Although Paul Vachon was born and raised in the Detroit area, he's always been aware of the fact that Michigan consists of two peninsulas—different in many ways but both integral parts of the Great Lake State. His first introduction to the Upper Peninsula was as a youngster, when his family took a motor trip around Lake Superior. A few years later, while attending a summer camp near Gaylord, he enjoyed trips to Mackinac Island; and as an adult, he's frequently visited the Upper Peninsula as a tourist.

Vachon published his first book, Forgotten Detroit, in June of 2009. He recently completed his second book, South Oakland County, which is part of Arcadia Publishing's “Then and Now” series. In between work on his books, Vachon has contributed to publications including Miller-McCune Online, Preservation Online, and The Oakland Press, a local newspaper. He also released the iPhone app Destination Detroit in 2010, a comprehensive tourist guide to the Detroit area.