Superior Dawn at Grand Sable Dunes

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

"Superior Dawn" - Grand Sable Dunes , Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

“Superior Dawn” – Grand Sable Dunes , Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, photo by Michigan Nut.

By curious coincidence, I was just a short distance (at Twelve Mile Beach Campground from where John captured this stunning view of the Grand Sable Dunes. That link can tell you all about this amazing dune structure and I heartily encourage you to visit the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore sometime soon!!

Check it out big as the BIG lake or in John’s Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore slideshow.

Many more photos from the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore can be found on Michigan in Pictures!

Frankenmuth Dog Bowl

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Champion coming!

Champion coming!, photo by Frankenmuth Fun.

Frankenmuth invites you to Dog Bowl 2011, the Midwest’s largest Olympic style event for dogs. This annual event takes place Memorial Weekend (May 28 & 29) at Frankenmuth River Place and includes events for dogs including agility competitions, dock dives, dog disc competition, fashion shows, canine cruise and (of course) biggie dog & weiner dog races! The event is FREE – there’s even a hot air balloon show – and you can click the link above for all the details!

Check this out bigger than a beagle and also see their huge 2008 Dog Bowl and 2009 Dog Bowl slideshows!

Local Blossoms, Local Bucks

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Cherry blossoms . . . .

Cherry blossoms . . . ., photo by Dr. Farnsworth.

Over on Absolute Michigan today we’re featuring the new Taste the Local Difference guide. This year they are encouraging folks to sign up to Spend $10 on Local Food – a small step that can make a big difference in Michigan’s economy.

Sustainable Table explains:

Buying locally or directly from farmers can dramatically increase a farmer’s income. The Maine Organic Farmers and Gardener’s Association published a study (pdf) that demonstrates what would happen if consumers shifted 1% of their purchasing power to buy locally grown products: farmers would see a gain of 5% in their income. Even better, buying direct from a farmer sends 90% of those food dollars back to the farm. Increasing farm income means more money can be spent locally by the farmer to run their business and home, helping keep the local economy alive.

Annually, Americans consume more than $600 billion in food. In most communities today food is purchased entirely at a grocery store or market, with only about 7% of local food dollars staying in the community. The other 93% of the modern food dollar travels to pay processors, packagers, distributors, wholesalers, truckers and the rest of the infrastructure that a global food system demands, a stark comparison to 40% in 1910 by contrast, 40% of food dollars spend remained in the local economy. When more food dollars stay in the community, through buying local, they are transformed into thriving main streets and local jobs.

Check this out background big and in Dale’s slideshow.

When lilacs last in the dooryard bloom’d

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Lilacs

Lilacs, photo by Ann279.

When lilacs last in the dooryard bloom’d,
And the great star early droop’d in the western sky in the night,
I mourn’d, and yet shall mourn with ever-returning spring.
~Walt Whitman (read the complete poem)

Check this out background big and in Anne’s slideshow.

Michigan Wild & Scenic Rivers: Ontonagon River

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Upper Bond Falls

Upper Bond Falls, photo by James Marvin Phelps.

It is hereby declared to be the policy of the United States that certain selected rivers of the Nation which, with their immediate environments, possess outstandingly remarkable scenic, recreational, geologic, fish and wildlife, historic, cultural or other similar values, shall be preserved in free-flowing condition, and that they and their immediate environments shall be protected for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Congress declares that the established national policy of dams and other construction at appropriate sections of the rivers of the United States needs to be complemented by a policy that would preserve other selected rivers or sections thereof in their free-flowing condition to protect the water quality of such rivers and to fulfill other vital national conservation purposes.
~Wild & Scenic Rivers Act, October 2, 1968

Michigan has 16 nationally designated Wild & Scenic Rivers. Since Field & Stream tapped Michigan #1 for flyfishing in the USA, I thought it would be cool to profile these unique rivers & streams. We’ll start with the Ontonagon River. The Our Favorites page at upflyfishing.com says:

The Ontonagon River, along with its four branches and tributaries drains an enormous area of the western Upper Peninsula in Ontonagon, southwest Houghton and northern Gogebic Counties. The system offers a wide diversity of opportunities for wading, canoeing, shoreline, and even boat anglers. Much of the flow is through wild, scenic country. Several beautiful waterfalls and whitewater rapids appear along its journey.

…A 12 mile stretch of the East Branch (from Lower Dam Falls to Sparrow Rapids has been designated as a Michigan Blue Ribbon Trout Stream. The Middle Branch supports a good population of resident Brown, Rainbow, and Brook Trout. Access is fairly good with sections flowing along the Ottawa National Forest. A few anglers tube or canoe and the river is wide enough to permit flyfishing in most stretches. Overall, the Middle Branch supports the best trout fishing on the Ontonagon and the village of Watersmeet is in the heart of several of these great fishing areas. Down stream from Agate Falls, the river becomes receptive to anadromous fish, and anglers enjoy an extended fishing season. Expect good Steeelheading in spring, with browns up to 6 pounds and salmon showing up in the fall. Some Brook trout also frequent the river here.

FYI, Bond Falls are on the Middle Branch. Check this out background big and in James’ Bond Falls slideshow.

More Wild & Scenic Rivers on Michigan in Pictures!

