Bridging the Gap between US & Canada … with Bikes!!

Posted on by farlane
Canadian & US Flags on Gordie Howe International Bridge

Canadian & US Flags on Gordie Howe International Bridge

Last week the Gordie Howe International Bridge shared that the Canadian and US flags have found their permanent home at center of the bridge deck, adding “Soon you’ll be able to see the flags for yourself from the multi-use path as you walk or bike across the bridge.” Bike to Canada you say?? Beauty!!

The Gordie Howe Bridge multi-use path will be one lane and will accommodate two-way pedestrian and cyclist traffic. It will be 1.5 miles in length and 11.8 feet wide. The multi-use path will be toll-free & connect to local road and trail networks. In Windsor, there will be connections to the Broadway Street Multi-Path and the Trans Canada Trail. In Detroit, there will be linkages to the Great Lakes Way which provides water & land routes from Lake Erie to Lake Huron and Iron Belle Trail that runs all the way to the far western corner of the Upper Peninsula!

Lots more from Gordie the Bridge! And you can bet I’ll be getting you the info about riding the Bridge just as soon as I have it! More bikes & biking on Michigan in Pictures including (very soon) the scoop on this Iron Belle Bike Trail!

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Iced Over on Mackinac Island

Posted on by farlane
Iced Over by Joann's Fudge of Mackinac Island

Iced Over by Joann’s Fudge of Mackinac Island

Today is one of those days when I see the photo first and go looking for the post because honestly WOW! So here are some updates:

When the huge ice storm hit, Joann’s Fudge of Mackinac Island shared this photo & noted they might suffer some shipping delays. In addition to a donation to one of the places above, consider buying a little fudge from Joann’s! Here are some more great shots including one of them taking advantage of the ice storm by playing hockey and some great lilac photos from the upcoming Mackinac Island Lilac Festival (June 6-16, 2025). See lots more of their pics on their Facebook.

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No More Ghost Bikes

Posted on by farlane

No More Ghost Bikes by Michigan Ghost Bikes

This is a good time of year to take a moment to be aware of ghost bikes and the important message these plain white bikes are trying to sear into the brain of every driver: Watch out for bikes.

You don’t get a second chance to un-kill or un-maim someone when you hit them with your car, something a nameless driver almost proved on me yesterday when they sped out of a parking lot, nearly hitting me. It only takes a momentary lapse of attention, a glance at the phone or simply a wandering mind can create another of these somber memorials in a heartbeat.

    Paul Kissel shared this photo in the Michigan Ghost Bikes group writing Placed a TRIBUTE ghost bike at the Farmers Market downtown Muskegon prior to the Ride of Silence this Wednesday. Hope it reminds passersby of our cause, our purpose, and the reason we pay tribute.

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    Ghost Bikes

    Posted on by farlane

    Grand Rapids Ghost Bike by Patrick Goff

    Grand Rapids Ghost Bike by Patrick Goff

    Summer in Michigan is a time when you’ll see a lot more bikes on the road, and I offer today’s post with the sincere hope that everyone who reads it remembers that 75% of all bicycle fatalities are caused by driver error. It’s your duty as a driver to PAY ATTENTION as you pilot a several thousand pound machine that can become a deadly weapon in an instant. GhostBikes.org shares:

    Ghost Bikes are small and somber memorials for bicyclists who are killed or hit on the street. A bicycle is painted all white and locked to a street sign near the crash site, accompanied by a small plaque. They serve as reminders of the tragedy that took place on an otherwise anonymous street corner, and as quiet statements in support of cyclists’ right to safe travel.

    The first ghost bikes were created in St. Louis, Missouri in 2003. Currently there are over 500 ghost bikes that have since appeared in over 180 locations throughout the world. (current number is well over 600) For those who create and install the memorials, the death of a fellow bicyclist hits home. We all travel the same unsafe streets and face the same risks; it could just as easily be any one of us. Each time we say we hope to never have to do it again — but we remain committed to making these memorials as long as they are needed.

