Mackinac Island is a popular place to visit in the summer. In the winter, the tourist go away and the islanders and locals have the place mostly to themselves. We take a peek at life on the island in the winter and explore places like Fort Mackinac, Fort Holmes, Arch [...]
Vlog
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Our last entry for exploring abandoned Americana. During the Pandemic, we focused on interesting abandoned locations. We discuss the history and some of the people that are mere memories of these locations. This is our last exploration of an abandoned site. Today, it sits on an overlook in East Cleveland. [...]
Noah and I explore the inland waterway in northern Michigan. It has a 3,000 year history and starts in Conway, Michigan to Cheboygan Michigan. We lock through two sets of locks in Alanson and Cheboygan. We pass the world's smallest swinging bridge and complete the 38 mile route just before [...]
Power Island is a small ~200 acre island in Grand Traverse Bay in Michigan. It is a unique slice of forestland in the middle of a tourist mecca with room for hiking and camping. The history is "leisure activity" more than "industry". From famous people to pigs, the island has [...]
he summer residence of Chase Osborn represents an interesting and complex time. Now, called the Chase Osborn Preserve, it is used by the University of Michigan for natural research. But, the historic value seems to be ignored by the University. Perhaps they had to promise to allow it to fall [...]
Defending the Soo Locks. In the sleepy wilderness and towns of the Eastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan lies the ruins of a retired war machine. . . that had enough destructive power to level 300 major cities. We explore Raco Auxiliary Air Field, 753rd Radar Station and Kincheloe Air Force [...]
In a remote area of the Eastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan lies and abandoned time capsule of limestone mining history. The abandoned Fiborn Quarry. We explore the quarry, its remaining buildings and some of its history.
During prohibition, there were thousands of illegal runs across the Canadian border to Michigan. They brought whiskey into the United States, which was illegal because of the Volstead Act. While organized crime gets much of the credit, there were also average Americans that risked life and limb to bring in [...]
Grand Island is one of the newest assets in the National Forest Service inventory. It was added in the early 1990s. It was formerly a private game preserve and privately owned. Today, one can explore the miles of roads, trails and many beaches. I joined an excursion of the Fortune [...]
Da Viking takes the Zodiac Thor across the lower St. Mary's River to Harbor Island for an evening with our "yachting friends" in a remote anchorage. We will see a forward section of a freighter that is a summer cottage near DeTour and a freighter that has been laid up [...]