[uponthemind]

Hi everyone.

I have decided to move the the incredible U.P (still haven't decided on which area)
I'm an outdoor lover...Hiking, biking, skiing, camping, climbing, swimming, kayaking, you name it. I have two young children (2 and 4) who love the outdoors as much as I do.
I am a massage therapist but will work anywhere I can find a job.


Just wanting some friendly advice on the move, favorite places in the U.P, how to deal with the winter, tips, suggestions, etc!
I'm here to learn all there is to learn.

[michmoldman]

Congrats...and very jealous! My favorite area is anywhere west of Paradise. If I could live anywhere, it would be Marquette. Good luck!

[Podo944]

Originally Posted by uponthemind

Hi everyone.

I have decided to move the the incredible U.P (still haven't decided on which area)
I'm an outdoor lover...Hiking, biking, skiing, camping, climbing, swimming, kayaking, you name it. I have two young children (2 and 4) who love the outdoors as much as I do.
I am a massage therapist but will work anywhere I can find a job.


Just wanting some friendly advice on the move, favorite places in the U.P, how to deal with the winter, tips, suggestions, etc!
I'm here to learn all there is to learn.

My older family members are/were from Hancock/Houghton, and Ontonagon area. We visited a couple of years ago and have been dreaming of the U.P. ever since.
However, we went in one of the most pleasant of seasons; early fall. I was warned that spring can bring challenges with hordes of mosquitoes and biting black flies and of course the winters are some of the longest and harshest in the U.S.! Do you live where it snows now? I'm from California, and have limited experience with it. (although we did live for a few years in the San Bernardino Mountains, so I'm not completely clueless.)
At the very least I'd love to go back and spend more time there. We were on such a whirlwind tour from Keweenaw to Mackinac!

Well, best of luck to you! Please post on your progress and experiences after moving there. Who knows? Maybe I'll one day turn my jealousy into a new adventure and become a Yooper!

[mostie]

We're hanging on a thread waiting for them to contact my husband regarding a job transfer to the U.P....anywhere Northern MI and above, we'll take it! lol

[xz2y]

Advice? Buy a warm winter coat, heavy winter boots and all the rest of the winter garb that goes with tundra climates. I love the UP, but remember there have been fires up there recently with the drought, so I don't know how that's affected the UP in general, or the areas where there were fires. Something to consider. Also, many people own snowmobiles for transportation in the harsh winters, probably a necessity in that kind of area. Right now in this heat wave, the UP sounds great! Good luck.

[michmoldman]

Originally Posted by xz2y

Advice? Buy a warm winter coat, heavy winter boots and all the rest of the winter garb that goes with tundra climates. I love the UP, but remember there have been fires up there recently with the drought, so I don't know how that's affected the UP in general, or the areas where there were fires. Something to consider. Also, many people own snowmobiles for transportation in the harsh winters, probably a necessity in that kind of area. Right now in this heat wave, the UP sounds great! Good luck.

The fire affected mostly heavily wooded areas...but it did burn down the Rainbow Lodge. You have to go deep in the woods to even find the area burned...its not like you cross the bridge and see all kinds of fire damage. The area with the worst damage was the Two Hearted River area, which mostly affects the people who love to fish the world class trout river, and those who canoe it to Lake Superior.
If someone really feels the amazing connection to the U.P. like a lot of people do... it will probably work out just fine. You never know till you try...

[NicoleKu]

Originally Posted by xz2y

Also, many people own snowmobiles for transportation in the harsh winters, probably a necessity in that kind of area.

Just to set the record straight on that one -- people in the U.P. have snowmobiles for recreation, not their main form of transportation. The cities have roads, with cars, and people can't drive downtown on a snowmobile. Not to mention that it would be pretty inappropriate to show up to work or a formal event on a snowmobile

That being said, snowmobiles are a great way to get out and see nature during the winter, and there are some towns set up to welcome snowmobile traffic.

[SpaceGhost79]

There's many ways to answer this question, so I guess it all depends on what the original poster is looking for. Are you looking to live in a small town area or a bigger city like Houghton or Marquette?

From my own experience, when I first moved back to the area eight years ago, I rented a place in Skandia but worked in Marquette. About a 20 minute drive. As much as I liked living out in the country, I came to realize it was just too inconvenient for my needs. I'm active outdoors... love to hike, bike, and kayak on Lake Superior... but if I was say working the evenings at work and wanted to go kayaking, I'd have to drive in to town, go kayaking, drive back home, freshen up, drive back in to town for work, drive home. It gets to be a lot of driving after a while. Not to mention driving home from work during a late night snow storm can certainly add to the excitement. Other little things, like I couldn't get cable TV at my house, cell phone coverage was minimal (might be better now), and the only internet I could get was dial-up certainly wasn't convenient for me, either.

I moved in to town after that year and don't plan on moving back out. I'm in the Marquette Township area now. I like having all of those amenities, all the shops and restaurants nearby, and only living a mile from work, with all the outdoors activities I enjoy being just a few minutes away. Lake Superior is nearby, as are several hiking and biking trails. There's places to do indoors activities with your kids, too, like the Children's Museum, YMCA, The Hot Plate, etc... so you have more options.

IMO, winters here get exaggerated quite frequently. Everyone makes it sound like we get 15 feet of snow on the ground all at once, which isn't the case. Marquette does a great job clearing the roads, too. For the record, I don't own a snowmobile They can be cold and harsh or they can be somewhat mild, like this past winter in which all the snow melted by March. You never know what to expect. Dress appropriately, take your time driving, buy some snowshoes, and head back outdoors

[uponthemind]

I appreciate everyones responses. (I wan't getting email notifications so I had no idea people were even commenting on the thread)

I'm familiar with the winter situations. (Had an aunt and uncle that lived in Ishpeming and would often visit during the winter for some incredible skiing) I LOVE snow....and COLD!!!!!! I'm thinking marquette/ishpeming might be the best area for me and the boys.

I already own some dirt bikes and plan on getting a snow mobile for some fun!

Spaceghost79- "dress appropriately, take your time driving, buy some showshoes, and head back outdoors!" LOVE IT!!!!!!! Weather does not hinder our desire to be outside. It enhances it!

[uponthemind]

Originally Posted by mostie

We're hanging on a thread waiting for them to contact my husband regarding a job transfer to the U.P....anywhere Northern MI and above, we'll take it! lol

How exciting, you'll have to let us know if you hear anything!!!