Iron Mountain/Kingsford

elaborate stonework Dickinson County Courthouse, Iron Mountain, MI

It's hard to tell the two towns apart except for when the high school sports team play each other, but Iron Mountain and Kingsford have storied histories intertwined with the success of the Upper Peninsula. Kingsford Charcoal was founded there when Henry Ford and his relative E.G. Kingsford began selling the byproduct of the Model T plant. In addition, Iron Mountain is the birth place of the U.P.-wide Pine Mountain Music Festival. The Menominee River, which flows nearby, is home to what is considered the most challenging whitewater rafting in the Midwest.

Fat tire bikes offer year round transportation alternative

Kurt Mensching Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Fat tire bikes--or snow bikes--allow bicyclists the opportunity to use their bikes for transportation no matter how bad the weather gets. UP Second Wave feature writer Kurt Mensching tells us how Michigan cyclists are adapting the bike to local needs.

Groomed trails lead snowmobilers, dollars to northern destinations

Kurt Mensching Wednesday, February 08, 2012

More than 6,000 miles of groomed trails help make Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula a destination for Midwest snowmobile enthusiasts. Writer Kurt Mensching explores the essential Michigan winter pastime on both peninsulas.

UPside of Life: Giving a boost to the hometown team

Sam Eggleston Wednesday, February 08, 2012

Sports boosters aren't just for the cool kids--especially at small schools, they're the key to keeping athletic programs going and keeping kids active and healthy. In the era of education funding cuts, they could use your helping hand more than ever, as Sam Eggleston writes in this week's column.

UPside of Life: Upper Peninsula is the gift that keeps on giving

Sam Eggleston Wednesday, February 01, 2012

When it comes to the fact that Michigan turned 175 years old in late January (happy birthday!), all the Michiganders should take a moment to realize that this fine state was the recipient of the best present ever and one that keeps on giving--the Upper Peninsula. Thought to be an untamable wilderness back when this chunk of land was given to Michigan following the Toledo War, it has turned out to not be such a shabby trade after all.

Turning hobbies into income: At-home ventures turn into careers for some Yoopers

Becky Greiner Wednesday, January 18, 2012

From gardening and scrapbooking to photography and ceramics, most people have a hobby they do separately from their careers. But for some people, their passion and talent have turned their hobbies into careers. Second Wave's Becky Greiner explores some of those careers in this week's feature.

UPside of Life: Re-inventing the snow shovel, and other Yooper ingenuity

Sam Eggleston Wednesday, January 18, 2012

It takes special people to live in the U.P. and be happy about the long winter and the short rest of the year--but those who do live here are more than just hardy and determined, they're inventive, too, as UP Second Wave managing editor Sam Eggleston writes.

Winning is important

David Saint-Onge Wednesday, January 11, 2012

It's never easy to know how well your idea for a great business holds up until you take the time to present it to people who know the ins and outs of the entrepreneurial world. Your chance to do that is now, as David Saint-Onge explains, with The Edge--an Upper Peninsula business plan competition.

And then it was over: A look back at 2011

Sam Eggleston Wednesday, December 14, 2011

It's hard to believe that 2011 is virtually behind us already. Here at Upper Peninsula Second Wave, we've been looking back over the past 12 months and the people we've met, the places we've been and the stories we've told. We wanted to share some of our favorites with you as we say farewell to 2011 and begin to look ahead to 2012.

UPside of Life: A break until the New Year rings true

UP Second Wave Staff Wednesday, December 14, 2011

It's time for UP Second Wave to prepare for our holiday break. We return Jan. 11 with stories about the people, places and institutions that make the Upper Peninsula one heck of a place to call home. Oh, and Happy New Year, fellow Yoopers and friends.

On your way to opening day

David Saint-Onge Wednesday, December 14, 2011

David Saint-Onge is back in this edition of U.P. Second Wave to talk about entrepreneurship and the basic rules for making sure a business is taking the right steps toward being successful and sustainable.

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