This is a photo I took during a new vehicle road test and photo shoot in the UP. I was covering the Cadillac Escalade and a Sunline trailer for a story in Trailer Life magazine, and this is the view we used on the cover. The scene was shot in a public park, next to the bridge, on the North shore of the straits. A big part of my job at the magazine involves doing new RV road tests, so while based in Elkhart, Indiana, I made numerous trips to the UP because I could always count on coming home with terrific photos, a gut full of fresh pasties and a freezer full of frozen pasties for later. We're heading for the UP in a motorhome September 21 or 22, so we'll be bringing more UP images to our readers in the near future.

Here's the way the cover turned out:

The Cadillac Escalade and the 25 foot travel trailer are shown where they look the best - under the Bridge.

i like the old cadillac with 502 v8 in it!!.. or i enjoy a 72 lincoln with a 460 4 barrel v8!! now if i had to pick i would go back in time and get me a lincoln. they sure don't make cars/trucks like they used to. all metal. now a days you hit a bug on the upper highway doing about 50 and crack goes the paint along with the huge ding in the hood!! food for thought..
a good day to all as i enjoy my morning coffee.

Does anybody have a picture of loading onto the Vacationland or City of Cheboygan ferry? Remember those days?

Probably good thing they dont make them like they used to. In 50s and 60s they had huge moth holes in the quarter panels after 3 or 4 yrs and at 75,000 miles the engine burned as much oil as gas - if it still ran. I will say this though, the prices are outrageous! Tough to think about what the automakers haul down when you pay so much for their cars.

nice photo showing bridge to u.p. for travel and fun. happy you enjoy your work with rv products. great being able to travel the u.p. and get paid for it also.

the prices are crazy on certain cars. even the classics are just crazy. but that is all life.. on my old car i right now pull 7 miles per gal.. but it is worth every penny!! i would not trade it for anything.

Ashley , 7 miles per gallon!!!!! With the prices of gas today ,why would you drive a car with such terrible gas mileage?! With the economy and environment as they are today ,its a good thing that car makers have come such a long way,and that they dont make the gas/oil guzzlers of the 50's,60's and 70's ! I wouldnt even want to imagine the smog and pollution produced if cars were still made like they used to.

You can keep your big cars...there is nothing like riding a Harley through and around the Copper Country!

Here's an appropriate shot which comes to mind, from the Pasty Cam archives. Matt and Gloria North of Dollar Bay, as first featured on October 18, 1998. (well, not quite a Harley):

Has any one out there ever rode the Vacationland across the straits when it was full of ice? I remember going acroos there in 1953 when the strait was full of ice. What a ride!! I think I rode all of the ferries at one time or another. Even the old side loader one time.
Anyone from Rock, Trenary or Eben on here??

No one could ever accuse the Pasty.com viewers of not having opinions....a very opinionated bunch indeed........We all have our preferences, don't we?

Ok, the real deal on today's cars versus those of yesterday is that today's iron is superior from a technological standpoint with regard to performance, reliability, mileage, emissions and handling. Even a 1969 Hemi Roadrunner in stock trim would get embarrassed by a modern Dodge Viper that gets 20mpg on the highway. It's just that today's cars lack the character and soul of the cars made up to about the mid 1970's. Example, would you rather have a 1967 Z-28 or a 1997 Z-28? Enough of cars, let's get back to discussions of the U.P. and the art of the pasty!

Does anyone have a picture of the railroad
carferry "Chief Wawatum" in service at the
straits. She was a fixture at the Mackinac
city and St. Ignace docks for years. A few
years ago she was cut down and is now a barge.

I have never bought a new car. My Mazda 626 is an '87 with just under 296,000 miles on it. It's a little worse for wear (hit many deer the last few years) but on our last trip to the CC we got 42.2 mpg. Now that's pretty good. Engine is still all original, 'cept for the timing belt and alternator. I just replaced the fuel pump and filter last month. If you take care of it, it
takes care of you, 'eh?

Mimi's cousin Matt and Gloria looking good, hey?

Good thing for the vehicles (and the picture) that all those gulls were on the ground, eh?

Jeff -- Have you "RVed" at McLain State Park? I understand it was tops for RV camping in Michigan.
For Sr. citizens it is the best deal around: walking, X-C skiing, biking, snowshoeing, lookin' at the Big Lake; and for younger folks: in-line skating, volleyball, swimming; also rock-hunting. What a great State park!

Brand new in it's day: 69 hemi roadrunner $3,416. New 2002 Dodge Viper: Starting at $75,500.00. Hmmmmm..... I think the 69 roadrunner was a much better deal.

Wouldn't drive a car newer than 1985 in the U.P. with all those deer jumping in front of my windshield in the evening.

You guys can have your big gas guzzling cars! My first new car was an '86 Chevy Nova. The first long trip it went on was from Detroit to Houghton. 48 MPG! When I sold it in '94 (big mistake) it had 135K miles and was still getting the same mileage.

Hey Jeff, How do I get a job like yours?? Pretty cool!!

Jad - Actually, Thursday evening the 26th we
stayed at McLain State Park and enjoyed a
delightful sunset accompanied by a glass of
Riesling from Traverse Bay Winery. Dinner
that night was at a steak place near Houghton,
on the way into town on 41. My young lady is
now a diehard U.P. lover, following her first
trip.

i took a slide of the " Chief" under way while i was crossing the Mac in the early 80's,heading for youperland. it was a good side shot of her making lots of smoke. for those interested, mclean sp is a great place to camp and swim.