Thirty Mile Point, NY
Charlotte-Genesee, NY
We had a great time but it is good to be home safe and sound.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
We're home
We arrived home late this afternoon. We detoured from the New York Thruway to drive along the shore of Lake Ontario.
Thirty Mile Point, NY
Charlotte-Genesee, NY
We had a great time but it is good to be home safe and sound.
Thirty Mile Point, NY
Charlotte-Genesee, NY
We had a great time but it is good to be home safe and sound.
Monday - Four State Drive
We decided to head back to Connecticut by heading around the southern coast of Lake Erie. By the time we stopped for the night we had traveled in Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York. We made a few stops on Lake Erie.
Vermillion, Ohio
Fairport Harbor, Ohio
Dunkirk, NY
Vermillion, Ohio
Fairport Harbor, Ohio
Dunkirk, NY
Sunday, September 13, 2009
South to Saginaw, MI
The skies were overcast as we headed south. After we crossed the Mackinac Bridge, we followed Route 23 along Lake Huron.
Cheboygan Lighthouse
Forty Mile Point Light
Sturgeon Point Light
Tawas Point Lighthouse
On the way we stopped in Harrisville, MI to follow a trail of quilt barns.
Part way through our quest, we had to make way for ducklings.
Before we stopped for the night in Saginaw, MI we stopped just north in Bay City to take advantage of the Bay City Loop (Bay County Riverwalk/Railtrail System). We only did the Riverwalk portion of the trail. What our ride lacked in distance, it more than made up with uniqueness and interest. It went along the Saginaw River and included boardwalks out into the river and access to an island.
Lots of birds.
Cheboygan Lighthouse
Forty Mile Point Light
Sturgeon Point Light
Tawas Point Lighthouse
On the way we stopped in Harrisville, MI to follow a trail of quilt barns.
Part way through our quest, we had to make way for ducklings.
Before we stopped for the night in Saginaw, MI we stopped just north in Bay City to take advantage of the Bay City Loop (Bay County Riverwalk/Railtrail System). We only did the Riverwalk portion of the trail. What our ride lacked in distance, it more than made up with uniqueness and interest. It went along the Saginaw River and included boardwalks out into the river and access to an island.
Lots of birds.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
East to Sault Ste. Marie, MI
Our first photo moment this morning was the Tahquamenon Falls.
The upper falls are more that 200 ft wide and drop about 50 ft.
The lower falls are a series of five smaller cascades.
Our next stop was the Whitefish Point and a visit to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum.
From the beach we saw cargo ships heading to Sault Ste. Marie, MI
We continued our journey eastward to Sault Ste. Marie to visit the Soo Locks. The Soo Locks allow ships to travel from Lake Superior into the other lakes. They by-pass the rapids on St. Mary's River. The water level from Lake Superior drops 21 ft before coming out of the locks, into the river and ultimately to Lake Huron.
(Photo from Wikipedia)
The Soo Lock system is owned and operated by the Army Corp of Engineers. Passage is free to all vessels.
These are the ships we saw passing Whitefish Point now in or through the locks.
The ship in the first picture is about 730 ft long. It is similar to the ones that we saw in the Welland Canal.
When we first got to the area of the canals, we saw this ship leaving. We were told that it is the largest of the ships in the great lakes. It is 1013ft long and 105 ft wide. It would not be able to go through the Welland Canal.
The smaller boat in the picture is used to deliver food, etc to the ship so that they do not have to "land."
We look a 2-hr boat tour of the Soo Canal.
We go in the locks and the gates close.
Then the water goes up.
Obviously when we return we start up and go down.
The upper falls are more that 200 ft wide and drop about 50 ft.
The lower falls are a series of five smaller cascades.
Our next stop was the Whitefish Point and a visit to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum.
From the beach we saw cargo ships heading to Sault Ste. Marie, MI
We continued our journey eastward to Sault Ste. Marie to visit the Soo Locks. The Soo Locks allow ships to travel from Lake Superior into the other lakes. They by-pass the rapids on St. Mary's River. The water level from Lake Superior drops 21 ft before coming out of the locks, into the river and ultimately to Lake Huron.
(Photo from Wikipedia)
The Soo Lock system is owned and operated by the Army Corp of Engineers. Passage is free to all vessels.
These are the ships we saw passing Whitefish Point now in or through the locks.
The ship in the first picture is about 730 ft long. It is similar to the ones that we saw in the Welland Canal.
When we first got to the area of the canals, we saw this ship leaving. We were told that it is the largest of the ships in the great lakes. It is 1013ft long and 105 ft wide. It would not be able to go through the Welland Canal.
The smaller boat in the picture is used to deliver food, etc to the ship so that they do not have to "land."
We look a 2-hr boat tour of the Soo Canal.
We go in the locks and the gates close.
Then the water goes up.
Obviously when we return we start up and go down.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Munising, MI - Shipwrecks and Pictured Rocks
After arriving in Munising, MI about noon, we spent about 5 hours on Lake Superior.
First we took the Ship Wreck Tour.
"History comes alive as you hear about these turn of the century wrecks. Explore shipwrecks aboard the Miss Munising , a 60' Coast Guard Certified steel vessel equipped with specially designed through the hull glass viewing areas or the Fireball, the new addition to our fleet. Visit three shipwrecks on the bottom of the lake as seen through a glass viewing area. With fifty feet of visibility, these wrecks may now be seen by non-divers in comfort."
We went along Grand Island.
This year's baby eagle.
At 4pm we boarded our second boat for a tour of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.
"Towering above Lake Superior are the most prominent of the lakeshore's geographic and scientific features, the multicolored sandstone cliffs for which the lakeshore is named. These cliffs reach to a height of 200 feet above the lake and extend more than 12 of the 42 miles of shoreline."
The colored streaks come from the minerals that are leached out of the sandstone by the water running through it. Different minerals yield different colors - white from calcium, green from copper, orange from iron, black from manganese.
Wind and waves yield "sea" caves and arches.
This was a wonderful tour. Again we lucked out with calm "seas" , warm temperatures and sunny skies.
First we took the Ship Wreck Tour.
"History comes alive as you hear about these turn of the century wrecks. Explore shipwrecks aboard the Miss Munising , a 60' Coast Guard Certified steel vessel equipped with specially designed through the hull glass viewing areas or the Fireball, the new addition to our fleet. Visit three shipwrecks on the bottom of the lake as seen through a glass viewing area. With fifty feet of visibility, these wrecks may now be seen by non-divers in comfort."
We went along Grand Island.
This year's baby eagle.
At 4pm we boarded our second boat for a tour of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.
"Towering above Lake Superior are the most prominent of the lakeshore's geographic and scientific features, the multicolored sandstone cliffs for which the lakeshore is named. These cliffs reach to a height of 200 feet above the lake and extend more than 12 of the 42 miles of shoreline."
The colored streaks come from the minerals that are leached out of the sandstone by the water running through it. Different minerals yield different colors - white from calcium, green from copper, orange from iron, black from manganese.
Wind and waves yield "sea" caves and arches.
This was a wonderful tour. Again we lucked out with calm "seas" , warm temperatures and sunny skies.
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