When it comes to surviving winter here in the Keweenaw, you need to do like Judy Byykkonen if you’re able, and embrace it with fun activities outdoors. Judy enjoys a number of winter adventures, including cross country skiing at the Swedetown Trails in Calumet. She takes us on the Tamarack Loop, one of many different choices in trails at this Nordic Ski Recreation area that provides outstanding opportunities for recreation all year round, including winter cross country skiing, snow biking, and sledding; and summer mountain biking, hiking, and running. Judy loves skiing there for the beauty and peacefulness of a day like this one with the blue, cloudless skies and the sun going down.

Andrew Zimmern of the Travel Channel visited the Hepokoski Farm in Hancock, to enjoy some Finnish Cuisine. The lead-in to the video gives us more info about the visit: “Andrew has been given an invitation to the Hepokoski farm where Mark and Riika Hepokoski live, but before arriving at the homestead for the neighborhood potluck, Andrew has been asked to stop by Kayleen Holmstrom’s house to pick up some nisu, or braided cardamom bread. While he's there, he figures it wouldn't hurt to sample her cinnamon rolls either! When Andrew arrives at the farm, he's greeted by Riika and Mark with special Finnish coffee and Karelian pies, and also helps prepare the main course for the afternoon’s feast: robber’s roast. Once they get the roast in the ground, Riika continues working on the rest of the meal, including one dish from her youth in Finland, fish head soup! Since he did so well on the first errand, Andrew is tasked with another stop! At Cindy and Scott Kela’s house, he’s taught the techniques of Cindy’s kalakukko and Scott’s liver dumplings. Once Andrew and Mark dig up the robber’s roast pork shoulder that’s been roasting underground for six hours, the community feast can begin!”

This video runs just short of 9 minutes and is well worth the watch... my stomach is growling right about now seeing all the delicious Finnish foods!

Beautiful UP blue-sky pics!
And what should we have for dinner tonight?
I know…”Let’s do Finnish!”

Are those pics beautiful! WTG Judy...just stunning.

Lots of Finnish food is so yummy...but fish head
soup??? NO thank you...I'll be good with the Nisu.

I'll be good with the pasty meeself!

These are so great. It's so nice
to see the blue skies over the
snow. Must have been wonderful to
be out there. My favorite is
through the branches. I love the
sunlight peeking through the
branches. I have so many pictures
like that, because it's just so
calming to me.

I remember the entire TV show that included other segments that were great. In one, Andrew made a ride along with the Peterson's fishing boat. One of the crew caught a sneaker in the fishing net. It was the same one he lost overboard the day before.