Ludington from the SS Badger Car Ferry

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Ludington, MI from the Bow of SS Badger

Ludington, MI from the Bow of SS Badger, photo by Wigwam Jones.

Yesterday on Absolute Michigan we took a look at the S.S. City of Milwaukee, a permanently moored rail car ferry museum (website).

It seems only fitting that we give a nod to the S.S. Badger with a cool set of SS Badger photos from Wigwam Jones (slideshow).

The S.S. Badger web site gives the history of the ship which begins:

She is the largest car ferry ever to sail Lake Michigan, and has provided a safe, fun, and reliable shortcut across the huge inland sea for more than fifty years. The S.S. Badger is a national treasure, offering a cruise experience that links us to an earlier time when a sea voyage was the ultimate travel and vacation adventure.

The 410′ S.S. Badger entered service in 1953, designed specifically to handle the rough conditions that it would likely encounter during year ’round sailing on Lake Michigan. Built primarily to transport railroad freight cars, but with superior passenger accommodations, the Badger reigned as Queen of the Lakes during the car ferries’ Golden Era in the late Fifties, with Manitowoc, Milwaukee, and Kewaunee as her Wisconsin ports of call.

Unlike most of her fellow ferries, the Badger escaped the scrapyard and makes the daily journey from Ludington to Manitowoc, WI May – October. Be sure to take the tour of the Badger!

A sensible start for Michigan’s school year

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Reflection

Reflection, photo by rckrawczykjr.

It’s the day after Labor Day and most school districts in Michigan are (quite sensibly) holding their first day of classes today thanks to a mighty fine bit of legislating that has Connecticut lamenting that there’s “something unnatural about sending children to school in August” and Ohio looking to follow suit.

The The Michigan Hotel, Motel & Resort Association found that hotel occupancy for the last two weeks of August was way up as well – kudos to our much-battered elected officials.

The Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Raw00340

Raw00340, photo by ktpupp.

Sometimes I make a note to post about something at a later date, lose the note and then when the later date rolls around, realize that I’ve become a party to one of my pet peeves: telling folks about something when it’s too late to make any plans for it. That’s what happened with my plan to post something about the 2007 Detroit Grand Prix. Ah well, such is life…

The Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix official site says that the Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix returns after a 6 year absence and features the cars of the American Le Mans Series (Detroit Sports Car Challenge on Saturday at 3:15) and the IndyCar Series (Detroit Indy Grand Prix on Sunday at 3:30 on ABC). Net proceeds raised by the Grand Prix will fund measures to preserve and improve Belle Isle, and the Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix has earmarked $100,000 in cash for the improvement and preservation of Belle Isle (Belle Isle park page).

Here’s a map of the course, which is also available in the Detroit News interactive tour of the course. Over at Jalopnik they’ll be covering the race all weekend (check the Detroit Grand Prix tag) and they have a video of the pace car navigating the course (there’s also some historical footage from past Detroit Grand Prix in the menu at the end of the video).

Wikipedia’s Detroit Indy Grand Prix entry has a bit about the history of the race and there’s some more in the US Grand Prix history pages.

The photo above is part of Kate’s Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix 2007 set (slideshow). She has a photo from the qualifying of pole-sitter Ryan Briscoe of hometown Penske Motorsports.

There’s some more pics available from yesterday including this massive set of
Detroit Grand Prix 2007 photos and I’m guessing that the detroitgrandprix tag might be the best place to find pics as the event unfolds.

There’s also this cool set of Formula One pics that includes a lot from the old Detroit Grand Prix.

Summer 2007 … Almost Gone

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Skimboard Boogie

Skimboard Boogie, photo by eaanderson.

Hope everyone enjoys that last weekend of the summer … and that summery weather continues for a few more weeks!

This photo is part of a nice set of photos from late summer on the Muskegon shore.

(not) Leaving on a jet plane

Posted on by farlane

Plane by dancer85

Plane, photo by dancer85

You hear a lot about the impact of people leaving Michigan for good, but not so much about the impact of folks leaving the state to take their vacations.

I read somewhere that Michigan has a pretty significant travel debt – many more vacation dollars are spent outside of Michigan by Michigan residents than dollars spent in the state by visitors.

