The upper peninsula of Michigan, notably called the U.P. And the locals are known as Yoopers. Of course, real Yoopers are those people born and raised in the U.P. You can become an honorary Yooper by marrying a real Yooper, or by relocating to the U. P. Now if you are a Yooper you spend a lot of time hunting, trapping, fishing and splitting wood.

Where is the U.P.? Many Americans don’t know. Michigan is actually two peninsulas separated by the Straights of Mackinaw. If you are from the lower peninsula you reside in the mitt. If you have ever met anyone from lower Michigan they will show you where they are from by holding their hand in a shape of a mitt and pointing out the location.

Here is a map of the U.P. To keep you geographically savvy.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3a/UPmap.JPG”>

If you visit Yooper land you will find that some people talk funny, eh. Da area is heavily populated with Finnish, Swedish, as well as Croatians and Germans.

You can learn more about the Yoopers at http://dayoopers.com/ or study a bit of Yooperology at http://dayoopers.com/.

Why they even have Yooper jokes…

“The local news media is reporting: “Northern Michigan’s worst air disaster occurred today when a Cessna 152, a small 2 seater plane, crashed into a Church cemetery here early this morning. Ole and Sven, working as a search and rescue team, have recovered 826 bodies so far and expect the number to climb as digging continues into the evening.”.

So here are some great Yoopers memories

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Day 6…our cabin

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Those Yoopers know how to do stone work

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Just another Yooper bar

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Da snow was sure deep last winter, eh

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Ya we been putting up some wood fer da winter

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How bout dem berries Ole?

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Da Yooper breakfast

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How bout them pelts, eh?

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The number 1 biking Yooper

“The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
of the big lake they called “Gitche Gumee.”
The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead
when the skies of November turn gloomy. ”
Gordon Lightfoot, 1976
Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

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In a desolate stretch of Lake Superior that lies from Whitefish Point west past Pictured Rocks lie over 300 shipwrecks. Raging northwesterly storms that build over a 200 mile expanse on frigid open water, poor visibility due to fog and blinding snow combined with converging shipping traffic has contributed to the loss of ships and crew and labeled Whitefish Point as the Graveyard of the Great Lakes.

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Whitefish Point is home to the Shipwreck Museum and memorial to the 29 men who perished with the Edmund Fitzgerald on November10, 1975.

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Superior Cycling

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Lake Superior is my favorite of the great lakes! It is the largest expanse of fresh water in the world. 1,133 feet at it’s deepest point. Home to violent storms, frigid weather, and ship wrecks including the Edmund Fitzgerald. The freighters that cross the lake carry more tonage than what is transported through the Panama, Kiel, and Suez canals combined each season.

Cycling the Keweenaw Peninsula which juts into lake Superior you become enveloped by the smell of evergreens…balsam, fir, pine, spruce…warm forest sunshine, deep water air, and invigorating breezes.

Here’s a glimpse of lake Superior country.

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It’s 110 in Gila Bend and it is blazing hot here in Tucson…literally there are fires all around this state. Tinder dry from the drought, no rain and no clouds on the radar.

So let me post a few cool and soothing pics from Rovinj, Croatia, where only a few days ago I was swimming in the refreshing waters of the Adriatic sea.

Morning cafe. Another tough day in Rovinj.

Colorful Rovinj with its commanding bell tower

Harbor sailboats

Sparkling waters of the Adriatic sea

 

A bustling seaport village.

The best way to tour the area. Not quite like riding that de Rosa in Italy.

Just another peaceful swimming hole. Sans suit?

Che vita. What a life!

Happy hour!

Fresh catch for dinner.

The sunsets of Rovinj.

Adiu Rovinj…land of beauty, adventure, bikes and boats, fresh seafood, cool ocean breezes and wonderful swimming.

Now its back to work!

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The coast line of Croatia around Rovinj offers up some of the worlds best swimming and sun bathing opportunities.

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The shoreline is rocky, no sandy beaches here. You can climb right out of the water and lie like a lizard on all those big slabs of rock. And the water is crystal clear.

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As always, I’ve got my suit in my bag for a dip whenever I find the perfect rock or swimming hole.

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But then I didn’t need a suit all of the time. Rovinj is a top destination for nudists and for those seeking southern exposure. The German initials FKK are the international shorthand for nudism – or free body culture, and the Germans flock to the local nudist camps and FKK beaches. And I saw plenty of free-spirited, naked bodies. Now I’m not talking about buff, fit, athletic naked bodies. It was definitely an overload of FOBs- flaccid old bodies. Gravity in full force, way too many low hanging, sagging body parts. Not exactly my idea of picturesque.

