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Traverse City: Cherry (Festival) Capital of the World

Posted on June 26, 2009June 26, 2009 by Michigan in Pictures

Traverse City Cherry Capital Postcard, photo by Seeking Michigan.

The annual National Cherry Festival kicks off on July 4th, 2009. The first festival was held in 1926 and it has grown into an $26 million dollar powerhouse. Many of the concerts and events are free, and in addition to a number of parades, there’s music (headlined by Kenny Wayne Shepherd), food & wine tasting and an air show.

Check it out bigger and also in their Tourism set (slideshow).

I think the woman above barely missed the cut for this amazing travelogue from the 1940s.

Balloons over Howell: The Michigan Challenge Balloonfest

Posted on June 24, 2009June 24, 2009 by Michigan in Pictures

Pics 126, photo by m7k7k7.

The annual Michigan Challenge Balloonfest takes place this weekend – June 26-28, 2009. It’s the state championship of hot-air ballooning and in addition to a sky full of balloons, offerings include three entertainment venues, a carnival, classic car show, medieval village and skydiving shows. 2009 is the 25th anniversary:

“Twenty-five years ago, the Michigan Challenge started with a whimper and a little burner noise,” said Competition Director Dick Rudlaff. “There were only a couple handfuls of balloons that first year, all good friends who flew together often. But we managed to elbow our way into the Howell community with the help of the chamber of commerce and all their volunteers who make this a true community event to be proud of.”

Of course, the highlight of the Michigan Challenge weekend is the five scheduled balloon launches Friday, Saturday and Sunday between 6 and 8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday mornings between 6 and 8 a.m. Site host is Howell Public Schools.

Here’s more of m7k7k7’s Howell Balloonfest photos (slideshow). For more, check out the Michigan Challenge Balloonfest slideshow on Flickr and also this set and this one.

Ready to Play

Posted on June 20, 2009June 20, 2009 by Michigan in Pictures

Untitled, photo by Michael Zz.

Check it out bigger or in Michael’s Night Shots set (slideshow).

Hope your weekend brings you all the fun you can handle and if you’re wondering what to do, check out Absolute Michigan’s Michigan Event Calendar.

Your photo contest begins at Michigan.org

Posted on June 19, 2009June 19, 2009 by Michigan in Pictures

Holland, Michigan Lighthouse, photo by Tony Tanoury.

The Pure Michigan Photo Contest is open until June 29, 2009 and offers you a chance to win prizes including a stay at the Gran Hotel on Mackinac Island!

You can get all the details at the link above and check out submitted photos on their map.

Tony took this photo of the “Big Red” lighthouse in Holland last May. Be sure to check it out bigger and also in his Michigan set (slideshow).

The River: Photo Kayaking on Pigeon River

Posted on June 18, 2009June 18, 2009 by Michigan in Pictures

Photo Kayaking on Pigeon River, photo by Fellowship of the Rich.

Here’s a photo taken while kayaking on the Pigeon River in Port Sheldon, about which the DNR says:

The Pigeon River is located in the north-central part of the southern peninsula of Michigan. Its headwaters are located a few miles northeast of Gaylord. The river then flows in a northerly direction to its mouth at Mullet Lake, a distance of 42 miles. The Pigeon River system drains a surface area of approximately 88,000 acres and include 80 linear miles of stream.

The DNR’s Natural Rivers page says that Michigan has more than 36,000 miles of rivers and streams, including over 12,000 miles of cold water trout streams. Get a list of those Michigan rivers from Wikipedia.

Be sure to check this photo out bigger and in Rich’s The River set (slideshow)

Rich also created a new Flickr group called The River, about which he says:

Life stems from flowing water and life grows around flowing water. Cities and towns build up around the river. This group is about documenting rivers from all over the world. Activities in and around the river. From swimming, boating, fishing to taking in scenery and wildlife. Iconic rivers to locally known fishing rivers, we’d love to have them all.

The Portage Lake Lift Bridge & Houghton Bridgefest

Posted on June 16, 2009June 16, 2009 by Michigan in Pictures

The Portage Lift Bridge I, photo by We Are CS.

There are those who believe that the Portage Lift Bridge in Houghton, Michigan looks like two grasshoppers eating spaghetti. There are also those who believe this structure is worthy of celebration. That annual event happens this weekend (June 19-21) and it’s called Bridgefest. It looks like they pack a lot of fun into this weekend long celebration.

Wikipedia’s Portage Lake Lift Bridge entry says:

The Portage Lake Lift Bridge connects the cities of Hancock and Houghton, Michigan, USA, across Portage Lake, a portion of the waterway which cuts across the Keweenaw Peninsula with a canal linking the final several miles to Lake Superior to the northwest. US 41 and M-26 are both routed across the bridge.

The original bridge on this site was a wooden swing-bridge built in 1875. This was replaced by a steel swing-bridge built by the King Bridge Company in 1901. This bridge was damaged when a ship collided with it in 1905. The center swinging section of the bridge was replaced and a similar incident almost occurred again in 1920, but the ship was able to stop by dropping its anchor, which snagged on the bottom of the lake. In 1959, this bridge was replaced, at a cost of about 11-13 million US dollars (sources vary), by the current bridge which was built by the American Bridge Company.

As its name states, the bridge is a lift bridge with the middle section capable of being lifted from its low point of four feet clearance over the water to a clearance of 100 feet (30 m) to allow boats to pass underneath. The Bridge is the world’s heaviest and widest double-decked vertical lift bridge.Its center span “lifts” to provide 100 feet (30 m) of clearance for ships. The bridge is a crucial lifeline, since it is the only land based link between the north (so-called Copper Island) and south sections of the Keweenaw peninsula.

Be sure to check this out bigger and also have a look at Kyle’s Portage Lift Bridge set (slideshow). More photos of the Portage Lift Bridge on Flickr.

Hunting trails under Lake Huron

Posted on June 13, 2009June 13, 2009 by Michigan in Pictures

Great lake, photo by jpwbee.

Earlier this week mLive reported (thanks Michitwitter) that University of Michigan researchers found evidence of ancient hunters at the bottom of Lake Huron:

Using detailed government data on lake floor topography, a research vessel and a remote mini-rover equipped with a camera, scientists found what they believe are hunting pits, camps and rock structures called caribou “drive lines” on the bottom of Lake Huron.

Drive lines, also called drive lanes, are walls built of rocks that hunters used to lure caribou into ambush. A peculiarity of the deer species is that it readily follows linear cues, even though the rock walls are short enough to step over.

The structures were found on an underwater ridge that – about 9,000 years ago – was a land bridge above water. The 10-mile-wide Alpena-Amberley ridge stretches more than 100 miles from near Point Clark, Ontario, to Presque Isle.

The 1,148-foot “drive line” structure found by U-M researchers closely resembles one previously discovered on Victoria Island in the Canadian subarctic.

Click the link above for an underwater photo and be sure to check it out bigger.

Michigan Schooner Festival – September 11-13, 2009

Posted on June 6, 2009June 6, 2009 by Michigan in Pictures

Last light of day…, photo by Doug Langham.

The inaugural Michigan Schooner Festival will take place September 11-13, 2009 in Traverse City. It will bring together six tall ships in West Grand Traverse Bay for rides aboard the ships, evening cruises, kids activities and more. “Song of the Lakes” will headline the entertainment with a performance on Saturday evening during a progressive-style party on the ships. Get all the details from MichiganSchoonerFestival.org.

The Friends Good Will out of South Haven won’t be there (at least this year) but the image was just too tasty to pass up! Be sure to check this photo out background bigalicious and also in Doug’s Friends Good Will slideshow.