V8, photo by rckrawczykjr.
Ralph took this photo of the grille badging of a 1933 Cadillac V8 Series at the GM Heritage Center in Sterling Heights, Michigan.
It’s part of a great set of photos of GM’s archive of auto history.
Holland, Michigan: flippin’ sweet.
flippin’ sweet., photo by jill d.
Of this very wallpaper-friendly photo, Jill writes:
i took this one of my friend phil last spring. we were at this place called the bowl, which is basically a huge sand dune on the coast of lake michigan in holland, michigan. phil was a diver in high school — the combo of his back flip and the amazing sunset combined to make one of my favorite photos i’ve ever taken.
The Holland CVB’s history page tells the story of religious opression and economic depression in the Netherlands leading Dr. Albertus Christiaan & Christine Van Raalte, their family and congregation to take ship to America. At Detroit:
Dr. Van Raalte left his flock to survey the area and determine the best location for his Dutch Kolonie. Of all the sites that he studied, the one that was made to order for his colonizing plans was at the mouth of the Black River where it flowed into Black Lake (now Lake Macatawa) which, in turn, led to Lake Michigan. As soon as Van Raalte had satisfied himself that he had found the most desirable location for his colony, he lost no time in leading his group to the spot. They reached their destination on February 9, 1847.
There’s a ton more information about the early trials of the city and modern day Holland at the excellent Holland Convention and Visitor’s Bureau web site. Every May the city hosts Tulip Time, a celebration of all things Dutch and Dutch Village is a major Michigan tourist attraction. I think that this photo was taken at Holland State Park (also known as Ottawa Beach).
Wikipedia’s entry for Holland, Michigan says that as of the 2000 census, there were 35,048 people residing in the city (112,000 people in the metro area). Wikipedia also notes that Holland is home to the world’s largest pickle factory, that it is the birthplace of Slashdot, one of the first (the first?) blogs created by Hope College student Rob “CmdrTaco” Malda & company and that L. Frank Baum wrote The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, while summering in the resort community of Macatawa.
We’ve added Holland to our Absolute Michigan map of Michigan. Someday we’ll figure out how to let other people add stuff too. You can find more pictures of Holland from Michigan in Pictures (including a nice bit of history and a Tulip Time extravaganza) and get business info and stories at Absolute Michigan keyword Holland.
black cherry ice cream
black cherry ice cream, photo by jenny murray.
Sometimes I feel guilty about just reposting someone’s excellent photo and words without adding anything, but I guess there’s times when there’s really not that much to add. I also feel guilty sometimes when I eat a whole big bowl of ice cream. Anyway, here’s Jenny:
So there was this recipe in the July issue of Traverse magazine for black cherry ice cream, one of the most delightful things ever created, in my humble opinion. The coolest thing about the recipe is that it’s super easy.
Black Cherry Ice Cream
2 cups ripe black cherries, pitted
2/3 granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups heavy cream, whipped
fresh lemon juice (i used lemon zest, but i like lemon-y things)
Mash cherries slightly with the sugar in a bowl.
Fold in whipped cream and add just a squeeze of lemon juice — more if you like your ice cream a little less sweet. P
our the mixture into a container (metal bowl works).
Cover and freeze until firm, beating by hand after 1 1/2 hours.
Let freeze at least 4 hours total.
Yum.
Grandfather Beech and the celebration of trees
 |
 |
 |
 |
Grandfather Beech (4 photos), by Eye See 360
I am pretty sure that the above photos are by Betsy Lewis , whose work is featured at the Tahquamenon Area Library in Newberry. The Mining Journal has an article on the exhibit. They had planned around an arts grant from the state (which was cut), but they are still holding an amateur photo contest. It’s the 4th annual and the theme is Trees. You can get more information about the contest right here, but even if you don’t enter, consider what Betsy has to say about trees:
Our economy, our recreation, our lives are dependent on trees. They build our homes, provide fuel, jobs, clean the air, provide respite for us and are home to many creatures besides us. They provide roots, they are flexible, they bend, they break, they change. They surround us and uplift us and inspire us to reach for the sky.
Kalamazoo, Michigan
Looking Down, photo by chicalookate
After spending an hour yesterday afternoon exploring Kalamazoo video for our Absolute Michigan station on chime.tv, I decided to check out the slideshow of 10,000+ photos tagged “kalamazoo” on Flickr. After spending entirely too long with some really amazing photos and photographers, I have the following to report:
- puja has a lot of photos near the top. This is not by chance.
- I think that Kalamazoo in Photos by Erin Dorbin is probably a pretty cool book. Call it a hunch.
- I’m really surprised that there aren’t more photos of the Mirrored Building.
- It’s been too long since I’ve seen a show at Club Soda.
- I think I want that bike too. Or a moped.
- How many other cities actually produce a recognized sign of spring?
