Morning coffee at Chippewa Harbor, photo by Brent West
Hard to imagine a more beautiful spot to enjoy your morning joe than Chippewa Harbor at Isle Royale National Park.
You can view Brent’s photo bigger and click for a couple more of his Isle Royale shots.
Lots more from Isle Royale on Michigan in Pictures.
Sanilac Petroglyphs, photo by Leon Baker
M. Rebekah Otto of Atlas Obscura has an article about the Sanilac Petroglyphs:
The drawings were carved into the sandstone in Sanilac County but remained hidden by dense forests until the devastating fire exposed them.
The glyphs are carved into a large rock on the ground that is forty feet long and fifteen feet wide. Carved between 300 and 1,000 years ago, the drawings were likely made by the Hopewell or Chippewa Indians. They depict flying birds, other animals, and a man with a bow and arrow – lasting testaments to a former way of life.
Archaeologists have not determined the purpose or use of the drawings, though some have speculated that they were a destination for vision quests, as the rock is isolated near the fork in river. Shaman and holy men may have used the rock as a record of their visions, depicting animals that came to them in dreams.
Today the site is often closed to the public because the soft sandstone erodes easily and the figures are slowly fading away. Call the Sanilac Petroglyphs State Historic Park to get access before visiting.
Read on for more, visit the Sanilac Petroglyph State Historic Park website at the State of Michigan, and also check out this 2011 Detroit News article about the difficulty of preserving this unique bit of Michigan history.
Leon writes that the holes are from stolen petroglyphs. View his photo bigger and see more in his slideshow.
Lake Superior Wave Explosion, photo by Michigan Nature Photos
“These are not lakes. These are the world’s 8th seas, and her bottom is littered with the wreckage of over six thousand ships.”
~Rick Jones from Three Sisters by Song of the Lakes
It’s wave week on Michigan in Pictures!
Greg shot this on the evening of September 10th at Black Rocks near Marquette, MI. View it bigger, check out his Lake Superior Storms gallery and follow Michigan Nature Photos on Facebook.
Greg also has a video of these waves, some topping 15 feet, and you can venture further out in the Big Lake with this video of a freighter on Lake Superior from the Sep 10th as well.
Untitled, photo by Lance Springer
High on the list of “Things That I Want, Yet Somehow Don’t Have” is a waterproof camera. Lance does have one, the Nikon AW120, which is apparently not only waterproof, but also shockproof and freezeproof. Sounds like a ton of fun!
You’ll need a camera like this today on the Lakes as the winds are really whipping things up all across the state.
View Lance’s photo bigger and dive into his slideshow for some more cool shots from the beach at Hagar Shore.
More wave action and more cameras on Michigan in Pictures.
Billups has the sweet shot, photo by Andrew McFarlane
Mark Spears of Yahoo Sports broke the story that Pistons great Chauncey Billups is retiring:
Billups was best known for his first stay with the Pistons from 2002-08. He earned the nickname “Mr. Big Shot” for his clutch shooting when he led Detroit to the 2004 NBA championship and another Finals appearance in ’05. He was part of the Pistons’ star foursome that also included Ben Wallace, Rip Hamilton and Rasheed Wallace.
Billups said the “best memories” of his career were with the Pistons.
“Before that, my career was in jeopardy in a few different stages,” Billups said. “I persevered, sustained and continued to work hard, and finally got my opportunity in Detroit, and I never turned back from that point. That’s what made it so sweet to me to win a championship after what I went through. I had to scrap and fight to get through it and to reach the pinnacle made it even sweeter.
“Winning the championship was the ultimate. I never set out to win the [Finals] MVP. Winning the championship was enough.”
…Billups averaged 15 points, 5.4 assists and made 38.7 percent of his 3-point attempts during his NBA career. He made the All-NBA second team twice, the All-NBA third team once and the All-Defense team twice. He finished with 15,802 points, ranks 39th all-time with 5,636 assists and sixth with 1,830 3-pointers made. He also had 1,051 steals in his career.
