We wanted to know exactly what makes a Yooper so we asked our Facebook followers to share their thoughts with us. To our amazement, over one hundred people answered! Here are a few of the responses.

Jeannie O. said it best in what could almost be a Yooper poem. “A Yooper is a person who is native to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. A person who will help his/her neighbor and understands the meaning of the word “hospitality”.

A Yooper is welcoming of visitors to their clean air, superior part of the country and knows how to deal with winter, mosquitoes, black flies, and extreme changes in the weather in a single day.

Yoopers have a distinct verbiage – such as adding “eh” to the end of sentences and replacing letters in words (i.e, “duncha” instead of “don’t you” or “da” instead of “the” as in “Da Sault”)

Yoopers are an amazing group of people who, despite the elements, know how to have a good time – by adapting. Those who like to fish in the Summer will cut a hole in the ice to continue in the winter. Those who enjoy sports will play baseball in the summer, football in the fall, Hockey in the winter and Basketball in the mid-winter to spring.

Yooper will measure distance in minutes, not in miles – and will drive to meet their friends despite the distance might be 60 or more minutes away!

Mikel B Classen

A Yooper is always a Yooper even if they leave God’s country to live somewhere else – and will always come home as often as possible.” Thank you, Jeannie O.

Cindy T. said “One of dem people from over DA bridge (Mackinac Bridge).”

Deb N.  “When your heart sings once you have crossed the Mighty Mac going North and breaks when crossing South, then you just may be a true Yooper.”

There obviously isn’t just one answer, so you might as well come meet some “True Yoopers” for yourself. Grab a copy of our visitors guide here and start planning your trip to the U.P. now!