Cherry Blossoms in Leelanau County

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Cherry Blossoms

Cherry Blossoms, photo by leelanau2010.

One of the sites I work on is Leelanau.com, and every May I’m always asked “When will the cherry blossoms be out?”

It’s been a slow, cold spring but I’m happy to report that the answer is “Right now!”

Tart Sweet cherry blossoms are out all over and the tart cherry blossoms will be along in a few days. That means this weekend will be the best one for photos.

David took this shot near Northport. Check it out background big, on his map or in his Cherry Blossoms slideshow.

Enjoy more blossoms and more Spring Wallpaper on Michigan in Pictures!

Durand Union Station & Durand Railroad Days

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Durand Train Station, HDR

Durand Train Station, HDR, photo by friday1970.

This weekend (May 13-15) is Durand Railroad Days. This annual event is in its 36th year and was established in 1975 to pay tribute
to the rail industry that helped develop the nation and was responsible
for the settlement of Durand late in the 1870s. The Michigan Railroad History Museum at Durand Union Station says:

The village of Durand was built up around the railroads in the late 1870’s. Durand Union Station was designed by Spier and Rohms and originally built in 1903. Eighteen months thereafter it was almost completely destroyed by fire and was rebuilt in 1905.

This was a very busy station as the Grand Trunk Western and Ann Arbor Railroads crossed at grade there. During the early 1900’s when the railroad industry was at its peak, 42 passenger trains, 22 mail trains, and 78 freight trains passed through Durand daily. Durand Union Station handled approximately 3,000 passengers per day, making it a prospering hub of the industry.

Read about the event & museum using the links above and definitely put the museum on your list of places to visit!

Check Tim’s photo out bigger. He writes that he was inspired by an old black & white photo from nearly the same spot.

You can see a similar photo right here and learn a lot more about Michigan’s railroading heritage from the Michigan Internet Railroad History Museum. There’s also a cool wallpaper sized photo of the station in the Absolute Michigan pool and (of course) you can learn a lot more about Michigan Trains & Railroads on Michigan in Pictures!

May is Blossom Time in Michigan!

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Traverse MI 1950s East Grand Travese Bay Cherry Blossoms Photo by Phil Balyeat Avery Card 58253 S1155661 National Cherry Festival Postmark 1961

Traverse MI 1950s East Grand Travese Bay Cherry Blossoms Photo by Phil Balyeat Avery Card 58253 S1155661 National Cherry Festival Postmark 1961, photo by UpNorth Memories – Donald (Don) Harrison.

The annual National Cherry Festival got its start around 1910, as cherry growers in the Grand Traverse area began to hold informal “blessing of the blossoms” ceremonies each year at blossom time in May. Businesses jumped on the bandwagon (cherry truck?) in 1925 for the formalized “Blessing of the Blossoms Festival” which was such a big deal that in 1930 they expanded to 3 days and in 1930 President Herbert Hoover attended the opening. The next year the Cherry Festival was declared a national affair and in 1933 they moved it to summer.

Although it’s now a summertime affair (July 2-9, 2011), the wineries on the Old Mission Peninsula hold an annual Blossom Days celebration (May 14 & 15 this year). My informal read of the cherry blossoms here says that tart cherry blossoms will be in full swing with sweets kicking off.

Apparently in 1906 there was some sort of spiritual attraction of orchards, because to the south in Benton Harbor, the Reverend W. J. Cady of the First Congregational Church in Benton Harbor was the first to urge his parishioners to drive through the orchards and view the fruit blossoms. Cady termed them “symbols of life renewed” and his sermon is credited with the birth of the Blossomtime Festival. Now the Blossomtime Festival in St. Joseph/Benton Harbor is shared between the oldest and largest multi-community festival in the state of Michigan. Join them this Saturday (May 7) for the Grand Floral Parade and more!

Check this photo out big as a cherry orchard, in Don’s slideshow and see another cool old orchard photo right here.

Hepatica … and other Michigan Wildflowers

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Hepatica by Diane Charvat

Hepatica, photo by d charvat.

Wikipedia says that Hepatica was named for its leaves, which, like the human liver (Greek hepar), have three lobes. It was once used as a medicinal herb. Owing to the doctrine of signatures, the plant was thought an effective treatment for liver disorders. Although poisonous in large doses, the leaves and flowers may be used as an astringent, demulcent for slow-healing injuries and as a diuretic.

Check this out background bigalicious and in d charvat’s Michigan wildflowers slideshow.

More spring wallpaper on Michigan in Pictures!

Earth Day, high above our piece of the Earth

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Great Lakes, No Clouds

Great Lakes, No Clouds, photo by NASA Goddard Photo and Video.

Today is Earth Day (and also Good Friday). You can read all about Michigan’s role in Earth Day on Michigan in Pictures and check the list of Earth Day events in Michigan from earthday.org.

I thought this shot from the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center was a perfect image, and it’s a great lead-in to their Earth Day 2011 slideshow, which looks at almost 40 years of Landsat images. NASA says:

Launched in 1972, the Landsat program is the longest continuous global record of the Earth’s surface. It continues to deliver both visually stunning and scientifically valuable images of our changing planet, allowing us to plan for the future of Earth’s precious resources.

Check this out big as Michigan an in their Explored! slideshow.