Happy 56th Birthday to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

Posted on by farlane
October Gold at Sleeping Bear Dunes by James Eye View Photography

October Gold at Sleeping Bear Dunes by James Eye View Photography

Leelanau.com shares that today is the 56th anniversary of the founding of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, writing “Today is the 56th anniversary of the founding of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, and I for one cannot imagine what the Leelanau Peninsula would look like if Phil Hart & others hadn’t fought to preserve this globally unique gem.“

Google’s AI overview that they stole from our Sleeping Bear Dunes Guide says (correctly) that Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore was officially established on October 21, 1970, when President Richard Nixon signed Public Law 91-479 first proposed by Senator Philip Hart to protect the 35-mile stretch of Michigan’s Lake Michigan shoreline after a contentious public battle:

Public Law 91-479 states, “…the Congress finds that certain outstanding natural features, including forests, beaches, dune formations, and ancient glacial phenomena, exist along the mainland shore of Lake Michigan and on certain nearby islands in Benzie and Leelanau Counties, Michigan, and that such features ought to be preserved in their natural setting and protected from developments and uses which would destroy the scenic beauty and natural character of the area.” The Congress also directed that “…the Secretary (of the Interior) shall administer and protect Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in a manner which provides for recreational opportunities consistent with the maximum protection of the natural environment within the area.”

The Lakeshore mission is to preserve outstanding natural features including forests, beaches, dunes and ancient glacial phenomena along 100 km (64 miles) of Lake Michigan shoreline, in order to perpetuate the natural setting for the benefit and enjoyment of the public, and to protect it from developments and inappropriate uses that would destroy its scenic beauty, scientific and recreational value.

James shared this photo last weekend. You should definitely be following James Eye View on Facebook and you can view & purchase his work including 2027 calendars on his website.

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Take a ride in the sky

Posted on by farlane
Take a Ride in the Sky by Snappd By Sean Photography

Take a Ride in the Sky by Snappd By Sean Photography

Sean shared this amazing drone shot of the current state of fall color at what I believe is Kensington Metropark near Milford, writing Take a ride in the sky. On our ship, fantasize. All your dreams will come true miles away. 🫶🏾📸

See his latest at Snappd By Sean Photography on Facebook, and I hope you get a chance to enjoy an amazing week of sun & 60s!

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Autumn Sunshine

Posted on by farlane
Autumn Sunshine by Glen Suszko

Autumn Sunshine by Glen Suszko

As you can see from the Weather Underground forecast, Michigan is looking at a nearly unbroken run of sun over the next week!

Glen took this shot the other day in Southeast Michigan. See more of his finest photos in his Explored gallery on Flickr & for sure follow him on Facebook for his latest!

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A Whale of an Autumn

Posted on by farlane
Whale Tail by smiles7

Whale Tail by smiles7

“Leave only bubbles, take only memories. And whale pictures.” -Julie A. Christiansen

Julie took this pic the other day at Tom Lakenen’s Lakenenland Sculpture Park near Marquette. Lakenenland is a free, open-air art attraction in that is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

You can see lots more in her U.P. of Michigan gallery on Flickr & definitely follow Julie on Flickr for her latest pics!

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Fall Color Update: Astro and the Au Sauble edition

Posted on by farlane
Astro and Au Sable River, Foote Pond Overlook by paulv21

Astro and Au Sable River, Foote Pond Overlook by paulv21

Even though we were just at the Au Sable River, I couldn’t leave an obvious good boy like Astro hanging!! Plus it’s a great chance to look in on the fall color in northeast Michigan, which looks pretty close to the Pure Michigan estimate of 60-80%. Here is the current (estimated) fall color a few selected locations across the Great Lakes State from Pure Michigan:

Upper Peninsula

Marquette – Fall Color : 80-100%
Estimated Peak Fall Color: October 8-14

Sault Ste. Marie – Fall Color : 40-60%
Estimated Peak Fall Color: October 11-17

Mackinac Island – Fall Color : 40-60%
Estimated Peak Fall Color: October 11-17

Central Lower Peninsula

Muskegon – Fall Color : 20-40%
Estimated Peak Fall Color: October 15-30

Holland – Fall Color : 20-40%
Estimated Peak Fall Color: October 19-23

Northern Lower Peninsula

Petoskey – Fall Color : 60-80%
Estimated Peak Fall Color: October 16-23

Gaylord – Fall Color : 60-80%
Estimated Peak Fall Color: October 12-18

Charlevoix – Fall Color : 40-60%
Estimated Peak Fall Color: October 11-20

Southern Lower Peninsula

Kalamazoo – Fall Color: 20-40%
Estimated Peak Fall Color: October 25 – November 4

Ann Arbor – Fall Color: 20-40%
Estimated Peak Fall Color: October 18-24

Paul took these photos on Sunday. Follow him on Flickr to keep up with his (and Astro’s) adventures!