It’s kind of baffling to me really.

Lost on vacation

Posted on by farlane

Lost by Terrapin Dawg

Lost, photo by Terrapin Dawg

One of the great things about being on vacation is getting lost. Not the kind of lost where everyone’s hot and cranky, but rather the kind of lost where you see things you never expected and aren’t even sure you could find your way back.

This photo from Cheboygan County, Michigan is part of a great set of photos of Northern Michigan, which Matt says is his favorite place in the world. (slideshow).

A Pictured Rocks Vacation

Posted on by farlane

Mosquito Beach 1 - Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

Mosquito Beach 1 – Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, photo by mandj98

So, I’m taking a brief vacation* but I’ve cued up some vacation themed photos to run while I’m gone. I hope you enjoy them.

For the first time in several years, my vacation plans don’t include the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore (aka my 2nd favorite place in the world). The Mosquito Beach trail loop is probably the best trail I’ve ever hiked. Long enough to feel challenging, but short enough that you don’t have to carry the kids … too far.

James Phelps really loves the Pictured Rocks too, and he has created a great Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore set (slideshow) about which he writes:

Wild Beauty on the Lake Superior Shore Sandstone cliffs, beaches, sand dunes, waterfalls, lakes, forest, and shoreline beckon you to visit Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Hiking, camping, sightseeing, and four season outdoor opportunities abound. The Lakeshore hugs the Lake Superior shoreline for more than 40 miles. Lake Superior is the largest, deepest, coldest, and most pristine of all the Great Lakes. From the NPS Pictured Rocks site.

He has uploaded all the pictures at wallpaper/screensaver and he also has many for sale as prints from his photography web site.

*I do have a rather large house-sitter, so all you prowlers can prowl elsewhere! ;)

Ideal

Posted on by farlane

Ideal by Voxphoto

Ideal, photo by Voxphoto

Ross writes:

Theater marquee on the main street of Clare, Michigan.

I’m really falling in love with my Autocord TLR again.Too bad about that lens flare (as an old SLR guy, this always trips me up). Still, the amount of detail in the original 6×6 Provia transparency just tickles me to pieces. In the jumbo size note the sign-maker’s badge, “Artkraft Lima Ohio.”

That Autocord link is my addition (autocord slideshow).

Endless smiles

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

I See Spots

I See Spots, photo by docksidepress.

As near as I can piece together, Matt was driving home from up North along Elk Lake Road, south of Elk Rapids. Since he was driving, they HAD to stop when they came upon this whole field of sunflowers, like endless smiles in the late afternoon sunlight.

…and yes, it’s available in wallpaper /background size.

Photos of Arts & Culture in Michigan

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Art Museum

Art Museum, photo by I am Jacques Strappe.

Over at the Ann Arbor Area Crappy Camera Club, Matt Callow posted an announcement from ArtServe Michigan. They are seeking:

…quality photographs that capture and document arts and culture in Michigan: the buildings where arts and culture takes place, artists at work in their studios or participating in festivals, community arts projects, arts and cultural activities indoors and out, arts educators in their classrooms, individuals of all ages engaged in arts and cultural activities, art festivals, audience moments, performance pieces, etc.

They hope to gather photographs from every county of the state to be included in a photo montage during the ceremony of the 2007 Governor’s Awards for Arts and Culture and for use in the event program. Photographs are due by September 14, 2007. Please click through for details on format and where to send the photos!

Marjorie says that this photo (which I think you should check out big) of the University of Michigan Museum of Art was taken during the Ann Arbor (likely in 2004) and that the kids of Ann Arbor are missing a slide as the sculpture has been dismantled. It was taken with a Holga, one of the many fine toy cameras, trash cams, cheap plastic point-and-shoots, pinholes, dollar store disposables, and junk store cameras wielded by the Crappy Camerians. Heck, they even discussed the merits of a Pop Tart Camera!

ArtServe MichiganArtServe Michigan is a statewide organization that builds support for the arts, artists, arts education, and cultural activities. They champion the arts across the state through advocacy and education programming and services to individual artists and cultural organizations and seek to support artists and arts organizations by increasing cultural audiences, linking businesses and the arts, and standing up for arts in education and state arts funding.