than, say Lake Superior, which is colder longer, harder/more dangerous to navigate, worse in terms of fishing (overall vs lakes & streams), and is less scenic to motor around on for the most part, since you go way out and then...you're in the middle of a giant lake with no shoreline in sight.
I worked with a lady who grew up on Beaver Island, by the way. She gave me a book about it (her Dad wrote it), and I skimmed it a bit. Reminds me of the islands off Door County, WI (like Washington or Chambers). Those islands are as far away from popular or overrun by tourists as you can get! Now, try to find a spot to quietly fish on a popular northern inland lake! This isn't even close...
Everyone I grew up around who had a northern cabin, had one on a great lake. That I can remember. Vast majority were somewhere on Lake Michigan, one had it on Lake Superior. But I can't think of one on one of those inland lakes.
But maybe that was the Grosse Pointe's in the late 90s, early 2000s. Most of us lived within a couple blocks of Lake St. Clair if not on the lake itself, why would we buy some property on a smaller, muddy lake?
Because Lake St Clair is far less scenic than many other inland lakes. In Wisconsin, I'm thinking Green Lake, Lake Geneva, Elkhart Lake, St Germain, etc (there are thousands).
I doubt that many people outside the >>>1% are able to afford a home on Lake St Clair, one on an inland lake, and one on the MI west coast. The vast majority of people are vacationing "up north" either on a lake/river, or near one with a boat slip.
The vast majority of people are vacationing on the tens of thousands of small lakes, not along the Great Lakes. Inland lakes are also far more user-friendly than, say Lake Superior, which is colder longer, harder/more dangerous to navigate, worse in terms of fishing (overall vs lakes & streams), and is less scenic to motor around on for the most part, since you go way out and then...you're in the middle of a giant lake with no shoreline.
Eh, that makes no sense. Part of the beauty of taking a boat out is getting away from everything. Not being close to a muddy shore.
Anyways, Beaver Island has a bunch of islands nearby only accessibly by boat. So it was fun to boat them and camp there over night, and return on our boat the next morning.
It's not the ocean, but it's far nicer than a muddy inland lake.
Eh, that makes no sense. Part of the beauty of taking a boat out is getting away from everything. Not being close to a muddy shore.
Anyways, Beaver Island has a bunch of islands nearby only accessibly by boat. So it was fun to boat them and camp there over night, and return on our boat the next morning.
It's not the ocean, but it's far nicer than a muddy inland lake.
Is Green Lake muddy? It's deeper than Lake Erie! Or any of the others I listed? Or Devil's Lake or any other lake with a large beach and clear water?
I don't care if you teleported to Beaver Island, the POINT was that people are NOT fighting to get to Great Lakes shoreline at all, they are speeding EN MASSE to small inland lakes. FACT.
Because Lake St Clair is far less scenic than many other inland lakes. In Wisconsin, I'm thinking Green Lake, Lake Geneva, Elkhart Lake, St Germain, etc (there are thousands).
I doubt that many people outside the >>>1% are able to afford a home on Lake St Clair, one on an inland lake, and one on the MI west coast. The vast majority of people are vacationing "up north" either on a lake/river, or near one with a boat slip.
I wouldn't say it's far less scenic than other inland lakes, it just has different, less northern tree species surrounding it. Lake St. Clair is very pretty on a beautiful sunny day when it is literally covered in sailboats and other pleasure crafts. It's has more of an urban type of beauty than an up north lake.
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