If you would see a better vacation Come to the Land of Hiawatha

Scarce promotional booklet for Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

This fascinating 20th-century promotional publication was issued in the mid-1930s by the Upper Peninsula Development Bureau located in Marquette, Michigan. The purpose of the ephemeral volume was to encourage tourism (especially by automobile) to the remote Great Lakes region, full of opportunities for relaxation and outdoor recreation.

A series of essays are accompanied by numerous contemporary advertisements for accommodations, restaurants, and other travelers’ amenities. Photographs of huge fish, tranquil paved roads, and idyllic ponds provide visual evidence of the natural retreats that await.

The highlight of the booklet is a series of seventeen pictorial maps of each county in the Upper Peninsula (plus Mackinac and Isle Royale). Presented in the charming style of the 1930s, each colorful image presents cartoon figures engaged in a variety of fun activities. Geographic features, locations of interest, and major transportation routes are also identified, offering a well-rounded reference for the intrepid traveler.

Printed by the Ann Arbor Press, probably in 1935 based on the introductory text, which indicates the UP Development Bureau (est. 1911) had been in operation for 24 years.