Feeling stressed?

Melt your worries away while you watch this wonderful video composition featuring images from the U.P. I love the original guitar work.

Hey, we're back - so long summer

We visited Michigan's beautiful U.P. over the weekend and I have to say that just like summer - it went by far too fast. I've been busy today getting out everyone's orders from the weekend (don't worry, they all went out today just like I promised :) ) so I haven't had time to post much today. I plan on downloading a ton of pictures that I took and hope to share some of them with you tomorrow. The U.P. received some much needed rain yesterday as we were driving home from Escanaba. I have to say, that was some of the heaviest rain I have driven through in quite some time.

The Mining Journal reports that most of the U.P. received at least .75 inches with the Newberry area (just south of the area affected by the Sleeper Lake Forest Fire) getting over 4 inches of much needed precipitation. That rain will definitely help those still fighting the blaze.

I had wanted to get some pictures of the Sleeper Lake Forest Fire damage yesterday, but the weather (thankfully for those in the U.P.) did not cooperate. We had a great time and enjoyed the scenery as well as the cool nights (natural air conditioning).

Some of the best folks you will ever meet live in Michigan's U.P.

Take that headline at face value because I don't believe it is hyperbole. The people that inhabit the U.P. are as kind as the views up there are beautiful. The ongoing Sleeper Lake Fire has provided a chance for more of the state (those of us below the bridge in particular) to see just how wonderful Yoopers are. Today's Detroit Free Press has an article about the Upper Peninsula community of Newberry in particular. Newberry is the largest community (about 2,000 folks) in range of the fire and has been used as a base camp of sorts for firefighters and other necessary workers involved with fighting the fire.

My favorite quote from the article -

"We are Yoopers," said Janet Linck, who owns a Jimmy Buffett-style restaurant in Newberry. "If our backyard is on fire, we'll just go camping in the front yard."

That right there sums up the mentality of Yoopers. Not much seems to faze them and I think that is a fine quality to have.

The fine community of Newberry has had numerous volunteers donating and preparing food for the firefighters. Residents have put up 'thank-you' signs in their yards and most nights as the weary firefighters are returning to their hotel rooms they are greeted by enough clapping and cheering residents that you would think it was a 4th of July parade.

The U.P. is full of the same kind of people that make up the community of Newberry. They are a hard-working group that enjoys the simple pleasures of a slower lifestyle. I think that gives them the time to realize the importance of doing what you can to help others even if your resources don't seem too great. It's amazing what can take place when you band together to get a job done.

One last quote from the article-

Newberry is not a rich community. It is a blue-collar community with heart. You can go for days without seeing a Mercedes, Saab or Volvo roll through. But you can look in any direction and see an American-made truck.

UPmag.net is the voice of Michigan's Upper Peninsula

I was reading about Upper Peninsula businesses at the WLUC TV-6 website and found a listing for UPmag.net. I am always looking for new sources of information about our beloved U.P. so I checked it out. I have to say I am quite impressed. UPmag.net is updated daily with local and national content. Recipes, Opinion pieces, Humor, great outdoor coverage, and a whole bunch of other interesting articles.

You can find all sorts of hidden U.P. gems by perusing the pages (yes, you can actually "turn" the pages of this online magazine) full of interesting tidbits.

I have added it to my list of favorite Michigan websites. It's a great addition to the other U.P. news sources.

UPmag.net

Upper Peninsula visitor poll results

The results are in for the poll I had running on my Squidoo Lens - www.squidoo.com/bestofmichigan/. My question was a simple one - Have you ever been to Michigan's Upper Peninsula? The following are the results -

• Yes, but I do NOT live in Michigan - 0%
• Yes and I DO live in Michigan - 69.2%
• No, but I do NOT live in Michigan - 15.4%
• No and I DO live in Michigan - 15.4%

So none of the folks who voted said that they have visited the U.P. but do NOT live in Michigan. It is a pretty small sample size so I wouldn't take much stock in that.

Maybe what surprised me more was that 15.4% said they have NOT visited the U.P. and they live in Michigan. I am biased I guess as I love going up to the Yoop. It's like when you are talking with someone from Michigan about "the bridge" and they look at you and wonder what bridge are you talking about. Oh, only one of the world's longest suspension bridges - The Mackinac Bridge.

Should I be surprised that people from Michigan don't explore their own state? I don't think it is any different than the large number of Americans who do not explore their own country. I love to learn and see different places. I'm a history nut so I guess that makes me an oddball as someone who thinks Michigan has a lot to offer.

I don't need to see any "Pure Michigan" campaigns to get me interested in our state. Do you?

Auction to benefit Marquette County History Museum

A November 2 auction at UpFront & Co. in Marquette will benefit the Marquette County History Museum. Antiques as well as some unique experiences will be auctioned off to raise funds for the museum's operational expenses. Collectibles, sports memorabilia, and just about anything else have been donated by community members and folks across the U.P. for the auction. A chance to have lunch at Peter White's camp on the Laughing Whitefish River, fly-fishing, a history tour of Northern Michigan University, and other unique Upper Peninsula experiences will be up for auction too.

Via The Mining Journal.