Why The Great Lakes Are Great

I saw the below video shared on social media this week and it did a decent job of summing up why the Great Lakes are so great. Growing up in Michigan, I can remember studying HOMES (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior) back in elementary school geography lessons and how the glaciers formed the Great Lakes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBRcOLcEwF0

It seemed like every year around Michigan Week (does anyone remember Michigan Week?) we would focus on Michigan history and geography which inevitably lead to studying the Great Lakes. I believe it was in the 4th grade when we watched this 1968 film (yes, it was on a film reel!). Funny, how the image of the man in the midst of the polluted waters has stuck with me all these years later.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afs_A_Lz2w4

Just watched this again for the first time in over 30 years and it was a real nostalgic treat. Amidst the schmaltzy music and humor you do get a good overview of how The Great Lakes formed.

Probably around this same time period in elementary school, we also watched this Canadian classic - Paddle to the Sea. The possibility that you could send a little boat down a stream in the woods and it would flow all the way through the Great Lakes to the ocean always intrigued me as a child.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olXmGz4iCxM

Does anyone else remember watching these films back in the day? How about Michigan Week?

Which Great Lake is your favorite for swimming?

With the temperature in the 90s the next two days it got me thinking about going to the beach. Specifically any beach along Lake Michigan since it's the Great Lake that is closest to us. Then I started to wonder if people had a favorite Great Lake and that brings us to a new poll question! My personal favorite is Lake Michigan mainly because of its proximity and sandy bottom along west Michigan's shoreline. I have never attempted a swim in Lake Superior - I dipped my toe in and that was enough. The only time I was over at Lake Erie was before it started to get cleaned up and there was no way I was swimming in that. I've never been to Lake Ontario and the one time I was at Lake Huron it wasn't warm enough for swimming.

So, how about you?

[poll id="48"]

War of 1812 National Archives Film

Learn about the War of 1812 and the importance of the Great Lakes in this short film. The fall of Detroit on August 16, 1812 and the Battle of Lake Erie in 1813 were two important moments in the War of 1812. The British Navy's defeat in the Battle of Lake Erie gave us the famous quote from Oliver Hazard Perry, "We have met the enemy, and they are ours."

Edmund Fitzgerald sank 35 years ago today

The Edmund Fitzgerald sank November 10, 1975 taking the lives of all 29 crew members on board. It's hard to believe that 35 years have passed since this tragedy and I'm sure it's even hard for the friends and family of the 29 men who died. Here is a roundup of Edmund Fitzgerald posts I have made over the years -

Remembering the 29 men who perished when the Edmund Fitzgerald sank on Nov. 10, 1975

Lyrics to Gordon Lightfoot’s ‘The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald’

Beautiful video tribute to the 29 crewmen of the Edmund Fitzgerald

SS Edmund Fitzgerald – LEGO model

Perfect Storm Caused Fitzgerald to Sink

Sailboats at the docks on Mackinac Island, September 1959

This is another great shot that I found in a box of old slides that were purchased at an estate sale. I love the reflections on the water. I have added more slides from Mackinac Island and the Holland Tulip Festival from the late 1950s to my Flickr account. Coming later this week - photos of the Mackinac Bridge during its construction. There are some great ones!

Dave Dempsey - 2009 Michigan Author Award Winner

Dave Dempsey is known as an "environmental" writer. His books include such topics as the Great Lakes, conservation in Michigan, and a biography of Michigan's environmentally friendly governor - William G. Milliken. Dempsey has long been a champion of preserving and protecting Michigan's environment and also had his book, On the Brink: the Great Lakes in the 21st Century, awarded by placement on the 2005 Michigan Notable Book list. Said Dempsey of the 2009 Michigan Author Award -

“It’s both humbling and exciting to receive this award, since Michigan is my home and the source of my writing inspiration. Its land, water, wildlife and people are an amazing tableau,” said Dempsey. “In both the writing I’ve done and the writing I hope to do, I want to tell stories about people who made a difference and the places that shaped them. The Library of Michigan is a remarkable public asset that has made such research possible.”

Other books authored by Dempsey:

Great Lakes for Sale: From Whitecaps to Bottlecaps William G. Milliken: Michigan's Passionate Moderate Ruin and Recovery: Michigan's Rise as a Conservation Leader