Superior’s Wink by James Woolcock
Back in May, James took this photo & shared: “Superior, for our 8 days along your shores, your waters have been so calm, belying your reputation as the angry instrument of so many shipwrecks. I get the wink, o’ great one. I won’t tell a soul.”
See more from James on his Flickr.
PS: Don’t trust the wink, James – Superior is wily!!! More from Michigan’s mighty Lake Superior (including another pic from James) on Michigan in Pictures.
The Milky Way over Lake Michigan at Wilderness State Park by Diana Robinson
The Michigan DNR explains that Wilderness State Park is one of Michigan’s Dark Sky Preserves:
Michigan is lucky to play host to both dark sky preserves and parks that offer stellar celestial landscapes. These locations are specially designated because they have qualities that complement nighttime viewing, such as the ability to limit the amount of artificial light. There are also plenty of excellent night-sky viewing opportunities across more than 15,000 square miles in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
Diana took this photo earlier in May & you can see more in her Night Photography gallery on Flickr.
More great night photography on Michigan in Pictures!
Presque Isle Harbor by John Hart
There’s some names that you see again & again in Michigan. One of these is “Presque Isle”. It means “almost island” in French so you can see why Michigan’s peninsula right coastline brought that to the minds of early French traders.
The US 23 Heritage Route shares that Presque Isle Harbor offers the only natural harbor on Lake Huron with a new marina offering water, restrooms, showers, diesel, electricity, pump-out, gasoline, launch, fishing pier, dog run, grills, and the Portage Restaurant. The Old Presque Isle Lighthouse is a short walk up the path.
Check out the US-23 Heritage Route for more great summer touring options along this northeast Michigan highway!
John shared this cool photo of Presque Isle Harbor during the age of wooden boats. Check out his mix of old & new pics on his Flickr.
Daybreak at Little Presque Isle by Michigan Nut Photography
The Michigan Department of Natural resources says that 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.
John took this photo last week. See the latest at Michigan Nut Photography on Facebook. View & purchase more of his work at MichiganNutPhotography.com.
More Michigan islands on Michigan in Pictures!
Sunset during a partial solar eclipse by Diane
The naming of astronomical events has certainly gotten cooler in recent years, and Thursday morning’s “Ring of Fire” annular eclipse certainly reflects that trend! WOOD-TV explains that on June 10th Michiganders will be able to view this year’s first solar eclipse:
Unlike a total solar eclipse, which occurs when the moon passes directly between the Earth and the sun, causing the sun to be completely blocked, next week’s eclipse will be annular, which only occurs when the moon is in its first phase.
The new moon will be farther from Earth in its elliptical orbit and will appear smaller — too small to cover the sun completely. As a result, a bright ring of sunlight will surround the moon’s silhouette at mid-eclipse. That bright outer rim has become known as the “ring of fire.”
“As the pair rises higher in the sky, the silhouette of the Moon will gradually shift off the sun to the lower left, allowing more of the sun to show until the eclipse ends,” NASA said.
The new moon will eclipse the sun at 6:53 a.m. ET. on June 10.
Look east to see it, but remember it’s unsafe to look directly at the sun unless you wear special eclipse glasses to protect your eyes.
Diane took this photo way back in 2012. See more in her sunrise~sunset gallery on Flickr!
Crazy for Daisies by Andrew McFarlane
I don’t take most of the photos that I share on Michigan in Pictures, but I took this one back in May of 2015!
Nothing to add except to wish you all a wonderful weekend & to ask you to support Michigan in Pictures on Patreon.
Mouth of the Grand River by Dan Gaken
Cool shot of the Grand Haven Lighthouse at the mouth of the 252-mile long Grand River. See more shots from above in Dan’s Drone Photography gallery on Flickr.
Schweitzer Falls by Michigan Nut Photography
Every once in a while, I come across a Michigan waterfall I haven’t featured on Michigan in Pictures. Thankfully, GoWaterfalling always has me covered! Their entry for Schweitzer Falls says in part:
Schweitzer Falls is located a few miles south of Palmer Michigan. This is a very wild waterfall, despite being only a few hundred yards from the road. There is no established trail to the falls, and no signs of any human disturbance at falls. Despite that, reaching the waterfall is not particularly difficult.
Schweitzer Falls is a two tiered falls, dropping about 20′ feet in total. The second tier is higher and steeper than the first, and you can get nice and close to it. There was not simple and obvious way to get close to the upper tier. If you are willing to get your feet wet you could probably just wade through the pool at the base of the lower tier and climb the rock to see the upper one.
Head over to GoWaterfalling for directions & check out many more Michigan waterfalls on Michigan in Pictures!
If you’re not following John at Michigan Nut on Facebook what are you even doing?? View & purchase his work at MichiganNutPhotography.com.
Mushroom House in Charlevoix, Michigan by Lee Rentz
Visit Charlevoix shares the story of self-taught builder Earl Young & his “mushroom houses” in Charlevoix:
Starting in 1919, and continuing into the seventies, Young fashioned over two dozen creations using indigenous materials.
Over the course of his fifty-year career, Young would build twenty-six residential houses and four commercial properties. His works are made mostly of stone, using limestone, fieldstone, and boulders that he found throughout Northern Michigan. Each of these houses is individually different and was designed to blend in with its surrounding landscape. Earl Young’s houses feature his signature designs, along with wide, wavy eaves, exposed rafter tails; cedar-shake roofs; and a horizontal emphasis in design. These buildings are creatively known as Gnome Homes, Mushroom Houses, or Hobbit Houses.
Many of the homes are accessible within a reasonable walking distance from downtown; more can be seen by car. Downtown, Stafford’s Weathervane Restaurant and Weathervane Terrace Inn & Suites on Pine River Lane, and the Lodge hotel on Michigan Avenue are also his creations.
Head over to Visit Charlevoix for a self-guided tour map!
See more from Lee on his Flickr & also at his photography blog!
Noah caught some awesome shots on a recent visit to the Keweenaw Peninsula. For sure follow him @noahsorensenphoto on Instagram!
Michigan in Pictures 