“Does it or Does it NOT?”
Story Behind the Name
As the saying goes, we’re lovers, not fighters. So in the back alley behind Lagniappe, we encountered a couple local Marquette boys who wanted their Sunday evening to end in fisticuffs with the six UTR crew members. One of the locals proclaimed, “Stuff happens. Does it, or does it not?” Jim calmly replied, “It does not.” For the next six months we kept repeating the line, “Does it, or does it not?” It still does not.
Marquette
If you’ve never been to Marquette before, it’s really worth the trip. Not only is the city home of Northern Michigan University and the Upper Peninsula’s largest city, it also sits in one of the most beautiful spots in the U.P. The downtown is very cool (and hilly… I like that) and there are cool restaurants, funky shops and lots to explore. It’s also a great port city with some very cool places to live and play right by the water.
Alpena
When we drove into Alpena, the first thing I noticed was how nice the town is and what a great, walkable size it is. There’s a huge selection of places to shop and lots of great eateries to pick from. Alpena is also an awesome place to live. There are some wonderful neighborhoods and historic homes that are right within walking distance of a beautiful Lake Huron shoreline. Imagine, after work, being able to walk one block to the beach and put your toes in the sand. I could totally live with that.
For lunch we went to the oldest historical saloon in Alpena. The scary part was that paranormal researchers have spent many nights there and discovered evidence of an actual ghost. At first I was kinda scared, but then my tummy growled, and that’s even scarier.
As we drove out of town a bit, I had a sinking feeling I was about to learn something, and when I met up with Ty Black, I did. Ty is a geologist and a complete expert on all aspects of the Alpena Sinkholes. They’re like a mound, turned upside down, and they’re absolutely fascinating.
These giant sinkholes happened a long time ago when water flowing hundreds of feet below the earth’s surface washed away the gypsum deposits and the ground collapsed. My favorites were what are known as the Stevens Twin Sinks. They’re so close together that there’s only a narrow strip of land that runs between them. There’s a path you can walk between the two that’s a very cool experience.
You have to be careful around these sinkholes because you don’t want to fall in. But to be honest, if you’re mindful, that’s pretty hard to do. If you want to see them, do a little research, make the drive and make sure to look down. Remember, they’re upside down mounds.
Of course by this time we were hungry. And luckily, one of our UTR Facebook friends suggested a place for us to have dinner in Alpena called the Court Yard. I have two words for that friend: thank you very much! Oops…
On our way out of town the next day we ran into a place I just have to tell you about. What would you say if I told you there are some folks just outside Alpena who have over twenty-five dinosaurs on their property? Yeah, I thought the same thing until I saw it with my own eyes.
Our trip to Alpena was action packed and packed full of fun. If you haven’t been there yet, put it on your A list, because that’s where it belongs. It starts with A.