Noquemanon Business Benefits Uneven

The skiers and fans visiting the central U.P. are providing an economic lift for some businesses, but plenty more aren’t being affected.

Some area hotels and motels, like the Cedar Motor Inn in Marquette Township, are seeing brisk business.

The race weekend there has been booked solid for a month now.

Lyn Durant, one of the co-owners, says it’s been a solid winter for her after a big downturn last summer and fall.

Others aren’t seeing much of a boost at all, with vacancies through the race weekend, and that’s unusual.

Durant says from what she’s seen, the ones that are struggling are mainly the larger motels.

The inn is also completely booked for the U.P. 200 weekend, even though the dogsled race events are still nearly a month away.