Grand Sable Dunes & Log Slide

These photos are of the Grand Sable Dunes and Log Slide area along Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan's upper peninsula.

The spot where I was taking the picture from is almost 300 feet from the water below. It is recommended that if you decide to walk, or slide for that matter, down the dunes, and make the walk back up, you should plan on having at least an hour for the return climb, and you should also not have a heart condition. We decided to enjoy the view from above. Maybe next time we visit, we'll ride on one of the charter boats to get the view from down below.

Back in the late 19th century, this spot was used by loggers who rolled and slid the logs down the dunes on a wooden slide to be loaded on lumber schooners waiting in the cold waters below.

Driftwood

I found this piece of driftwood on a Lake Superior beach during our camping trip in June. Up in the top left corner, covered with fog, is Lake Superior.

Alpena Harbor

I took a walk out on the pier in Alpena last week and took a bunch of shots. I will share more as time goes by, but this shot of the fueling station was my favorite. I love the way the lights reflect off of the water. I just wish I had Photoshop or PSP so I could erase those ugly power lines.

Dwarf Lake Iris

Michigan State Wildflower : Dwarf Lake Iris

This miniature iris grows nowhere else in the world but in the Great Lakes Region. Most of the world's Dwarf Lake Iris population lies within Michigan's boundaries. It is known outside of Michigan only from Manitoulin Island and the Bruce Peninsula in Ontario, and the Door Peninsula of Wisconsin. In Michigan, Dwarf Lake Iris is especially concentrated along certain stretches of the northern Great Lakes shoreline, where it may occur for miles, interrupted only by habitat destruction, degradation, or unsuitable habitat such as rocky points or marshy bays.

It is threatened by loss of habitat due to increased human activity along the shoreline. Human disturbance such as shoreline development and intensive recreation are major threats. Dwarf Lake Iris is listed as a "threatened" species by the federal government and the state of Michigan.

Dwarf Lake Iris was first found on Mackinac Island in 1810 by Thomas Nuttall, a renowned naturalist and explorer. Nuttall reached Mackinac Island after travelling from Detroit by canoe with French Canadian voyagers and the surveyor for the Michigan Territory. At least 1/3 of the species that Nuttall reported from the Great Lakes were new to science.

Mirror Image

This is a view of the Thunder Bay River as seen from the Briley Township park in Atlanta, Michigan. I was actually out trying to get some water lily shots when I noticed the sky reflecting off of the calm water.

St. Mary's Bridge

I snapped these photos while we were on our trip in the upper peninsula. This is the St. Mary's Bridge which crosses the St. Mary's river and connects the US side of Sault Ste. Marie to Sault Ste. Marie, Canada. The St. Mary's river connects Lake Superior and Lake Huron, and is also where the Soo Locks are located.

Lake Superior Campsite View

This past June, my family and I went on a week long camping trip to Lake Superior State Campground in Michigan's upper peninsula. This was the view looking out at Lake Superior from our campsite.

A View Of Lake Huron

I took this picture at a Lake Huron beach in northern Michigan last summer when my husband and I took the kids swimming.

Dream Home

This house is located in a town nearby. Every time I drive by I tell my kids or whoever is with me that this house is my future home. I'm not exactly fond of the location (I would rather be in the country), but I absolutely adore the house.

Crisp Point Lighthouse

I usually make a trip up to this lighthouse every couple of years. Sometimes, as was the case this year, there is a caretaker there and they will let you go in and look out from the top of the lighthouse. It is quite a sight to look out over the majesty of Lake Superior from the top. Very beautiful...

http://www.crisppointlighthouse.org

Splash!

The waves crash onto the breakwall near the Grand Marais lighthouse in Michigan's upper peninsula.

In Loving Memory

I came across this memorial on a Lake Superior beach in Grand Marais, Michigan during a camping trip in August of 2007. I was curious as to the story behind the names on the cross, so I did a little research and found the following link.

http://www.mennoweekly.org/OCTOBER/10-23-06/DROWN10-23.html?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp