We explore the ruins of an abandoned factory - formerly the Rowe Manufacturing Company - in rural Newaygo, Michigan. The internal power plant's structure still exists over a century later. The ruins have two, still flowing, water races. They used to provide power to a large manufacturing plant which produced [...]
Local Travel
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In our zodiac rubber boat, which I affectionately call a “dinghy,” we wobbled over the waves of the St. Mary’s River to Lime Island for our annual family camping trip. Charlotte (8 -10) and Noah (3 -5) endured this ride differently. Charlotte embraced the splashing waves while Noah hunkered down […]
Walking up the stone stairway into the castle-looking prison a young family wearing pajama pants followed. Their four year old girl was leashed and their one year old was in mom’s arms. As we waited in line for our tickets to tour the Ohio State Reformatory I noticed the adults […]
When America was younger, it had to reinvent itself to grow. The 4-lane "super highway" was a new development just before World War II. The first super highway was the Pennsylvania Turnpike. It was built for just over $61 million and with a lot of new ideas and engineering. There [...]
Yes. There’s a village called Christmas, Michigan in the upper peninsula. Earnest interest brought us there to investigate the holiday celebrations reaching far into the northern parts of our state. The last port of the Christmas Tree Schooner was our first stop. It’s a powerfully sad story! We learned a […]
Did you know that speakeasies were most often marked with a green door? I was curious to locate a historical speakeasy. I researched the Chicago Tribune and found a list of secret watering holes. The Green Door Tavern harbored one such establishment . . . hidden downstairs. We ate dinner […]
The wispy mist slowly curled up from the coffee-colored water. The crispness of the air was refreshing but hinted at sharp discomfort. We were layered up and warm, but this was just beginning. The milky swirls slowly parted as a hulking steel corrugated scoop came into view. The bottom suddenly [...]
Michigan has some unique destinations. Lately, the state has been ranked in a number of "top 10 lists" for places like Pictured Rocks, Sleeping Bear and Isle Royale. They are worth visiting. But don’t limit yourself to the same tired and busy places. Seriously, this state has so much more [...]
Henrik G. Olsen who served at White Shoal from 1910-1922. Enjoy this glimpse of White Shoal history circa 1914. White Shoal Lighthouse 2016 Have you ever been covered in cobwebs and mayflies while climbing a 20-foot ladder above Lake Michigan? Well, I have. After a 15-mile excursion in our Zodiac [...]
July of 2019. I took a little trip with the Zodiac “Thor”. 33 miles one way in open water. We explore some of the history and open water loneliness.