Beyond the "Troll" Toll: An Overdue Upgrade
Folks north of the five-mile span of the Mackinac Bridge have enjoyed a badge of honor for generations: they are Yoopers—fierce, unbothered by six feet of lake-effect snow, and universally recognized.
That left everyone down here in the mitten-shaped Lower Peninsula stuck with the least dignified geographic nickname on the continent: "Trolls." Why? Simply because we reside "under the bridge."
We think forty-three thousand square miles of crystalline freshwater shoreline, ancient sand dunes, northern white pine trails, and relentless Midwestern ingenuity deserve better than fairy tale bridge troll status.
"Mittengander is our answer: a proper, dignified moniker for life, craft, and curiosity inside the Mitten."
Whether you measure drive times in hours rather than miles, point to the palm of your right hand to give directions, or know the specific scent of Petoskey stones after a July squall—this territory belongs to you.