Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for michigan
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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Twin Peaks on Lake Michigan
By Linda Tancs
St. Joseph, Michigan, has the only lighthouses on a Lake Michigan pier that are regularly open to the public. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, St. Joseph North Pier Lights (the outer light and inner light) are iconic structures on a breakwater with an elevated catwalk. An hour-long, guided walking tour is available from May to September, weather permitting. It includes a look into the outer light and culminates in a climb up to the lantern room inside the inner lighthouse.
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As coronavirus proceeds, it is likely that the vast majority of us will be limited in our travels. But this, too, shall pass. Our love for travel remains, so Travelrific will continue offering travel inspiration in this medium. 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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The Most Beautiful Place in America
By Linda Tancs
Miles of sand beach, bluffs that tower 450 feet above Lake Michigan, forests, clear inland lakes and unhindered night sky views are just some of the charms of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Reportedly named after a Native American legend of a mother bear who swims from Wisconsin to escape a forest fire, the locale was once voted “the most beautiful place in America” by Good Morning America. It certainly does offer spectacular views, like the ones from the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive (named for the lumberman who initiated the road), a 7.4-mile loop with overlooks of the Glen Lakes, the dunes and Lake Michigan. The Lake Michigan Overlook (stop #9 on the drive) is a visitor favorite, where the sunset is particularly outstanding. Pick up an interpretive guide for the scenic drive at the Visitor Center in Empire.
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Quebec Rural Style in Michigan
By Linda Tancs
The oldest home on Mackinac Island in Michigan is the Biddle House. Dating back to 1780 and built in the Quebec rural style, it was purchased in the 1800s by Edward Biddle, a wealthy fur trader who hailed from a prominent Philadelphia family (one of the first families of the United States). Biddle married Agatha de la Vigne, a Native American born on Mackinac Island who partnered with her husband in the fur trade. Often overlooked in island history is the fact that most residents in the 1800s were Native American. Now that the house is in the midst of a renovation, its Indian roots will be highlighted with a two-room exhibit.
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World’s Largest Christmas Store
By Linda Tancs
It’s no wonder that Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland in Frankenmuth, Michigan, is dubbed the world’s largest Christmas store. They’ve got over 50,000 trims and gifts, decorations and gifts from 50 nations, 150 styles of nutcrackers and 100,000 lights illuminating the salesroom, among other things. If you want to go really big on the gift-giving, there’s a 17-foot fiberglass Santa Claus for $10,000. Over 2 million visitors arrive at the store each year, a sprawling complex of 45 acres with its own Christmas Lane thoroughfare. The Bronner motto is “Enjoy CHRISTmas, It’s His Birthday; Enjoy LIFE, It’s His Way.” Merry Christmas!
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Big Snow Country
By Linda Tancs
Ottawa National Forest comprises nearly 1 million acres and is located in the western Upper Peninsula of Michigan, extending from the south shore of Lake Superior to the Wisconsin border. Along that border is the small town of Ironwood, a gateway to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Once a mining town, it’s now part of “big snow country,” where winters are long with an average snow accumulation of 200 inches. During ski season, there can be as many as 15,000 people in the area frequenting the six area ski hills and resorts with an abundance of snowmobilers plowing over 485 miles of groomed snowmobile trails. Rounding out the winter sports are dog-sledding, cross-country skiing and ice fishing.
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A Superior Wilderness Experience
By Linda Tancs
Surrounded by Lake Superior and near the border with Canada, Michigan’s Isle Royale is one of the least visited U.S. national parks. That’s to be expected, considering its remote location. All the better for you. Enjoy a car-free experience where the only approved modes of transportation include hiking, boating, canoeing and kayaking. Known for its wolves and moose populations, Craggy Scoville Point is a great spot for viewing some of the roughly 200 rocky islets that form the Isle Royale archipelago. Accessible by ferry, seaplane or private watercraft, there are two boats that service the island from Michigan—the Ranger III from Houghton and the Isle Royale Queen IV from Copper Harbor. The island closes from November 1 – April 15 annually.
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