Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for michigan
Linchpin of the Great Lakes
By Linda Tancs
Michigan’s Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie are referred to by the Army Corps of Engineers as “the Linchpin of the Great Lakes.” A feat of engineering, the locks comprise two canals and four locks that allow vessels of many types and sizes to safely traverse the 21-foot drop in elevation of the St. Mary’s River between Lake Superior and lakes Michigan and Huron. The observation platform located in Soo Locks Park provides a fantastic vantage point to watch the locking process of “Lakers” and “Salties” (ocean-going vessels). The Soo Locks Visitor Center is located near the entryway into the park and is open between mid-May and mid-October.
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Michigan’s Banana Belt
By Linda Tancs
Escanaba (also known as Esky) is a port city in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The seat of Delta County, it’s located in an area that locals call the “banana belt” because of its temperate climate, located well south of Lake Superior’s lake-effect snow zone. A walking tour of its historic downtown area features sights like Sand Point Light, where one of the first female lighthouse keepers on the Great Lakes worked for 18 years. You’ll also find the House of Ludington, a Queen Anne-style resort that remains the oldest
continuing hotel and inn still operating within the city. And Carnegie Library is one of many community libraries funded by steel magnate Andrew Carnegie. Constructed of red Lake Superior (Bayfield) sandstone and brick in 1903, this fine example of Neo-Classical architecture is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
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Cherry Capital of the World
By Linda Tancs
Traverse City, Michigan, is known as the “Cherry Capital of the World.” That’s because the five counties around Traverse City make up the region that produces 40 percent of the annual tart cherry crop in the United States. It should come as no surprise that there’s an annual cherry festival to celebrate this bounty. This year’s festival, boasting rides, parades and lots of cherry-centric food, runs through July 6.
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Sky High in Michigan
By Linda Tancs
Touted as the world’s longest timber-towered suspension bridge, Skybridge Michigan is a thrill walk along a 1,200-foot-long, 118-foot-high pedestrian bridge between McLouth and Disciples Ridge peaks, overlooking Michigan’s Boyne Valley. Guests ride the historic Hemlock Scenic Chairlift to the summit to access the bridge and its breathtaking views. Take the paved loop to see the bridge from all angles.
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The Mighty Mac
By Linda Tancs
Michigan’s Mackinac Bridge, affectionately known as The Mighty Mac, is a suspension bridge with a shoreline-to-shoreline length just 28 feet short of 5 miles. It spans the Straits of Mackinac, basically becoming the dividing line between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. It’s currently the fifth largest suspension bridge in the world and the longest suspension bridge between anchorages in the Western Hemisphere. Enjoy scenic bridge views and walking paths at Bridge View Park.
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The Cross in the Woods
By Linda Tancs
Located in Indian River, Michigan, the National Shrine of the Cross in the Woods is arguably the state’s best-known religious monument. Featuring a sculpture of Christ on a cross, the bronze monument was cast in Norway. Twenty-eight feet tall from head to toe with outstretched arms spanning 21 feet, it weighs 7 tons. What you might not know about the site is that it also boasts the largest collection of dolls dressed in traditional habits of men and women religious communities in the United States. The collection of 525 dolls and 20 mannequins represent diocesan clergy and more than 217 religious orders of priests, sisters and brothers of North and South America.
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A Magical Place in Michigan
By Linda Tancs
Touted as sporting the largest collection of magic open to the public, the American Museum of Magic in Marshall, Michigan, is dedicated to preserving and sharing the history of magic for audiences of all ages. You’ll find thousands of artifacts illuminating the stories of Houdini, Blackstone, Thurston and many others. Its collections are based on the vast holdings of the late Detroit-area journalist Robert Lund, who amassed apparatus and illusions, more than 12,000 books on conjuring, letters, diaries, memorabilia, photographs, 3,000 posters, scrapbooks and periodicals, costumes and approximately 350,000 pieces of ephemera. No wonder the museum has been called the “Smithsonian of American Magic.”
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America’s First National Lakeshore
By Linda Tancs
America’s first National Lakeshore, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore hugs the south shore of Lake Superior in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Its name hails from the sandstone cliffs painted in shades of red, pink, black, green and other colors due to minerals leaching out of the rocks from groundwater. Water seeping out of the porous sandstone cliffs in winter freezes into curtains and columns of blue, white or yellow ice. Viewing the various ice formations has become a popular winter activity that can be enjoyed from mid-December until early April.
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The History of Detroit
By Linda Tancs
In 1701, French explorer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac founded the settlement that would become Detroit, Michigan. The approximate site of his landing is where you’ll find Hart Plaza, located south of the intersection of Jefferson and Woodward avenues in the vicinity of the Detroit River. The 14-acre plaza is a popular festival and meeting space. Closer to the riverside you’ll find a statue of Cadillac, along with a memorial to the Underground Railroad (because Detroit was a critical stop). The plaza also features a Ford Motor Company historical marker, showing the site where the company’s articles of incorporation were signed in 1903.
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Root Beer Falls
By Linda Tancs
Michigan’s Tahquamenon Falls State Park encompasses close to 50,000 acres and stretches more than 13 miles. Waterfalls are the predominant attraction there, featuring the third largest vertical waterfall east of the Mississippi River. Officially known as the Upper Falls, it spreads over 200 feet across and drops about 48 feet. Due to its amber color, the Upper Falls are affectionately known as “the Root Beer Falls.” Their distinctive hue is due to the tannins leaching into the Tahquamenon River from the cedar, spruce and hemlock swamps along its shores. The autumn leaves this time of year present a nice addition to the color scheme. Get a close-up look at the brink of the falls by taking 94 steps down to the main viewing deck, or you can take 116 steps down into the gorge for a panoramic view.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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