Holland, MI – Sailboat City, photo by Cyndie M
Over the weekend, Pure Michigan rolled out a new hashtag on Instagram, Twitter and Vine. You can click those links to check out #PureMichiganLakeEffect on each of the services or head over to the Pure Michigan Lake Effect Gallery to see how to share yours and what kind of summer fun people are up to in the Great Lakes State!
View Cyndie’s photo background big and see more in her slideshow.
Haying It, photo by John Wright
View John’s photo of a hay field near Standwood background bigtacular and see more in his slideshow.
More summer wallpaper on Michigan in Pictures.
Ready for the 4th of July, photo by Ann Fisher
This barn in Chatham (Alger County) is definitely ready for Independence Day – here’s hoping you are too!
View Ann’s photo background bigtacular and see more in her 2016 UP slideshow.
Untitled, photo by Micigama K
I hope you have a wonderful (and hopefully long) weekend that’s as free of care as you can make it.
If fireworks are your thing, here’s an awesome site by a real human listing Michigan fireworks displays. Also check out Michigan Fireworks Friday over on Absolute Michigan for an update on Michigan’s fireworks laws.
View the photo of the fireworks over Detroit bigger and see more in Micigama’s 2016-06-27-Detroit Fireworks slideshow.
Bay City River Roar, photo by Jeff Caverly
Summertime in Michigan is perfect if you enjoy things that go fast. From the Belle Isle Grand Prix to last weekend’s Bay City River Roar, Michiganders get a healthy dose of go fast. It doesn’t stop on land and see, as a lot of aerial teams are in our skies including the cream of the crop, the Blue Angels in Traverse City all weekend for the National Cherry Festival.
View Jeff’s photo background big, see more action in his slideshow, and view and purchase photos from Bay City & elsewhere on his website.
For some reason this post went to May 26th when I published it this morning. Not sure what I did, but I will try not to do it again!
Union River Waterfalls, photo by David Clark
Every time I think I know every waterfall in Michigan, one more comes a long. Great Lakes Waterfall Adventures shares that Little Union Gorge Falls is:
Located inside an outpost campground off of South Boundary Rd. in the beautiful Porcupine Mountains State Park, the Union Gorge Falls slide shallow water over a 100 plus foot drop in a forested setting. It is a short hike to reach the start of the falls, and the trail follows the river bank for a quarter mile, intersecting several times with the Union Mine Interpretive Trail. Several sections of 10-25 feet highlight the area, thin water most of the year, most likely the best time to visit is in the spring.
…The first long drop has a small, three foot deep pool below it, adding to the calm of the area.
View the photo background bigtacular, see more in his Waterfalls slideshow, and check out David’s blog for a report with more from the Porcupine Mountains!
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, photo by Paul Wojtkowski
Sorry this is a little late today and apologies to anyone who’s on Lake Superior/UP overload – today is my birthday and the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is my favorite place in Michigan!
One of the items on my Michigan bucket list is to paddleboard or kayak the stretch of the Hiawatha Water Trail that passes through Pictured Rocks – or the whole thing! They say:
Gitche Gumee, the Ojibwa (Native American) name for Lake Superior, has inspired all who have stood on her shore or paddled her waters. Running 120 miles from Big Bay to Grand Marais Michigan on Lake Superior’s south shore, the Hiawatha Water Trail (HWT) follows a shoreline paddled by Native Americans, Voyageurs and early European explorers. Experience some of the most scenic paddling available in the Midwest at places such as Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Grand Island National Recreation Area, Hiawatha National Forest and other public lands. Stopping in at the communities of Big Bay, Marquette, Munising and Grand Marais, a paddler finds places filled with history and friendly people.
View Paul’s photo background bigtacular and see more in his slideshow.
Sunrise at Little Presque Isle Point, photo by Neil Weaver Photography
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources says in part about a proposed Little Presque Isle Natural Area:
The Little Presque Isle tract is often called the crown jewel of Lake Superior, with its beautiful sand beaches, rugged shoreline cliffs, heavily timbered forests, and unmatched public views.
…The rock comprising the area represents some of the oldest exposed formations of its kind. More than a mile of bedrock lakeshore and cliffs adorns Little Presque Isle, including sandstone cliffs that reach nearly 60 feet high toward the base of Sugar Loaf Mountain. One kind of bedrock, granitic, that occurs here is the least common bedrock type along the Great Lakes shoreline, with less than eight miles occurring in total. This is one of three areas where the public can see these 2.3 billion year old formations in Michigan.
The proposed wilderness area is a local landmark, which has significant historical value. The island was reportedly connected to the mainland sometime prior to the 1930s and was a landing place for early explorers and native inhabitants. Roughly 100 yards off the mainland, the island is accessible by wading hip deep water and offers and opportunity for solitude in a unique and scenic setting.
View Neil’s photo background bigilicious, follow him on Facebook, and visit his website to view & purchase this picture and other Lake Superior photos (and also pics from lots of other cool Michigan locations).
More islands, more sunsets, and more summer wallpaper on Michigan in Pictures.
Summer Whitetail, photo by Arnie Bracy
Arnie quietly paddled his kayak closer to get this awesome shot of our state animal, the White-tailed deer on the shore of Hamlin Lake. View it bigger and see more in his Summer slideshow.
In 1997, the White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) was designated the state game mammal after the successful lobbying efforts of a group of Zeeland fourth graders. Found in every Michigan county, the white-tailed deer is an important natural and economic resource.
More white-tailed deer on Michigan in Pictures including this cool pic of a white-tail grabbing a drink in the fall.
High Dive into Lake Superior, photo by Craig
I want to say some things about this photo.
First and foremost, how incredibly awesome is someone to leap into Lake Superior any time of the year? Pretty doggone awesome is the answer, and if you’re wanting to go into Michigan’s coldest lake, August (when this photo was taken) is a pretty good time!
On Michigan in Pictures I post a lot of photos of people doing amazing things in this four-season playground we are blessed with. While summertime is certainly the best season for flamboyant fun, in June especially, the waters of Michigan’s Great Lakes can get very cold. Cold enough to kill as this tragic story from Marquette earlier this month illustrates.
My safety tips would be to really check water you’re leaping into for depth, obstacles, temperature, and whenever possible ASK A LOCAL what they think about whatever ridiculousness you’re considering. Chances are they know a thing or two about currents, weather patterns, or at least a good place to grab a bite and a beverage after your epic stunt.
Remember – having fun is what it’s all about, so figure out how to do it right and then DO IT!
View Craig’s photo bigger, view & purchase work at Craig Sterken Photography, and be sure to follow him on Facebook.
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