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Autumn’s Fire

Posted on by farlane

Autumn Fire & Color Season by Bobby Palosaari

“Autumn is much redder in North America and east Asia than it is in northern Europe, and this can’t be explained by temperature differences alone. These areas also have a greater proportion of ancient tree lineages surviving: trees have gone extinct at a higher rate in Europe compared with those other areas.” — Alice Roberts

I was looking for a good fall quotation for another photo, but this one was so good I had to share it. If you want to read more about the Science of Fall Color, Michigan in Pictures has you covered!

Bobby took these over a decade ago but the colors still pop! Check out some of his most popular photos on Flickr.

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How weather affects fall color

Posted on by farlane

Fall Color by Jimmy Yeh

It’s that time when the trees are changing. If you’re like me & wondering when this or that tree will change, MSU Extension would like to share a little of the science behind how weather can affect fall color:

Leaves on a tree change color mainly in response to the decrease of daily sunlight … When chlorophyll is reduced, other pigments in the leaves begin to show or are produced. For example, the length of leaf color display time, as well as the extent of red color in the leaves, is directly related to temperature and moisture conditions that occur before and during the period when the amount of chlorophyll in the leaves is diminishing.

The most brilliant leaf displays follow a period of cool nights and warm days filled with sunshine. During this weather cycle, leaves photosynthesize and produce an abundance of sugars during the sunny days. The cooler nights and the gradual narrowing of leaf veins mean most of the sugars produced stay trapped in the leaf. This abundance of sugars, coupled with full sun, leads to the production of anthocyanin pigments, which produce red, purple, and crimson colors. The red hues are most vivid in leaves that receive full sun as the pigment helps protect the photosynthetic structures from damage by the bright sunshine.

Conversely, yellow and gold leaf colors result from carotenoid pigments which are always present in the leaf and only become visible when chlorophyll breaks down. We can always count on the yellow and gold fall leaf colors while red colors rely on the aforementioned weather conditions to present with vigor.

Read lots more about how weather affects fall colors.

I originally shared this photo as a cover for the Michigan in Pictures Facebook page back in 2017. Figured I’d bring it back for a post! Follow Jimmy Yeh Photo on Facebook for the latest.

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2026 Michigan Fall Color Guide

Posted on by farlane
Autumn on the AuSable River by Craig Sterken Photography

Autumn on the AuSable River by Craig Sterken Photography

Craig shared this photo writing “It felt a little cooler here today and reminded me that autumn is just around the corner. Here’s a throwback to autumn with a view over the Ausable River.” Follow Craig on Facebook for his latest and view & purchase his work on his website – the Autumn gallery is great!

As Craig observes, there’s a nip in the air as Michigan gears up for one of the best fall color shows in the nation. Pure Michigan’s Fall Color Map has estimated fall color by day so I put together a little slideshow to help you gauge when & where to find the best fall color.

Obviously, you’ll want to get the color update from the source. Some of my favorite places to get info are the Traverse City Tourism, Travel Marquette, Visit Southwest Michigan, West Michigan Tourism, and MyNorth.com.

Michigan in Pictures is a great source for all kinds of fall photos along with in-depth articles like The Science of Fall Color.

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Waterfall Wednesday: The trips you don’t take…

Posted on by farlane
Canyon Falls by Karl Wertanen

Canyon Falls – October 24 by Karl Wertanen

Karl shared this photo the other day saying “I always ask myself… Which trip is going to cost more..? The one I take or the one I don’t take. Then I know for sure.”

Pure Michigan says that Canyon Falls aka the “Grand Canyon of the UP” is an easy to visit falls with a gorge that is quite impressive, at least by Michigan standards. A scenic trail along the Sturgeon River leads to a series of rapids and small waterfalls before you reach Canyon Falls where the river slides nearly 30′ over a large chute of smooth black rock into a box canyon.

In addition to wisdom, Karl also shares a lot of awesome photos. See lots more at Michigan Film Photographer Karl Wertanen on Facebook!

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Michigan Fall Color: Double Rainbow Edition

Posted on by farlane
Fall Color Tour in Northern Michigan Rainbow edition by James Eye View Photography

Fall Color Tour in Northern Michigan Rainbow edition by James Eye View Photography

mLive’s Mark Torregrossa shares that if you think there’s more rainbows out there than usual, you are correct! He explains the science behind Michigan’s rainbow bonanza:

To have rainbows, we need rain and sun at the same time. What weather pattern is classic for rain and sun at the same time? The current lake-effect rain shower situation is perfect for rainbows. The rain showers are small, maybe only five miles wide. There is a lot of clear sky around the rain showers.

…So we know why we have had and currently have a lot of rainbows in Michigan in the past few days- the spotty lake-effect showers combined with sunshine. But why have there been numerous double rainbows? It has to do with the angle of the sun, combined with the daily weather pattern.

For a double rainbow, the sun has to be fairly low on the horizon, lower than 40 degrees above the horizon. It just so happens the lake-effect showers reach their peak intensity and coverage during the late afternoon heating of the day, when the sun is low on the horizon.

James took these last Friday on the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. You can follow him on Facebook & Instagram. For sure visit his website to view & purchase his work including 2025 Photo Calendars.

Wildly enough, I featured Double Rainbow Sunrise from James last year – he clearly has a next level knack for rainbows!!

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