Midtown: 2010

Monday, December 20, 2010

Thursday, December 2, 2010

What the

Troll in shop window in Wisconsin Dells.

Dog Jump

We watched this dog jump across the rocks.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

We were able to see all five Great Lakes on our trip. We practiced our kung fu at each lake. Actually we threw a pebble or rock in each lake as a means of interacting with each of them. We had trouble finding rocks at Lake Superiors south shore, so we found some small pebbles to use. Rocks at Lake Ontario were so large, we used some we had collected at Lake Huron thanks to Jerry's idea to do so. So we called our trip The Great Lakes and Niagara Falls Road Trip

Lake Ontario

After visiting Niagara Falls we drove along the Niagara River north to its exit into Lake Ontario and then west until we came to a public access to the lake shoreline. As we looked out across the lake, we noticed a major city. What Canadian city were we looking at?

Monday, November 15, 2010

Horseshoe Falls

This falls is next to Niagara Falls, but is in Canada. It is even more massive. We took a ride on the Maid of the Mist - that boat that takes you right up to the base of both falls. They give you rain ponchos, but those in front of the boat got their shoes and pant bottoms soaked. Also included a view from the barrel ride we went on (haha).

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Greetings from Niagara Falls

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Lake Huron Trumpeter Swans

In Port Huron, Michigan.

Lake Michigan Waves

Near Petoskey, Michigan.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Mackinac Bridge

This is the Mackinac Bridge. It is said to be one of the world's most beautiful bridges and the longest suspension bridge in the Americas, with a total length of 8,614 feet suspended. It is currently the third longest suspension bridge in the world. Much of the beauty comes from the setting at the Straits of Mackinac. The Straits link Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. (Lake Michigan is on the left side of the bridge and Lake Huron is on the right.) The 5 mile long Mackinac Bridge (Big Mac) links Michigan's Lower and Upper peninsulas. The UP is on the far side of the bridge in this picture.

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Tahquamenon Falls

The Tahquamenon Falls are two different waterfalls on the Tahquamenon River. Both sets are located near Lake Superior in the eastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The water is notably brown in color from the tannins leached from the cedar swamps which the river drains. This phenomenon is responsible for the alternative local name 'Root Beer Falls'.

The upper falls are more than 200 feet across and with a drop of approximately 48 feet. During the late spring runoff, the river drains as much as 50,000 gallons of water per second, making the upper falls the third most voluminous vertical waterfall east of the Mississippi River, after Niagara Falls and Cohoes Falls, both in New York State.

The Tahquamenon is noted as being the land of Longfellow's The Song of Hiawatha - "by the rushing Tahquamenaw" where Hiawatha built his canoe.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Munising Falls

This is a 50 foot waterfall in the city of Munising, Michigan. It was only a quarter mile hike to get to it.

Friday, October 22, 2010

Miner's Castle

We traveled down this neat road in the upper peninsula (UP) of Michigan to get to Miner's Castle along the southern Lake Superior shoreline in what is part of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. The only way to really see any more of the shoreline was by boat. We got there too late for a boat ride.