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Now, what is she looking at?

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There’s another one of those signs again!

Ciao. Time for a swim

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Perched on the Adriatic coastal peninsula of Istria, Rovinj is a salty, old world town, becoming a tourist Mecca. The streets and alleyways of Rovinj are delightfully twisty, its stacked houses faded and worn, and its harbor bustling with fishing boats, big money cruisers and sailing rigs. Colorful laundry and flowering pots decorate the maze of cobbled streets.

Here are a few of my favorite…

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Where will the path lead next?

It was loovely!

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Words seem inadequate to express cycling Italy from Hotel Belvedere. On the bike…boundless vistas – mountains, the sea, small villages, castillos, endless fields of grains, veggies and herbs, the round-a-bouts and traffic…and yes hills, hills and more hills… Hey, only 2K more – the view is better! Four rides daily ranging from 30k – 120k and you can climb until your heart’s content or your legs can do no more.

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On the bike the senses are exposed and magnified to the sights, fragrances that swell every kilometer, the sounds and the feel of the salt air and sea breezes.

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And the guides…”well done darling”. Now what woman doesn’t like to be called darling by some strapping man in Lycra with a sexy foreign accent, as she’s huffing an sweating up another hill…those boys know how to keep you pedaling! Ya gotta love those boys!

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At the Hotel Belvedere life was completely catered and attended – you wake, eat, ride, sip cappuccino, expresso or cafe frido shakalado, ride again, eat, siesta, eat and share wine with your compadres, pick up your laundered bike clothes, sleep, get up and do it again the following day. A cyclist’s nirvana!

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The food is exquisite, service cheerful, guests engaging and global. And the food..oh the food…what it’s time to eat again. They know how to fuel the cyclist after a day in the saddle. It is no surprise that the Belvedere was voted the number 1 bike hotel in Europe.

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And then there was the pool party…mama Mia – a five course meal, Brazilian dancers, and Cactus Cycling goes wild on the dance floor. The laddies and lassies from Ireland were having as much fun and joy as the Americanos.

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It was just loovely!

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Ciao
Gwen

Bella Belvedere

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Cactus cycling rides Italy

It’s all here bundled in a magnificent package at the Belvedere bike hotel in Riccione, on the Adriatic sea, the Italian Rivera. Four rides to choose from daily of varying levels, distances and mix of climbs. Fantastic scenery, riding with companions from all over the world.

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And the food…veggies and more veggies, lean protein, pasta, and crusty bread dipped in locale olive oil…did I mention the deserts! Oh yes, the wine with dinner is also included!

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Then there is the wine tasting, cooking class, Italian lessons, a barbecue at Marina’s country’ estate…and they do your bike laundry every night. Mama Mia! I have been dropped into bike nirvana, an exclusive cycling camp for adults, you become one of the familia as Marina’s staff embraces you.

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OH, I must not forget the guides. What’s not to like about theses boys!

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Che vita – what a life.

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Italy is like a nurturing mama, it seduces both sexes with irresistible appeal to all the senses. The antiquity, madonnas, female saints, goddesses, lovers, the fashion (oh the fabrics, leathers, and colorful mosaic designs) and yes, the food.

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And then there is Venus, – goddess of love, beauty, fertility, and sexual healing. She is that gorgeous gal you see posed naked all over the country. Italy is Venus, a display of freedom, passion and immeasurable possibilities.

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These prolific exhibits of female fertility, and wonderful women would be banished in the US by the religious right and christian conservatives…But in Italy women are revered, sanctified and loved.

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And then there is Roma! Roma transforms the traveler. The world slips away, evaporates in the romantic lyrics of the language and the sights..va bene! Roma is the launch pad, the gateway to adventure, exposure, a new way of seeing.

Let the journey begin…

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The PEP program (Prevent injury and Enhance Performance) developed by the Santa Monica Sports Medicine and Research Foundation and recognized by the APTA, the NCAA and the CDC has been shown to lower the overall ACL injury rate among female athletes (APTA, 2008). This specifically designed warm-up focuses on stretching, strengthening, balance, plyometrics, and agility and can be performed without equipment or extensive training. Colleges and high schools nationwide have adopted the PEP program with the aim of reducing ACL injuries in athletes. A copy of the complete program can be downloaded from the Santa Monica Orthopedic Sports Medicine and Research Foundation.

For detailed information on the anatomy and biomechanics of the knee, common injuries and conditions of the knee and to learn how to design appropriate exercises to promote knee function and stability check out the DSWFitness Knee Stabilization CE course today.