Surrounded by three of the five great lakes, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan contains one-fourth of the state’s total land area yet houses only 3% of its population.  Barely more than a third of its residents live in towns with populations of more than 2,000.  It maintains robust mining and lumber industries and is known to residents of the lower quarters of Michigan as a prime summer locale for hunting, hiking, camping and fishing, boasting dozens of state and national parks.  Natives of the area are known colloquially as “Yoopers.”  James Reinhart, born and raised in the Upper Peninsula and a Yooper at heart, spent a rotation there this April.  He has shared with us some photos of the state’s playground, from that time and earlier.