The Annual Labor Day Mackinac Bridge Walk

Posted on by farlane

The 2010 Mackinac Bridge Walk takes place on Monday, September 6, 2010!

2000 Mackinac Bridge Walk
2000 Mackinac Bridge Walk, photos courtesy Michigan Department of Transportation & Mackinac Bridge Authority

The annual Mackinac Bridge Walk has been held every year on Labor Day since the Bridge opened in 1957, so, like the Mackinac Bridge itself, The Bridge Walk is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

Walkers in the Mackinac Bridge Walk from the tower!Strangely enough, Wikipedia seems to have the most historical information on the walk (which is not much). They say that the first walk took place in the early morning hours of Labor Day, 1958. and that just 68 people took that first 5 mile walk across the Mighty Mac. In the early years, it seems that the walk was sparsely attended and viewed as an annoyance until the governor was brought in to lead the walk. The walk averages 50,000 to 65,000 attendees and the record is estimated to be 85,000 when George H. W. Bush led the walk in 1992. Will we break the record this year? Seems like we should, but I wonder.

The Governor’s party leads the way at 7 AM (I think) with registered and pre-qualified joggers (details from the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness). Important things to note (according to the official site) are that traffic still moves across the bridge during the event, that it starts on the St. Ignace side, that they really recommend you figure your return transport out, that it’s FREE (my capitalization) and that there are NO RESTROOMS ON THE BRIDGE (their capitalization).

The Michigan Department of Transportation has a photo gallery from past Mackinac Bridge Walks. A photographer named Chuck contributed one of his photos from the bridge walk to Wikimedia, and he has a nice gallery of Mackinac Bridge Walk photos. A search of Flickr finds some bridge walk pics as well (hopefully more after this year’s walk!). Do you have more links? Post ’em in the comments and please share your story/photos if you walk this year!

The Mackinac Bridge

I should add that on September 16 from 7:00 – 7:30 AM, there will be a “Bike Across the Mighty Mac” event sponsored by Mackinaw City Chamber of Commerce. If you’re up in the area, there’s also a Truck Parade of Lights from 8-9 PM on September 15th.

Mighty Mac at 50

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Mighty Mac at 50

Mighty Mac at 50, photo by smiles7.

Here’s a photo from last weekend’s 50th Anniversary Celebration for the Mackinac Bridge. She has another shot of the fireworks on both the Mackinac City and St. Ignace ends of the bridge.

Michphotog has a nice set of photos of the fireworks as well!

Did anyone else make it there? We’d love a report and some more photos.

The Mackinac Bridge

supersampler: Watermelon umbrella

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Watermelon umbrella

Watermelon umbrella, photo by caterpillars.

The Lomographic Society International presents the Queen of All Multi-Lensed Cameras, the Supersampler

Who doesn’t want the Lomographic Society International’s Queen of All Multi-Lensed Cameras, the Supersampler?

View caterpillars’ supersampler slideshow.

farms & shadows

Posted on by farlane

farms & shadows by dunrie

farms & shadows by dunrie

This shot of farms around Pittsfield (in southeast Michigan near Ann Arbor) is part of a great set of aerial photos of Michigan (and into the Georgian Bay of Canada) that includes views of Ann Arbor and the Big House and ranges over to the Lake Huron shore and up to my neck of the woods. The photos are all helpfully placed on a map – a great bonus!
I was struck by the contrast of this evolved landscape with its patchwork and rumples to this golf course development.

Telling the story of the Great Lakes

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

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_DSC0179_8x8_toned, photo by kcephoto.

Healing Our Waters – Great Lakes Coalition is looking for stories (500 words or less) and photos about people and the lakes that fill folks with laughter, sadness, nostalgia, or wonder, and maybe even inspire us to think about the Great Lakes in a new way.

The story categories are Fishing, Camping and General and there’s also a photo category. In addition to grand prizes with two outdoor adventure packages (kayak, tent and sleeping bag and two photography packages including a digital camera) there will be monthly prizes (backpacks, fishing gear, digital cameras) for children, high school student and adult age groups.

The contest runs through August 20, and you can get all the details and view some of the submissions at healthylakes.org.

