Michigan - Places and Wildlife

Mackinaw City, Whitefish Point, and Tahquamenon Falls

2011-02-21T14:11:00.005-05:00

Mackinaw City Michigan

The Mackinac Bridge connects the Lower Peninsula of Michigan with the Upper Peninsula. It crosses the Straits of Mackinac and separates Lake Michigan (on the Western side) from Lake Huron (on the Eastern Side). It is part of I-75. For some, crossing the bridge invokes a fear. I find the bridge fascinating. My fear of heights would keep me from leaning over the side, and I really don't like how it feels to have your car moving side to side on a windy day, but otherwise I don't mind crossing it at all. For many years I even have participated in the annual Labor Day Bridge Walk. Here are some photos taken of the bridge last weekend.

Heading North into St. Ignace

The southbound view from the UP

View from St. Ignace

The sunset from the bridge

Frozen Lake Michigan

This is a spot that in all my years of visiting Mackinaw City, I never had seen before. The McGulpin Lighthouse was just relit 2 years ago after being out for over 100 years. The light is west of the bridge. The museum was closed, but it was still nice to look at. Down at the end of McGulpin point there is another great view of the bridge, and an opportunity to walk out onto frozen Lake Michigan. Some of the ice was busted up and pointing in different directions. I think that the blue color in the ice was very pretty.

Beautiful Bridge View

Love the blue coloring of the ice

Whitefish Point, Paradise, Michigan

Lake Superior in the winter is beautiful and Whitefish Point is a great place to check it out. The lake freezes in beautiful ways. The rocks below are actually sitting on top of the frozen portion of the lake. The fourth picture below shows a wave crashing above the frozen embankment. Cliffs and caves line the shore. The pictures do not show how high these cliffs are. If you've never seen a frozen lakeshore, it's definitely worth a visit. The lighthouse is also interesting to see. In the summer months you can go into the museum and see the bell of the Edmund Fitzgerald, which sunk in 1975. One of these days I'll get to see it.

The sand and frozen waves

The crashing waves looked so cool

View from Lake Superior

These cliffs were as tall as me

Tahquamenon Falls

Tahquamenon Falls is gorgeous in any season. There are trails to snow shoe or cross country ski on, as well as to just walk around and enjoy nature. When you are done sight seeing, you can hang out at the outdoor fireplace to warm up, or stop in at the Tahquamenon Falls Brewery for a meal and drink.

Belle Isle Detroit in February

2011-02-21T14:01:00.000-05:00

Belle Isle in February

We went for Shiver on the River. We saw a lot of neat things, and took the time to check out the sights. Here are just a few photos. Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory has several rooms of plants to look at. The orchids are my favorite.

The Belle Isle Nature Zoo gives you the opportunity to feed the European Fallow Deer that have lived on the island for something like 200 years. There are only about 15 left and they no longer have free roam of the island for health reasons. The Nature Center itself has aquariums and tanks with different fish, reptiles, amphibians, insects and arachnids. There is also a window to view birds which captivated us for awhile.

The island sits in the Detroit River and is a very nice place to visit.

Great Blue Heron

2010-08-30T17:44:00.002-04:00

I was at the Marina and we saw this Heron hanging out. It was the first time this year we saw it. Normally we see the swans. It was just hanging out on a downed tree in a small bay on Lake St. Clair.

Up in "The Thumb"

2010-08-13T02:54:00.004-04:00

My Yard

2010-08-13T02:45:00.002-04:00

These are a few pictures from the pond in my backyard. The pretty yellow and black bird in the foggy photo is a male goldfinch. He is resting on some purple coneflower that he enjoys snacking on.

Icy Weather

2007-02-11T23:32:00.000-05:00

These are a few pictures from January when it had been raining and freezing. The landscape was really beautiful and these pictures don't do it any justice.

Silver Lake

2006-09-18T22:50:00.000-04:00

Photos from Silver Lake, over Labor Day weekend.

This is Silver Lake:Oh my gosh, have you ever seen such a spider in Michigan? Any idea what it is? Please tell me.
Cabin at Silver Lake Jellystone Park:This is a view from the Mac Dunes, Dune Ride:

Sand, Sand, Everywhere
Silver Lake with the dunes behind:

Sand blasted tree stump, as seen on the dune ride:
Woods in the center of the dunes. Home to foxes, deer and many other woodland creatures. Seen also on the dune buggy ride:
The trees sticking out of the sand are actually the tops of 30-40 foot tall Cottonwoods:
Lake Michigan view from dune buggy ride:
Little Sable Point Lighthouse:
More sandblasted tree trunks:
Sunset on Lake Michigan:
More views from the dune buggy:

These guys were flying all over the town:

Moon (sorry it's blurry)
Little Sable Point Light House:
Barge on Lake Michigan:

Field along horseback riding trail at Rainbow Ranch Horseback Ranch
More fields while horse back riding

Lake St. Clair

2006-09-18T22:21:00.000-04:00

These pics are from us taking our boat out on Lake St. Clair. The pics are from Gull Island/Harsen's Island area. The day was overcast, so the pics are not as nice as they could be.

Torch Lake

2006-08-23T16:52:00.000-04:00

These are a few photos I took this past weekend in Torch Lake. I was fascinated by the color of the water. The water is always very blue and also clear. At some points it's 300 feet deep. There is a nice sandbar at the south end that people anchor at and then play in the ankle deep to knee deep water. For celebrity buffs, Eminem has a house on Torch Lake. It's huge, sorry no photos of that. The monument that's pictured is near the 45˚ parallel. Each county in the state of Michigan donated one stone to create it. It's right on the side of the road and easy to see.

Manistee Michigan

2006-07-17T21:56:00.000-04:00

These are photos from last week in Manistee Michigan.

A fish we caught on Lake Manistee. The stair way from the beach to Orchard Beach State Park.

The sunset over Lake Michigan.

Sights along the River.

The Manistee Lighthouse.

Random pictures of plants and wildlife around the Manistee River, Lake Manistee and Lake Michigan.

Lake Superior - Upper Peninsula

2006-07-06T02:30:00.000-04:00

The waterfall picture was taken near Marquette Michigan and the lakeshore and lighthouse were taken from a sunken boat tour on Lake Superior, near Munising.

Wildlife

2006-07-05T18:54:00.000-04:00

These are a few pictures of wildlife we've found in the last couple of years. The baby birds are robins. They made a nest on our porch two year's ago. The robin is the state bird. Pictured here are also a blue-spotted salamander, a mink frog, a tree frog, and a monarch.

Mackinac Island

2006-07-05T17:46:00.000-04:00

These are photos from Mackinac Island. The island is located on Lake Huron, just east of the Mackinac Bridge. Life on the island is fairly simple. Motorized vehicles are not permitted. People move by walking or bicycle. In the summer people reach the island by ferry or small plane. In the winter people travel across the frozen lake on skis and snowmobiles. These photos are from 2004-2005. Photos from the Grand Hotel, Fort Mackinac, Fort Michilimackinac, and the island. The rock formation is called Arch Rock. Also pictured are an American Toad and wildflowers.