    Patrick took this photo back in 2010. See more in his Hipstamatic gallery on Flickr.

    PS: There’s a Michigan Ghostbikes group on Facebook in case you’d like to join.

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    Passing Pluto

    Posted on by farlane

    Charons Crossing aka Pluto

    Charon’s Crossing, photo by Andrew McFarlane

    Anyone remember Hipstamatic? This is a shot of Pluto in Dave Kirby’s cool installation of the planets along the TART trail in Traverse City (created prior to the de-planetization of Pluto). I don’t usually feature my own photos here, but I had to find something to celebrate NASA’s historic 3,000,000,000 mile journey to Pluto:

    After a decade-long journey through our solar system, New Horizons made its closest approach to Pluto Tuesday, about 7,750 miles above the surface — roughly the same distance from New York to Mumbai, India – making it the first-ever space mission to explore a world so far from Earth.

    “I’m delighted at this latest accomplishment by NASA, another first that demonstrates once again how the United States leads the world in space,” said John Holdren, assistant to the President for Science and Technology and director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. “New Horizons is the latest in a long line of scientific accomplishments at NASA, including multiple missions orbiting and exploring the surface of Mars in advance of human visits still to come; the remarkable Kepler mission to identify Earth-like planets around stars other than our own; and the DSCOVR satellite that soon will be beaming back images of the whole Earth in near real-time from a vantage point a million miles away. As New Horizons completes its flyby of Pluto and continues deeper into the Kuiper Belt, NASA’s multifaceted journey of discovery continues.”

    Read on for more and definitely check out the New Horizons Mission at NASA for lots more about our mission to explore Pluto, its moons and the Kuiper Belt at the furthest reaches of our solar system.

    More science on Michigan in Pictures.

    When a young man’s fancy turns to …

    Posted on by farlane

    I guess it really IS spring . . .

    I guess it really IS spring…, phoot by Dr. Farnsworth

    Thing number 757 about Michigan that I think is cool: you can ride bikes on lakes.

    Dale writes:

    …AHH Spring, when a young man’s fancy turns towards . . . riding around the lake ON the lake! Still very much frozen solid in western Michigan! Temps tonight well below freezing, a few inches of snow predicted, and people are riding on the ice on fat bikes! Have a good “spring” week Facebook and Flickr friends!

    View his photo from Twin Lakes on his map, background big and see more in massive Best of West Lake slideshow.

    More winter wallpaper and more biking on Michigan in Pictures.

    The Ghost Bike

    Posted on by farlane

    The Ghost Bike Commemorating Curt Dombecky, 4/23/1948-7/14/2012

    The Ghost Bike Commemorating Curt Dombecky, 4/23/1948-7/14/2012, photo by joeldinda

    This is a somber reminder as the weather warms and bikers return to the roads that hurrying or texting or lack of attention can result in tragedy. Ghostbikes.org explains:

    Ghost Bikes are small and somber memorials for bicyclists who are killed or hit on the street. A bicycle is painted all white and locked to a street sign near the crash site, accompanied by a small plaque. They serve as reminders of the tragedy that took place on an otherwise anonymous street corner, and as quiet statements in support of cyclists’ right to safe travel.

    The first ghost bikes were created in St. Louis, Missouri in 2003. Currently there are over 500 ghost bikes that have since appeared in over 180 locations throughout the world. For those who create and install the memorials, the death of a fellow bicyclist hits home. We all travel the same unsafe streets and face the same risks; it could just as easily be any one of us. Each time we say we hope to never have to do it again — but we remain committed to making these memorials as long as they are needed.

    View Joel’s photo background big and see more in his Grand Ledge slideshow.

    The observant will note that Michigan in Pictures featured a photo from Joel just last week, but sometimes that’s just how it goes. Much more from Joel on Michigan in Pictures.