The Free Press has a neat video series on the Great Lakes

At Freep.com you can view a neat video series on the Great Lakes put together by columnist Mike Wendland. There are currently two videos up - Lake Superior and Lake Michigan. The Lake Superior video begins with the Soo Locks. Other highlights of this video are - Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, a commercial Whitefish (yum! visit ScalawagsWhitefish.com for a location near you) operation, and the U.P. Pasty.

View the Lake Superior video

The Lake Michigan video features - Petoskey stones (official state stone), trillium (official state flower), Sleeping Bear Dunes, and ends with one of Lake Michigan's famous sunsets.

View the Lake Michigan video

Ten Things to do this Summer

At the end of last summer I posted my personal Top Ten Regrets from Summer 2006. I am turning them into my Top Ten List for Summer 2007 so I don't forget to enjoy the summer.

1. Eat more ice cream (I am already working on this one)
2. Drink more lemonade (and Iced Tea)
3. Watch more sunsets
4. Sit on the back deck and enjoy the evening (just got to avoid the mosquitos)
5. Go to the beach
6. Spend an afternoon just reading a book
7. Go to a Detroit Tigers game
8. Go camping (probably won't happen with a baby due in July)
9. Relax in the yard more and mow less
10. Slow down and just enjoy these lazy summer days

Grayling Amusement Park to have 'Main Street America' theme

I have previously posted on the possibility of an amusement park coming to Grayling in March and last July. The newest plans to come forth from the park's potential builder, Axiom Entertainment, sound rather ambitious (to put it mildly). The idea for the overall theme of the park is 'Main Street America'. Plans for the 1,800 acre site include:

• Roller Coasters (can't be an amusement park without 'em, right?)
• Water Park (not sure if this is strictly outdoor, indoor, or a combination)
• Indoor Surfing
• Snowmobile Tracks
• Race Car Tracks
• Snowboarding
• A Working Farm
• 200 Acre Campground
• Amphitheater
• Hotel
• Shopping

Construction could begin this year with a partial park opening in the summer of 2010, local officials said.

Here are the comments folks left when I first posted about this potential park last July. What a bad idea!!! If it comes, I,m leaving for good. Grayling is an old fashion, trusting kind of town. This park will bring all kinds of scum and crooks. Grayling will never be the same. - Tammie Might be the only thing to improve the job oppotunities in this part of the state, everyone else seems to be leaving. - CDM I think it’s an awsome idea!!! can’t and you wont please everyone =) that’s what makes politics so fun! - Rick

Well, last I knew, Crawford County, where Grayling is located, was the poorest county in the state. That was some time ago and over the years it doesn’t seem to have changed much. It would certainly bring much needed money into the area.

Since it is straight up the !-75 corridor, it would be an easy jaunt. It would bring more tourists to the area. Not only would Grayling benefit but so would other towns that surround it. The motels would be full. The restaurants packed. But Grayling, at this point, does not have an abundance of either. Much less gas stations and supermarkets. And Grayling offers nothing in the way of shopping so they would eventually have to deal with that aspect as well.

It will cause the town to take pause and consider hiring more law enforcement as well. There are numerous things they will have to take into consideration.

What I don’t understand is how are they going to keep that park open year round, with the winters we have in the area? It’ll be interesting to see how it all unfolds. Needless to say, there is going to be even more rif raf coming into the area and overflowing into the surrounding towns as well. Just what we all want to deal with. Yea! - Binky

It will be interesting to see how this all plays out. Will the park be built? Will it draw enough tourists to stay in business? Will it help improve the Grayling economy?

We'll just have to wait and see.

Via the Traverse City Record Eagle

Website lets you search for over 600 of Michigan's rare plants and animals

Michigan's Natural Features Inventory (MNFI) is an organization that is a part of the Michigan State University Extension. On their website you will find a searchable database of 665 of Michigan's rare plants and animals (I never knew there were so many that are considered rare). The search is customizable and allows users to search "based on name, habitat, survey time, protection status or rank."

Why have such a website? Let the MNFI mission statement answer that -

"To actively contribute to decisions that impact the conservation of biological and ecological diversity by collecting, analyzing, and communicating information about rare and declining plants and animals, and the array of natural communities and ecosystems native to Michigan."

I would like to see specific geographic areas (like southwest Michigan, or even by county) as one of the search parameters. The habitat parameter is a bit confusing to those not in the know as to what defines, for instance, a "Palustrine wet meadow" without the benefit of a web search (why should you have to do a search so you can perform a search?).

By the way, Palustrine comes from the Latin word "palus" or marsh. Palustrine systems are basically inland wetlands that lack a source of flowing water and contain "ocean derived salts in concentrations of less than .05%."

I just wondered what rare animals and plants were in our general area, but again, the search does not have a specific location delimiter. Otherwise, this is a pretty neat deal for educators and those that want to know more about the area we live in.

P.S. I came across the MNFI website while browsing our state website, Michigan.gov. Your tax dollars pay for it, you might as well use it. I always find interesting stuff there. :)

Visit our new Mackinac Bridge page

I just put up a page at Squidoo.com about the Mackinac Bridge. In case you didn't know, this year marks the 50th anniversary of the completion and opening of the bridge. Numerous events are being held this year in honor of the Mackinac Bridge's 50th and there is some pretty neat stuff at the page I created. At the new page you can view a current picture of the bridge and see what the current bridge conditions are for crossing the Mighty Mac. Information about how much tolls cost, great pictures of the bridge, odd facts, and 8mm footage of the old car ferry service that was rendered obsolete when the bridge opened on November 1, 1957.

You will also find links to other great resources on the web that are all about the famous Mackinac Bridge.

I think it is pretty neat. Hope you do, too. Check it out.

Remember Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a day to remember those who have fallen fighting for our country. You don't have to agree with the war or the president, but you should pay your respects to those willing to serve in our Armed Forces. Last year I wrote a post following Memorial Day with the title, Did You Remember Memorial Day?.

I feel the theme of that post is of enough value to merit it's annual inclusion at this blog. This time I am posting it before Memorial Day. Read it below.

In the midst of all the cookouts, car races, and sporting events over the weekend did you remember why we celebrate Memorial Day? It is what I like to call, an unfortunate holiday. Wouldn’t it be far better to not have fallen soldiers to remember?

This world does not afford us the luxury of avoiding conflicts and wars. Therefore, we must remember why we celebrate Memorial Day. Lately, it seems, Memorial Day has been presented as more of the kickoff to summer instead of a solemn day of remembering those who gave their lives for our nation’s freedom.

Did you wave to the veterans in a Memorial Day parade yesterday? When the flag went by did you stand, remove your hat, and despite the heat still feel goosebumps?

Watch a parade on Monday. Stand up as the flag is carried past and clap for the veterans that have served our country proudly. Visit a cemetery and squint at the sunlight sharply reflecting off of the hundreds of American Flags waving in the soft breeze over the graves of veterans.

Remember Memorial Day.