Read on for more, visit his NBA player page for stats & such, have a look at his top 10 Piston highlights from the NBA and definitely read this great feature on Chauncey Billups at Grantland by Jonathan Abrams.
I’m not sure if Billups will make the Hall of Fame, but he’s one of their all-time greats in my book! It’s rare when I use one of my own photos here – this one’s from a 2006 game at the Palace where I had a great time. View it bigger and see more in my Pistons v Grizzlies slideshow.
More Detroit Pistons on Michigan in Pictures!
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, photo by teddy eduardo iglesias
I’ve stood in this spot, and it felt almost as amazing as this picture.
View Teddy’s photo background bigtacular and see more in his Michigan Outdoors slideshow.
Lots more from the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore on Michigan in Pictures!
Eastern Hognose Snake by Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
Of the approximately 2400 species of snakes in the world, Michigan has just 17. The State of Michigan’s page on the Eastern Hog-nosed Snake (Heterodon platirhinos) says (in part):
Description: A thick-bodied, slow-moving snake with a flattened, upturned “nose.” Color is variable some have dark spots and blotches on a yellow, orange, or brown background, but other specimens are solid black, brown, or olive with little or no visible pattern. Easily identified by defensive behavior (see below). Adult length: 20 to 40 inches.
Habitat and Habits: A snake of open, sandy woodlands – found in the wooded dunes of western Michigan. The upturned snout is used to burrow after toads, a favorite food. When threatened, hognose snakes puff up with air, flatten their necks and bodies, and hiss loudly. (This has led to local names like “puff adder” or “hissing viper.”) If this act is unsuccessful, they will writhe about, excrete a foul smelling musk, and then turn over with mouth agape and lie still, as though dead. Despite this intimidating behavior, Hog-nosed snakes are harmless to humans…
Range and Status: Though recorded from most of the Lower Peninsula and the southern tip of the Upper Peninsula, Hog-nosed Snakes are most common in the western and northern LP. Their numbers have declined in many places, in part due to persecution by humans who mistakenly believe they are dangerous.
View it bigger (if you dare!) on their Facebook and see more great shots of native flora & fauna on the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Facebook!
More Michigan snakes on Michigan in Pictures.
Partridge Bay, photo by Cory Genovese
It’s raining like crazy here in Traverse City this morning, so let’s take a trip back to last summer and up to Partridge Bay, just north of Marquette on Lake Superior.
View Cory’s photo bigger, see more in his Portfolio slideshow and definitely follow him at PhotoYoop on Facebook!
More Lake Superior beauty on Michigan in Pictures.
Aerial View Upper Tahquamenon Fall, Postmarked 1948, photo by Don…The UpNorth Memories Guy… Harrison
In honor of the latest kayaker to throw caution to the wind (or is that water?) and take the plunge over the 51′ Tahquamenon Falls, here’s a cool aerial of the Falls that was postmarked in 1948 and probably taken a few years before.
If you want to see how to do this, check out a great video feature at YooperSteez on How to Kayak Over Tahquamenon Falls with Brazilian extreme kayaker Marcelo Galizio. Things To Do in the UP has an interview with Marcello as well. NOTE: I’m pretty sure this is against the rules at Tahquamenon Falls State Park and probably a great way to kill yourself if you don’t know what you’re doing!
View Don’s photo big as the Falls and see more pics & postcards from Tahquamenon and also follow him at UpNorthMemories on Facebook.
Lots more about Tahquamenon Falls on Michigan in Pictures!
All Summer Long in Northern Michigan, photo by Craig’s Obsession
CBS Chicago reports that after today, it’s illegal to swim in Lake Michigan until next May, and violations are subject to a $500 fine!
According to Chapter 7 of the Chicago Park District code: “Entering or remaining in the water at [Chicago Park District] beaches shall be permitted only during the bathing season.” The part district does have the authority to extend the season.
As most folks who live along the Great Lakes know, September typically offers warmer water and better swimming than June, so on behalf of the State of Michigan, let me extend an invitation to our oppressed Windy City brethren to enjoy the beaches of Michigan this fall!
View Craig’s photo bigger and see more in his slideshow.
Michigan in Pictures 