ESCANABA — My name is Baylie Bullington, and I am originally from Lander, Wyoming, nestled beside the Wind River Range of the Rocky Mountains. I spent most of my life growing up on a ranch located on the Wind River Reservation, which is home to the burial sites of famous Native Americans such as Sacajawea and the fearless Chief Washakie. Noted for its vast prairies, tall mountain peaks, wildlife, and its rich history, Wyoming has a lifestyle that many old western movies fantasize. But don’t be deceived because living back then was never easy, and some challenges are still present today. Despite the hard truth around Wyoming’s rough lifestyle, it is responsible for my yearning to seek adventure.

I remember traveling to watch my older brother compete in sports and waking up early so we could make a detour at every historical site and marker along the way. I am no stranger to getting lost or stuck on many trails because my mom was headstrong that her little Ford car could go places that only a truck with four-wheel drive should visit. The most memorable time we got stuck was on the Oregon Trail, where in this case only wagons should travel.

My family made me believe that weekends were created for getting outside, camping, rock hunting, and fishing. My uncle worked for a tourism agency in Wyoming and that only fueled my desire to check out soil that my feet had not yet touched. Since graduating high school, nearly every state in the west is crossed off my travel map, and I have visited places like Mexico, Hawaii, Ireland, Germany, and Uganda. I have been lucky enough to live in Montana, Alaska, and if you’re reading this, you might have guessed it, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Although I love all the natural amenities and experiences these places have to offer, nothing can beat the undeniably unique culture of each destination. This is my favorite part about travel and what I crave for the place I will one day call my forever home. Between the pasties, Lake Michigan, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing, I can confidently say that Escanaba is a front runner for that place.

I love the feeling of walking into the woods and standing among trees that have seen more life than I ever will or watching the orange and pink hues hit the water at the end of the day. Or in the morning, walking into a coffee shop sipping on a locally roasted cup of joe and seeing smiling faces who braved the winter storm outside. And on Friday’s heading to any number of local restaurants and being guaranteed fried fish and locally brewed beer.

I’m looking forward to having my family visit from out west so I can share this Yooper culture with them. I have recently accepted a job at Visit Escanaba helping market the area and I have convinced my family to take a vacation out here. Even though they have some bias for paying a visit, with my background in communications and marketing I think I have a good chance at convincing more people to visit the area as well. I look forward to sharing all that we love about this culture and community with visitors and meeting more of you along the way! I want to thank everyone in the community that have already given me a big Yooper welcome!

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Baylie Bullington is Marketing Coordinator for Visit Escanaba