Protect the Great Lakes - before it’s too late

Lost Horizon

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Lost Horizon

Lost Horizon, photo by 1ManWithACamera.

Lake Huron from Caseville, Michigan.

Mackinac Bridge Tower

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Mackinac Bridge Tower

Mackinac Bridge Tower, photo by A. Runyon.

Amanda assures us that she wasn’t driving.

Head over to Absolute Michigan for a cool look inside the Mackinac Bridge towers and click the button below for lots more Mackinac Bridge info.

The Mackinac Bridge

Arch Rock, Mackinac Island Michigan

Posted on by farlane

Arch Rock, Mackinac Island Michigan, c. 1899

Indians.org tells the story of the creation of Mackinac Island’s Arch Rock and says that even now the bravest of the Ottawa people will not walk over it. My favorite Michigan history book, Lore of the Great Turtle by Dirk Gringhuis, says that Arch Rock was the bridge over which departed souls could find their final resting place and also tells another story of its formation due to an angry father, the Sky Person Evening Star and the tears of She-who-walks-like-mist. (seriously, if you have an 8-12 year olf on your gift list, buy them this book)

Wikipedia’s Arch Rock entry takes a more scientific bent, saying that this 149′ limestone arch formed during the Nipissing post-glacial period, characterized by high Lake Huron levels following the end of the Wisconsin glaciation. Arch Rock is one of several limestone formations in Mackinac Island State Park.

I believe that the boat so perfectly posed in the arch is a “mackinaw boat” (photo).

The photo is from the Detroit Publishing Company collection (c. 1899) at the Library of Congress (LC-USZC2-6399 DLC). You can get a larger view at Flickr and a massive 47 MB TIFF at the Library of Congress.

Michigan (Shoreline) in Pictures

Posted on by farlane

You can see Chicago from 42 miles away! by by TRVentura

You can see Chicago from 42 miles away! by TRVentura

This summer, Absolute Michigan will be taking a tour of Michigan’s shoreline, looking at the heritage and attractions of the communities along Michigan’s Great Lakes shoreline.

Michigan in Pictures will be going along, trying to point out some of the beauty along the way.

We’d really like it if you’d help us by telling us what not to miss. If we do miss something – and with 3000+ miles of coastline, that’s pretty likely – then please feel welcome to post a comment or a link at the place where we missed it.

And if you want to climb in the car (or on the bike or in the kayak) and join the tour and let us know what you found, well that would be very cool too.

The above photo was taken at the beach in Michiana, Michigan (and Yahoo/Flickr geotagged photo map). I’m always a little surprised to find that you can’t see the state line from space.

Earth Day from high above Michigan

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

36,000 feet over Michigan

36,000 feet over Michigan, photo by bksecretphoto.

Landon Michaelson writes: One of my favorite shots out the airline window. I liked the clear day, the curvature of the earth, the black sky and the cloud layers beneath. Pocket digital several years ago (still easier to use than my DSLR in-flight) and of course I always request a window seat.

Landon is an East Wenatchee, WA based photographer whose work can be found by clicking the photo above or visiting Best Kept Secret Photography.

Last night I attended the Northern Michigan Environmental Action Council’s annual celebration of work on the behalf of the environment in our region. The even is timed as a lead-in to Earth Day and featured a ton of talking and pictures showcasing Michigan’s incredible natural bounty. Facts like “Michigan is the second most agriculturally diverse state in the country.”, the very funny and very compelling wombat video (highly recommended) and all the pictures showing land the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy has preserved for enjoyment and habitat or is helping to remain in farming and forestry forever.

The GTRLC’s Glen Chown delivered the keynote. One of his themes was that not only has the preservation and promotion of our natural and cultural heritage has proven to be good business in northwest lower Michigan, it also likely holds part of the answer to Michigan’s need for a new economic engine. Glen also related the observations of Michigan astronaut Jerry Linenger of Michigan from much higher window seat. Linengar has logged more hours in space than almost anyone and had ample time to marvel at the beauty of Michigan’s spectacular coastline, green forests and rich farms.

I imagine that he also felt how deep and cold the black is that lies just miles away from the only planet we have.

Have a very happy Earth Day, Michigan. I hope you get a chance to hike a Michigan trail, walk a Michigan beach and otherwise enjoy this magical place.