- Kalamazoo has some great old houses. And buildings. And restaurants and shops. It’s interesting to see the interplay between old and new.
- There’s no way I have the time this morning to explore the Kalamazoo Group, but I have to say their group description is great.
- That Kalamazoo Promise thing could be so big. Imagine – education as a birthright.
Michigan History magazine needs your photos!
Untitled, photo by jacalynsnana.
Christine Schwerin is a photo editor looking for a good venue to find specific images from Michigan photographers on a regular basis to be used in Michigan History magazine. She’s hoping to find photographers interested in joining an email list to receive a monthly list of images they’re looking for. If you are, send her an email!
Christine says that the first photo they’re looking for is a nice scenic picture – river, meadow, whatever, so long as it is in the Huron National Forest. Do you have one? Let her know!
A quick review of the Huron National Forest (part of the Huron-Manistee National Forests) tells me that we’ll have to return for an extended visit another day.
The above photo is of one of the world’s premier trout streams, the Au Sable River – a large portion of which winds through the Huron National Forest.
Bracing Against The Wind at Saugatuck Dunes State Park
Bracing Against The Wind, photo by josiah.keen.
2 months and only 60 miles? Looks like this Michigan shoreline tour might take more than just a summer (or a year) since I insist on pulling the car over at every state park along the way.
Josiah says the park is near his hometown of Holland and a frequent retreat. These pics are part of his great set of photos of Saugatuck Dunes State Park (view slideshow).
With the exception of a link to the interesting looking Felt Mansion (of which I suspect there will be more heard about here in the future), Wikipedia’s entry for Saugatuck Dunes State Park is pretty sparse, so we turn to the official Saugatuck Dunes State Park site which explains:
A day-use park along a secluded strip of Lake Michigan shoreline, Saugatuck Dunes State Park offers 1,000 acres of land with 2.5 miles of shore line. The Lake Michigan beach is a 0.6 mile hike from the picnic parking area. In addition, the park has fresh water coastal dunes that are over 200 feet tall. The park’s terrain varies from steep slopes to rolling hills. The park, located in Allegan County, is relatively undeveloped. The land for Saugatuck Dunes was acquired in 1971 from the Augustinian Order, who used the buildings as a seminary. When the state took ownership, the structures were used as a prison and state police offices.The park’s major attractions are the long sandy beaches and the 300-acre natural area, which contains a coastal dune system, as well as three endangered plant species. Nature enthusiasts, birdwatchers and hikers are the predominant day users.
The park has also been a site of tension between preservation and development. In 2001, Concerned Citizens for Saugatuck Dunes State Park was founded in response to proposals to use the park for a water treatment plant. Recently, they and other groups formed the Saugatuck Dunes Coastal Alliance. Check them both out for background and also this video slideshow.
Check out the Flickr photo map and also explore the area at Saugatuck Dunes State Park on our Absolute Michigan map.
Tahquamenon Falls
Tahquamenon Falls, photo by A. Runyon.
Well, about a month ago I blogged this photo of the Mackinac Bridge.
Apparently, Amanda found this on the other side. She has another equally amazing photo right here, and you can read more about the Tahquamenon Falls on Michigan in Pictures.
I have to add that it’s a beautiful thing when someone makes a photo like this available in “background size”. ;)
Taste the Local Raspberries!
Jam,wine or Just off the Vine, photo by taterfalls.
According to ancient Greek myth, all raspberries were once white. But one day, when the god Jupiter was in an angry rage, the Nymph Ida picked some wild raspberries to calm him. While she was picking the berries, she pricked her finger on the thorns of a raspberry bush. Legend states that from then on, her blood stained all raspberries a bright red color.
That’s just one of the many “drupelets” of information about raspberries available in Ready to Pick: Raspberries from Taste the Local Difference: everything from tips that raspberries are best picked in the morning and won’t ripen after picking to the fact that raspberries are rich in Vitamin C, antioxidants and ellagic acid (an anti-carcinogenic compound) to an explanation that raspberries are actually a cluster of many small individual fruits, called drupelets, each containing its own seed.
Like all the others in their weekly Ready to Pick series, it also includes links to Northern Michigan farms & farm markets with raspberries, a profile of the famed Tapawingo restaurant in Ellsworth and recipes for Raspberry and Lemon Thyme Ice, Tapawingo’s Raspberry-Chocolate Tart in Almond Pastry and Raspberry Pancakes. (I think I better go get breakfast now).
Tate says that these raspberries were sooo good, so I’m sure you can be forgiven if your raspberries never make it home from picking!
supersampler: Watermelon umbrella
Watermelon umbrella, photo by caterpillars.
Who doesn’t want the Lomographic Society International’s Queen of All Multi-Lensed Cameras, the Supersampler?
Michigan in Pictures 