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Subject:
Transportation to Houghton
Tue, 01 Apr 2003
From: S.C.
I'm trying to save "research" time. My daughter will be attending
graduate school at Tech this fall, and I'm wondering if there is any method
other than private auto to reach the school. Marquette (NMU) has an airport
but no train service. Wondering what Houghton has......
Thanks!
Shirley
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From: Dennis Walikainen <dkwalika@mtu.edu>
Shirley:
We have an airport close by, and bus stops on campus and in downtown Houghton
and Hancock.
Here's a web page with further info:
http://www.keweenaw.org/transportation.htm
_______
From: S.C.
Thanks to everyone for ALL the information - I'm set to start planning
transportation !
Shirley
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From: D.R.
What worked for us was finding other student families who lived fairly
near
us with whom driving duties are shared. Probably could do that here by
asking and saying where you are located. One never knows:)
Fri, 04 Apr 2003
From: M.H.
Actually, there is an airport in Houghton but I'm not sure if there are
commercial flights. Maybe you've already heard, but last Thanksgiving
a chartered bus transported students from Houghton to several stops along
the way downstate. Also, the ride boards in the res. halls are quite helpful.
My son has never had a problem getting a ride home just from various other
students he has met )ours is about a 6 hour drive). Hope that helps. Mary
______
From: S. L.
The airport is actually in Hancock and it is Mesaba Airlink (booked through
Northwest Airlines). My son takes the plane home from Hancock (CMX) to
Detroit Metro for every holiday, and generally it always stops in either
Marquette (if you book early) or goes through Minneapolis. This might
be a
more expensive option, but since his drive is 10 hours in good weather
and
the flight is under 3 hours (if through Marquette), it is worth the extra
expense. Only one flight (the last Spring Break) was problematic as they
were unable to land in Houghton and had to take the students to Marquette.
However, they did give us generous vouchers for the next flight for the
inconvenience.
Considering the horror stories I've read on this forum about
bad weather
driving "over the bridge and through the woods", I feel air
transportation
is safer and more reliable. And, I'm not comfortable with my son driving
that far with people he barely knows and I don't know at all. Keep in
mind
that you will need to book early for most holidays, especially Spring
Break.
I book Thanksgiving in August, Christmas as soon as I know his exam
schedule, and Spring break at Thanksgiving.
Hope that helps.
Sue Lewis
Sun, 6 Apr 2003
From: K
What is the cost of using the airlines in Hancock downstate to the Flint
area as opposed to using the bus. I have a son who will be a Freshman
this
Fall & this has been my concern also. We visited for an open house
in Feb.
just to see what the drive would be like in the winter. The drive to the
college was great, we had a sunny clear day. But coming home was another
matter, snow, freezing ran, blowing snow etc.
I too am not comfortable having my son travel home with
people he really
doesn't know.
_______
From: S. L.
I cannot speak to a flight destined for Flint, but tickets bought months
in
advance for Detroit Metro flight range from $200 - 250 round trip. If
you
go to nwa.com, and try a sample flight for a date about 3 months in advance,
you should get a good idea of what it might cost. Remember, that flight
prices vary according to the time of the year and other factors. You could
even check Tech's 2003-2004 academic calendar for the actual dates.
Mon, 07 Apr 2003
From: N.M.
I'd suggest buying airline tickets NOW for next Christmas
if that is your plan. There are very few flights, and they
sell out quickly. Check out Detroit, Flint and Saginaw to
compare prices. And have a back up plan. Last year our
son was stranded in Detroit after Christmas break when
flights to Houghton were cancelled due to a winter storm.
We drove two hours to get him and wound up driving him up
to Houghton a day late after the Mackinac bridge reopened.
Northwest couldn't get him up there for three days because
of all the cancelled flights.
We used the bus, and I think it's a wonderful option.
This year we got smart and sent a car up with our son.
He's so much happier having a way to get around. He
drives himself back and forth to school and has couple of
friends who share the driving and gas cost.
_______
From: R.B.
Yes, it is somewhat uncomfortable for both the parents and the kids at
first, but if our experience is an indication -- the discomfort disappears
pretty quick.
Trepidations about travel to "Ultima Thule" is
evidently common fare for new parents and I have to admit that I was in
the same boat a couple of years ago!
Yes, winter travel from lower MI to the UP can be nasty
according to what I have read here before. I have seen advice from parents
in the lower part of MI to take the route through Wisconsin since they
rarely have really bad snow storms and no vulnerable bridges to pass over.
We live in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area and my son has
never been much delayed by snow and he never had problem finding a ride.
Yes, it is somewhat uncomfortable to have them ride with
somebody they/we do not know, but I have to say that everybody he has
ridden with were quite OK as drivers and very nice kids.
I was more concerned about finding a ride in case he had
to come home on very short notice so one time I was up there I drove to
the Hancock airport to check on the connections. At that time, over a
year ago, Airlink had daily flights to and from Minneapolis -- at $600
round trip! Supply and demand, I guess.
My son have had a car available to use all along, but he
did not want to have one at school (probably because he was told tha he
would have to pay the insurance himself). At spring break time this year
I let him use my old car, primarily because he has collected too much
junk and it would be no way to get him home in one trip!
If I could give one advice it would be to keep after them
to make the ride arrangements in good time --and that doesn't mean a couple
of days before! (We have had a couple of close calls!)
Don't worry -- the kids grow up in a heck of a hurry in
Yooperland!
Roger
_______
From: S.C.
Since I started this question, let me say that I am getting LOTS of great
information! Having already spent 3 years doing a central ILLINOIS to
Marquette (NMU) trek, we have grown very fond of the NW-Mesaba link. Our
daughter will have one more transfer to Houghton, but I can buy a RT ticket
for under $450. We'd spend that much in gas, meals and lodging ! I always
picked non-peak return dates; she has never been bumped. (Helps when you
purchased the ticket over 4 months in advance, too.)
Shirley
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