Road Trip Through The Middle Finger Section of the Michigan Mitten
When it comes to hand gestures and their meanings, the middle finger is arguably the most famous and universally understood. And when your state is shaped like a mitten, it begs the question, which cities are located in Michigan's middle finger section?
Sure, a thumbs up is a recognizable hand gesture, but is the person showing a sign of approval, or did their car break down and now they want to hitch a ride?
If someone raises their pinky finger these days, you have to question if they are looking for a promise, or if they're doing what Bruno Mars is telling them to do during '24K Magic.' But, when that infamous middle finger goes up, there is zero debate as to what it means.
With that being said, here is a short list of some Mid-Michigan cities and towns that fall into what could be called Michigan's 'F-U' section. You know that portion of I-75 that represents the middle finger area of the mitten. It could be a great route for an eccentric, out-of-the-box Michigan road trip.
Assuming Clare is the base of the finger at hand, (see what I did there?) as we head North, the next stops would be as follows*:
*Population data pulled from the 2020 census.
- Harrison, MI a small town with a population of 2,150.
- Houghton Lake, MI a slightly larger lake town with a population of 5,294. There are a lot of great fishing spots here if you want to bring your tackle box along.
- Grayling, MI a riverside town with a small population of 1,867, located on the beautiful Au Sable River.
- Gaylord, MI home of many popular skiing and golf resorts, a population of 4,286, and home to many skiing and golf resorts.
- Wolverine, MI an extremely small town with a population of only 309, located about 40 miles south of the Mackinac Bridge.
- Indian River, MI nestled between popular Burt Lake and Mullet Lake with a population of 1,950.
- Riggsville MI, a town so small there is no available demographic data on it. But that's not important because you are almost to the pinnacle of the 'F-U' area.
And, last but not least ...
- Mackinaw City, MI is a popular destination for many out-of-towners. It boasts a permanent population of only 583, but it grows into the tens of thousands from May 1st through Oct. 31st during peak tourism season.
If you've taken all the weird road trips in Michigan and you're looking for another one, we hope this one makes you laugh when you plot out the stops on a printed map.