Pictures from the Straits of Mackinac

[Uper]

Some Mackinac Island from the Bay and more:

 

[quads]

Beautiful! Someday I would like to go there and see it in person.

 

[SlyFerret]

I soooo want to live up on the U.P.

-SF

 

[savageactor7]

Oh thanks for posting...just recently saw a special on the building of that bridge too.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

My wife and I crossed it just a couple weeks ago. We never tire of seeing it either.

SlyFerret, yes, it is a great place to live! Some beautiful country but you also have to like living in a cold climate and in most areas, lots and lots of snow. It does usually warm up for the 4th of July though. Tough sledding for a couple months of the year but most months are good.

 

[gibson]

Fascinated by the Great Lakes. Dipped my toes in Lake Michigan at Oak Street Beach in Chicago last month, but didn't trust swimming in it. Others were swimming up and down "Navy Pier". Can't believe that an inner city beach can be all that clean? Would love to really experience the Great Lakes. Does the water get comfortable for swimming where you are? By comfortable, I mean over 68 degrees.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

John, mostly wait until late July and August for most swimming in the Great Lakes. One can certainly swim before these times but the water is generally pretty chilly. You certainly know you've been swimming after you get out. You just feel different. That said, Superior is the coldest of the Great Lakes. Michigan is a bit warmer and warmer yet for Huron, etc.

It seems to me the water temperature reaches its peak near Labor Day for all the Great Lakes. Most times the average temperature of Superior is way below 70 as 70 is about as warm as that lake ever gets except for a few isolated spots like little bays.

I'm wondering why you did not trust swimming there in Chicago?

 

[thewoodlands]

Uper great pictures, did you fish at all?

zap

 

[Uper]

Zap, I haven't fished that area. It's on the Lake Huron side of the Straits. My wife works with a guy that lives in St. Ignace on the water. He could have been looking out his window and seen the ferry coming over that I took the pictures from. Anyway, He goes out into that area and over on Munuscong Bay. He brings back Lake Trout periodically. Those fillets are the prettiest orange color, and very tasty! He was out in the Straits last Friday and came away empty. There were a few boats out there this morning trying their hand. The whitefish is very good around here also. I have only been fishing on a smaller inland lake. But that has slowed for me of late.

Senator, There is an area we call the Dunes located on the north side of Lake Michigan about 10-15 miles west of St. Ignace on US-2. People swim there quite often. In fact last Friday the place was loaded with people. We were on our way for some blueberry picking and forgot to bring our suits or we would have joined them. Pretty territory if your of a mind to visit some day. I have to agree with Dennis though, the swimming doesn't get going into full swing usually until July. I wouldn't venture much into Lake Superior although some folks around Marquette have a spot they jump off rocks into the lake. Hardy souls!

 

[raven]

Uper i have to ask a couple questions if you dont mind. I drove past the dunes a week or so ago and i dont ever remember seeing so many people enjoying that beautiful stretch of shore line . Are more people using that stretch lately? And i have to ask , i didnt get to go after the white fish and herring during the hatch ( mayfly ) this yr . Do you have any idea how it was this yr?

 

[woodsman23]

Lake erie is 77 as of today... clean as a whistle

 

[Uper]

Uper i have to ask a couple questions if you dont mind. I drove past the dunes a week or so ago and i dont ever remember seeing so many people enjoying that beautiful stretch of shore line . Are more people using that stretch lately? And i have to ask , i didnt get to go after the white fish and herring during the hatch ( mayfly ) this yr . Do you have any idea how it was this yr?

This year there have been a lot of people using the dunes area. I used to live in Epoufette, so I would pass there 5 times a week. When the weather gets nice the folks turn out. Last week we drove through there and it was almost end to end cars parked along the highway and people in the water. Last year we didn't get much summer and the numbers were way down.

As fas as the Herring I have no answer. I haven't heard a thing. Whitefish is doing okay as far as I know, but that may be the commercial fisherman. I like to attend the American Legion fish fry's on Fridays. There's no shortage of whitefish that's for sure. The one person I know that fishes the Straits usually goes for Lake Trout and that has been hit or miss this year for him. Although his friend did come into my wife's office and ask if anyone wanted some fish. Then followed it up with how much? She got four beautiful fillets at no cost. That doesn't happen very often!

 

[Hiram Maxim]

Just got back from "Da Yopper" last night "you betcha" ;-P

Was up in Cedarville for the good part of last week.

Fresh Air, Blue Sky, Wolves Howling, 4 wheeling, shooting guns, star gazing, fresh cut cedar trees, and walking through the forest.

There are so many Sugar Maples up there, might have to bring some seedlings home :cheese:

Good clean living right there!