In Michigan, the left turn isn’t always a left turn. At certain intersections, you find yourself doing something counterintuitive. You turn right first in order to turn left. That's the notorious Michigan Left, but why does it exist?

GUESTS:

• Betty Nelson, 2025 School Bus Driver International Safety Competition
• Kirk Steudle, former head of the Michigan Department of Transportation

Want to submit a question to On Hand? Do it here:

• Online Submission Form

• Call us: 734-764-7840

• Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org

If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund

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For a lot of us, Michigan’s iconic pop brands are tied into special memories from childhood. Maybe your mom would always give you Vernor’s when you had a tummyache. Or you can still remember the Faygo ads that played during your Saturday morning cartoons. Or you have fond memories of the Towne Club pop shop. We talked to one Michigander about the role that pop played in her childhood--and why she still loves those nostalgic flavors today.

GUEST:

Bobbie Bain, lifelong metro Detroiter

Find last week's On Hand episode here.

Want to submit a question to On Hand? Do it here:

• Online Submission Form

• Call us: 734-764-7840

• Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org

If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pop has long been the accepted Midwesternism for a sweet carbonated beverage. But could that be changing? On this episode of On Hand, we dig into the history of the pop vs. soda debate—and take a look at Michigan's linguistic preferences today.

GUESTS:

• Steve Stamenkovich, national accounts manager for Intrastate Distributors, Inc.
• Steven Clark, quality assurance manager at the Intrastate Distributors bottling plant
• Anne Curzan, University of Michigan professor of English and co-host of the That’s What They Say podcast

Want to submit a question to On Hand? Do it here:

• Online Submission Form

• Call us: 734-764-7840

• Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org

If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matt Parker brings us a summer camp story about a childhood friend's tumble down the Sleeping Bear Dunes. The incident resulted in bloodstained shirts and an ambulance ride.

• Find last week's episode of On Hand here.
• Find Ride of Passage, a podcast about Matt Parker's journey across the country on horseback, here.

Want to submit a question to On Hand? Do it here:

• Online Submission Form

• Call us: 734-764-7840

• Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org

If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We learned what goes into a rescue at the Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, what situations require a rescue, and how to not need one yourself. Plus, a secret hack if you want to experience the "dune drop" in a less intense way.

• See pictures of the old and new signage here
• Check out our handy travel map here
• Learn more about the Pierce-Stocking Scenic Drive (and #9 Overlook) here
• Learn more about the Dune Climb here

GUEST: Mike Kohl, preventative search and rescue ranger

Want to submit a question to On Hand? Do it here:

• Online Submission Form

• Call us: 734-764-7840

• Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org

If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chad Livengood is a Michiganian. Like... he's never going to be a "Michigander". It doesn't ring true to his ear, and his employer, The Detroit News, doesn't recognize "Michigander" in it's style guide - it prefers "Michiganian". And it's this commitment to style that landed Livengood at odds with Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

Here's Chad's Off Hand story.

GUEST:

Chad Livengood, politics editor, The Detroit News

Now we want to hear from you!

Do you have a highly specific Michigan story to tell? Tell us about it!

What questions do you have about Michigan? We'll investigate! Submit them here.

Or drop us a voicemail, if picking up a phone doesn't freak you out: 734-647-7840

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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Poll after poll shows folks in Michigan prefer to call themselves "Michiganders" rather than "Michiganian". Why, though? Why did we start calling ourselves something so strange? Are we just a bunch of Michi-geese? It all started with a slave-holding senator, his run for president, and a run-in with Abraham Lincoln.

We've got the goods answering all your burning Michigan questions, beginning with our statewide identity.

GUEST: Jamon Jordan, official historian, City of Detroit

Now we want to hear from you!

Do you hate being called a Michigander and prefer Michiganian? Tell us about it!

What questions do you have about Michigan? We'll investigate! Submit them here.

Or drop us a voicemail, if picking up a phone doesn't freak you out: 734-647-7840

Like this kind of local content? Support Michigan Public.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The team that produces Michigan Public's Stateside introduces a new podcast answering listener questions about our weird and wonderful state! Our first few episodes will answer:

• Why do we call ourselves "Michiganders"?
• How many people need to be rescued from Sleeping Bear Dunes every year?
• Why we say "pop" instead of "soda"?

To submit your own questions, or share a story, fill out our handy form!

To find more On Hand episodes, head to: michiganpublic.org/onhand

If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.