Ishpeming MI

My first interim assignment was to Bell Hospital in Ishpeming Michigan.  It started July 31, 2012 and ran to December 6, 2012,  I was the Business Office Director in conjunction with a Quorum project.  I helped implement several system changes Quorum had initiated.  A few months ago Bell sold out to Lifepoint.  I think our project there was designed to get it stable enough to be bought.

My residence was in a motel/lodge in Negaunee whose name I don't even remember now.  It is now out of business, owners having retired and having been unable to sell the property.  The buildings were older, decorated like the 1950's, and difficult to maintain efficiently in the winter.  I got the feeling the guests were mostly related to mining or hunting.   The miners were largely union people who came up to negotiate contracts.  There were some heated discussion about strikes and who was scabbing.  Driving along the road one would see huge stacks of carrots and beets at various places of business along the road.  For a while I thought it was people storing up for winter and wanting good nutrition.  Then I realized they put it out as bait for deer in the fall.

Ishpeming is an old iron ore mining town on the Michigan Upper Peninsula along Lake Superior.  Mining goes back to the mid 1800's and continues to be a sight for Cliffs Natural Resources.  The ore leaves in ships that pull into the harbor at the bottom of the hill in Marquette.  The old buildings of downtown, mostly diners and bars, are brick and look like they are waiting to crumble.  But they don't quite do it.

Marquette had several very interesting restaurants - Sai Uwa Thai Bistro and L'attitudes - were enjoyed several times each.  While I drove down occasionally to shop for clothes or something, there wasn't really much to draw me there.  The drive down was enjoyable as there was a nice long stretch where you viewed the Lake like an ocean.

Each Friday I left around 4PM and drove the 9-10 hours to Newton and would return by Sunday evening. The drive was several hours south through forests of Michigan to Iron Mountain, Wisconsin, through Green Bay and Oshkosh, then southwest through farm country and Madison and Dubuque, IA.  Finally the end was in sight as I hit Cedar Rapids.  Seeing the far off green and red sign of Loves Travel Plaza from mile marker 173 made the last 10 minutes unbearable.

It is a historic area with proud Yoopers.  The local accent is unmistakeable.  Isolated as they are, the culture is very distinctive.  I'm glad I spent some time there.  I don't think I would have ever passed that way.