Niciclez, photo by Noah Soreson
Beautiful scene on the Lake Michigan shore. Here’s hoping you have a chance to get out there and have some fun this weekend!
View Noah’s photo background bigilicious, see more in his slideshow. and be sure to follow him on Instagram.
More winter wallpaper on Michigan in Pictures.
Promise Fulfilled, photo by Heather Higham
Although I just featured a sunset photo by Heather … Wow!
She took this last night and writes: A break at the horizon that spouted god rays all afternoon hinted a the potential for a lightshow at sundown. We were not disappointed, though we were very cold.
View the photo bigger, see more in her Sunsets slideshow, and follow Heather at Snap Happy Gal Photography on Facebook.
Click for more about the Frankfort Pier Lights and a super cool winter photo by Jason Lome.
Rain Comes (Frankfort Rock Gallery), photo by Andrew McFarlane
As you may know, 2016 is my 11th year of making Michigan in Pictures. I really love doing it and am certainly going to keep it up as long as I am able. It does take a bunch of my time that might otherwise be spent working or getting out to see some of Michigan’s beauty, so I’ve been looking for a way to subsidize it that doesn’t involve ads, paywalls, or other annoyances.
Yesterday, I was reading a blog and saw they had a button to support them using a web service called Patreon. I checked it out, and it basically allows readers to become patrons of blogs they enjoy. Seemed like a great idea to me so I have set it up. If you’d like to donate a buck or more a month, I would very much appreciate it! Click here for my Patreon donations.
OK, on to today’s photo. Back in August of 2007, I was out walking with my friend Ken Lake on Frankfort beach. About a mile north of town we rounded a point and came upon a wondrous site – hundreds of balanced rock sculptures comprised of thousands of rocks. It remains one of the coolest works of art I’ve ever seen, and also a total mystery. I’ve still never heard who built these or why.
You can view this photo background bigtacular and see more in my Rock Gallery slideshow.
PS: Here’s a video I shot of these scene. The audio on this is kind of loud and crappy – sorry. ;)
The Sands of Time, photo by David Marvin
The Wheel of Time has rolled into another year. It might be my increasing age talking, but it seems as if the world has gotten harder over the last couple of decades. I hope that 2016 treats everyone more kindly, including you!
Apparently I can’t even post a simple metaphor without learning something new. David writes:
Scratch Circles or “Scharrkreise” form when plant matter is blown around by the wind, etching circular designs in the sand.
If you want to get all geeky on sand circles, scratch circles & Scharrkreise – a term coined by R. Richter in 1926 – those links are just the thing for you!
View David’s photo background bigtacular and see more in his slideshow.
Untitled, photo by Alissa Hankinson
While average highs this time of year in West Michigan are in the mid 30s, WZZM-13 reports that record high temperatures were set in many West Michigan locations yesterday:
Grand Rapids has broken the record high temperature of 57°, with a reported observation of 61°. The previous record stood for almost a century, since 1920.
Kalamazoo, Lansing and Muskegon have also surpassed previous records, each reaching 63°. Kalamazoo’s previous record sat at 59° since 1991, Lansing’s at 56° since 1975 and Muskegon’s record of 59° was in place since 1960.
The Freep adds that records were set of 61 in Detroit (topping 60 from all the way back in 1881) and 64! in Flint crushing the old high of 55 from 1991!! A look at Michigan’s current weather readings shows Flint at 61 and Ypsilanti and Benton Harbor at 60. In fact the only location in Michigan at the freezing mark is Copper Harbor!!
View Alissa’s photo bigger and see more in her Michigan’s West Lakeshore slideshow.
The Sands of Time, photo by Tony Reidsma
Tony Reidsma is one of the photographers I’ve featured on Michigan in Pictures who has an ArtPrize exhibit this year. His entry at ArtPrize says:
This exhibit focuses on the ever-changing shape of the shores of Lake Michigan. The lakeshore is currently experiencing erosion similar to that of the mid-1980’s and late-1990’s. At that time those dwelling on the lakeshore hastened to build the seawalls and jetties which would fortify their properties and homes from the obliterating effect of the waves pushing out of the rising water. Eventually, as the water receded, the sand returned to build up the shoreline and bury the wooden structures that were erected there.
Now, as Lake Michigan moves through its rhythms once again, the water is advancing and the sands retreating, exposing the old, decaying seawalls. I have created a photo-journal of this changing shoreline scenery, featuring the old seawalls and jetties as aged reminders of the cycles which are characteristic to our natural world.
You can watch an interview with Tony at WOOD-TV, learn more at the ArtPrize page on his website and check the exhibit out in person at Crossroads Bible Church (800 Scribner NW).
Beach Day at Port Austin, photo courtesy Don Harrison/UpNorth Memories
I believe this spot is now the Port Austin Harbor, but if you’re looking for a swim, the Port Crescent State Park on Lake Huron looks pretty great!
Check the photo out background big and see TONS more pics mainly from Michigan in Don’s massive UpNorth Memories Photo Tribute to Michigan Historian Dave Tinder slideshow.
More beaches, more Lake Huron and more Throwback Thursdays on Michigan in Pictures!
Caribbean of the North, photo by Cory Genovese
A while back I featured this as the cover photo on twitter.com/michpics. It’s so great I had to share it here as well! Cory wrote:
A day trip kayak cruise with a couple of friends on Lake Superior resulted in us finding ourselves in the “Caribbean of the North”…albeit with the pool heater unplugged ;)
Indeed! View the photo bigger and see more Lake Superior amazingness from Cory and be sure to follow him at facebook.com/PhotoYoop!
Van’s Beach in Leland, photo by Northern Way of Life
Van’s is the most popular public beach in my hometown of Leland for reasons that are probably made obvious by this photo. When Traverse City Tourism shared the picture, I figured I should too!
The Leelanau Conservancy has this to say about Hall Beach, also known as Van’s Beach:
The beach is Leland’s first public beach on Lake Michigan since the harbor was constructed in 1970. It lies at the base of the south breakwall of the harbor and was originally owned by the Hall family. The beach area was made possible by the Hall Family and the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund.
It lies at the base of the breakwall and connects Fishtown to the rest of the public beach to the south which was gifted by the Miller Taylor families. Linked together, these areas create an uninterrupted protected area from Fishtown to where the trail comes down to the water from the parking area at the road end of Cedar street – for both wildlife and public to enjoy. A favorite place for watching Lake Michigan sunsets, Hall Beach also protects historic Fishtown from future commercial development.
Click through for a map and to see more beaches and preserves on the Leelanau Peninsula.
I will add that Van’s beach got its name from Van’s Garage, owned by the Van Raalte family. Also, when the wind is from the north or northwest this is one of the area’s best surf spots. The point you can see in the distance is Whaleback, also preserved by the Leelanau Conservancy.
View the photo bigger on Facebook, see several more in the Traverse City Tourism feature and definitely follow Northern Way of Life on Facebook for lots more from the Leelanau Peninsula & Northern Michigan.
More Michigan beaches on Michigan in Pictures.
Untitled, photo by Molly Perkins
View Molly’s photo background bigtacular and see more in her slideshow.
More summer wallpaper on Michigan in Pictures.
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