Living in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan - a personal view of Upper Michigan's people and places

Artists

The Art and Travels of Joyce Koskenmaki

An interview with artist Joyce Koskenmaki. A native of the Upper Peninsula and has moved back after lecturing art at University of Wisconsin in La Crosse and numerous academic positions elsewhere in the US before that position. She also taught at Finlandia University in Hancock, MI for 4 years until retiring to her painting.
Storytellers

Processing Pure Maple Syrup with the Jasper's

For a few families in the U.P., springtime is known as maple season. Between the months of March and April, thousands of gallons of maple syrup are harvested from our woods.

City of Bones, River of Blood

An interview of the author. Although the novel is not linear, there is a story that starts to develop as you turn the pages. The reader follows the narrator as she lives through her youth in a small town named Cripplecreek. You learn of her many experiences in this small town.

Brush Cutting with Beth and Jeff

Every year before the holiday season there is a high demand for evergreen boughs from tree farms and other businesses that sell holiday and winter decorations locally and to bigger markets in Wisconsin, Illinois and lower Michigan. This page describes how this brush is harvested.
Adventures

Paintball Warriors at Splat-U-Later

In regards to paintball, I probably should have started at a beginner's level. Some would argue that combating against teenagers is a beginner's level...however the average person would agree with me in saying that age is no factor in paintball.

In the Wild at the DeYoung Family Zoo

I know some people don't like seeing animals in cages. My own statistic is that 99% of animals in zoos are so well taken care of to the point that they're pampered, and yes, perhaps even loved. Which is the case at the DeYoung Family Zoo.

Building a Snow Sculpture

Winter Carnival at Michigan Tech is one of the biggest festivals in the Upper Peninsula. Up until recently, snow sculpting in Houghton was a student activity. For the past few years, there has been interest in the community to partake in the icy construction. This page includes a 16 minute video and 75 photos of the construction process.

Kitch-iti-kipi

Known as Big Springs, Kitch-iti-kipi is Michigan's largest spring. Over 16,000 gallons a minute erupt from the limestone bottom 40 feet beneath the surface where giant trout rest. This spring is constant all year and keeps the surrounding water at 45 degrees. This page has a few nice photos and a 5 minute video.

Artists Storytellers Adventures Celebration of the Upper Peninsula as Home I heard about the traveling fine art exhibit "Celebration of the Upper Peninsula as Home" around the first of the year. I knew this was going to be a feature on our site. The Upper Peninsula Environment Coalition (UPEC) teamed up with 11 fine U.P. artists to bring awareness to the environmental issues that are affecting our region. Big Shoulders in the CCC Camps William Jamerson knows a good story. He knows how to tell one and he knows when he hears one. Many years ago he saw a film about the Civil Conservation Corps (CCC) and, as a historian, he knew he had stumbled upon a golden slice of American history. The CCC was a work program for troubled and underprivileged young men in the 1930s. Fishing in the Ice I knew when we started this website that ice fishing would have to be featured. Although I was reluctant because I also knew that the ice fishing experience would not transfer well to video. I suppose that goes for any fishing experience. Unless you are in a tournament, the main point is to let life slow down for a couple of hours. The point isn't catching a fish.		Artists The Art and Travels of Joyce Koskenmaki An interview with artist Joyce Koskenmaki. A native of the Upper Peninsula and has moved back after lecturing art at University of Wisconsin in La Crosse and numerous academic positions elsewhere in the US before that position. She also taught at Finlandia University in Hancock, MI for 4 years until retiring to her painting. Storytellers Processing Pure Maple Syrup with the Jasper's For a few families in the U.P., springtime is known as maple season. Between the months of March and April, thousands of gallons of maple syrup are harvested from our woods. City of Bones, River of Blood An interview of the author. Although the novel is not linear, there is a story that starts to develop as you turn the pages. The reader follows the narrator as she lives through her youth in a small town named Cripplecreek. You learn of her many experiences in this small town. Brush Cutting with Beth and Jeff Every year before the holiday season there is a high demand for evergreen boughs from tree farms and other businesses that sell holiday and winter decorations locally and to bigger markets in Wisconsin, Illinois and lower Michigan. This page describes how this brush is harvested. Adventures Paintball Warriors at Splat-U-Later In regards to paintball, I probably should have started at a beginner's level. Some would argue that combating against teenagers is a beginner's level...however the average person would agree with me in saying that age is no factor in paintball. In the Wild at the DeYoung Family Zoo I know some people don't like seeing animals in cages. My own statistic is that 99% of animals in zoos are so well taken care of to the point that they're pampered, and yes, perhaps even loved. Which is the case at the DeYoung Family Zoo. Building a Snow Sculpture Winter Carnival at Michigan Tech is one of the biggest festivals in the Upper Peninsula. Up until recently, snow sculpting in Houghton was a student activity. For the past few years, there has been interest in the community to partake in the icy construction. This page includes a 16 minute video and 75 photos of the construction process. Kitch-iti-kipi Known as Big Springs, Kitch-iti-kipi is Michigan's largest spring. Over 16,000 gallons a minute erupt from the limestone bottom 40 feet beneath the surface where giant trout rest. This spring is constant all year and keeps the surrounding water at 45 degrees. This page has a few nice photos and a 5 minute video.
Living or travelling in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan is a unique experience. We might not have big shopping malls or the best roads, but what we have is a rich cultural and artistic region. Our site features personal glimpes into the places and lives of the people in the Upper Peninsula. In the Artists area of the site, you will find exceptional people living in the Upper Peninsula that have invited us to share a glimpse of their work and life with you. Any artist living in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan can be featured in this section. If you, or someone you know, would be willing to be featured on UPliving.com, please fill out the submission form. Storytellers are singers, writers or just people with a great story to share about the U.P. Storytellers don't need to live in the U.P. to be featured on UPliving.com. What more can be said about the Upper Peninsula of Michigan than the Adventures to be had here? We wanted to dedicate a section of this site to the great activities in the U.P. It also gives us an excuse to get out there ourselves! We hope that UPliving.com lights your ambition to explore this land or perhaps just makes you smile		Store Newsletter Notes Search Weather The UPliving Store For those who want to wear their pride of living in the U.P. or if the U.P. is one of your favorite vacation spots, we offer U.P. shirts and mugs in the store. You will also find products featured in the interviews along with other items created in, or related to, the U.P. You can purchase these through PayPal. Subscribe to Our Newsletter Subscribe to the UPliving newsletter to be notified of new featured people or places, new merchandise and sales in the store, exclusive stories from the UP and more! * Required field Email Address: * First Name: City: State: The UPliving Blog Every now and then we feel like writing about things or posting video/photos, but don't want to create a new feature for it. The Notes section is used as the UPliving journal or blog. Upper Peninsula Search Ever try to search for something in the Upper Peninsula? It's nearly impossible. There are so many other sites out there that our small region gets lost. This engine searches over 50 U.P. sites...and only those sites. Check the Current Weather Type in a zipcode to get the current weather. We have provided a list of major U.P. cities. Click on one to update the weather display.