#Michigan dunes state park

[ineedfivemoreminutes]

Since the lightning stone seemed to appeal to folks I’ll post another that I found nearby. I think this was at Michigan Dunes State Park. I don’t know enough about lightning stones to say whether or not the vein of mineral needs to be within a darker stone or not to have that name, or if this is just a regular concretion. Maybe a Great Lakes rockhound or geologist can chime in.

[shutterandsentence]

What would happen if we embraced change instead of fearing it?

Photo: Sleeping Bear Dunes, Michigan

[moonville-tunnel]

indiana dunes state/national park - may 2024

[rustbeltjessie]

July 10: Kohler-Andrae State Park. A taxidermy badger in the nature center, a view of the dunes as seen from the beach, a sandcastle the kiddos and I made, and another view of the dunes as seen from the observation deck atop the nature center.

[rafefar]

Free spirit

[polybiiex]

\\\ WIP ///

i can only look outward because there is nothing inside me.

[amalgamatedalcove]

Lake Michigan Sunset - Indiana Dunes State Park by Andrew Parlette Via Flickr: A sunset view from "Devils Slide" sand dune in Indiana Dunes State Park. Parts of the Chicago skyline are seen across Lake Michigan with the setting sun. This was a short hike up from the beach, along with many trails through the state park and surrounding Indianna Dunes National Park.

[csny]

the beautiys of illinois

majestic waterfalls of the north fork of the chicago river

the perilous scraggly peaks of rockford

city state of chicago, viewed from the placid waters of lake michigan

illinois beach state park sand dunes

the joyously colorful rolling hills of terre haute

shawnee national forest

lower wacker drive

the state’s great capital, springfield

the rambling eastern border along the mississippi river

paul bunyan statue

[nashpotatoesoutdoorshow]

Warren Dunes State Park has 3 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline, 6 miles of hiking trails, and 222 campsites!

[jmpphoto]

Little Sable Point Lighthouse by James Marvin Phelps Via Flickr: Little Sable Point Lighthouse Silver Lake State Park - Lake Michigan Michigan The Little Sable Point Lighthouse, standing tall along the shores of Lake Michigan, is a striking testament to maritime history and architectural beauty. Built in 1874, this 107-foot beacon rises above the sandy dunes of Silver Lake State Park, its brick exterior contrasting sharply with the surrounding natural landscape. The lighthouse once guided mariners through the perilous waters of the lake, its light casting a reassuring glow for miles. Today, it serves as both a historic landmark and a popular destination for visitors, offering breathtaking views from its tower and a glimpse into the region's rich nautical heritage.

[tacoma-narrows]

Tacoma's Yearly Calendar Photos!

Every year, I make a wall calendar with photos I've taken over the years and get them printed to give out as holiday gifts to my family and some friends! Now that the one I'd shipped out has reached it's destination hehe, I wanted to post these here as well! So Rare Tacoma Photography Post be upon thee !! (Captions as to what each photo is and where/when it was taken is below!)

Sunset over the Mediterranean - Capri, Italy - May 2023

Space Shuttle Enterprise - Intrepid Museum, New York, NY - February 2020

Road Rally Ride Vehicles - Dorney Park, South Whitehall, PA - March 2024

Circular Congregational Church - Charleston, SC - July 2019

Flowering Wisteria - Capri, Italy - May 2023

Angel Statue and Live Oak Tree - Bonaventure Cemetery, Savannah, GA - April 2019

Fourth of July Fireworks - Blairstown, NJ - July 2024

Ruins and Poppies - Pompeii, Italy - May 2023

Chicago Skyline at Night across Lake Michigan - Indiana Dunes State Park, IN - September 2024

Impulse Sign at Night - Knoebels, Elysburg, PA - October 2020

Neon Martini Sign - Florence, Italy - April 2023

Christmas Display - Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, PA - December 2023

Meeting Street at Dusk - Charleston, SC - July 2019

[mothmiso]

Pilgrim Haven Natural Area (2) (3) (4) (5) by Bill Dolak

Via Flickr:

(1) Lake Michigan Shoreline South of South Haven. These dunes, just north of Van Buren State Park, are privately owned. The steam is from Palisades (nuclear) Power Plant.     

[cowboyhatesithere]

1. Acadia National Park, Maine

2. American Samoa National Park, American Samoa

3. Arches National Park, Utah

4. Badlands National Park, South Dakota

5. Big Bend National Park, Texas

6. Biscayne National Park, Florida

7. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado

8. Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

9. Canyonlands National Park, Utah

10. Capitol Reef National Park, Utah

11. Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico

12. Channel Islands National Park, California

13. Congaree National Park, South Carolina

14. Crater Lake National Park, Oregon

15. Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio

16. Death Valley National Park, California & Nevada

17. Denali National Park, Alaska

18. Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida

19. Everglades National Park, Florida

20. Gates of the Arctic National Park, Alaska

21. Gateway Arch National Park, Missouri

22. Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska

23. Glacier National Park, Montana

24. Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

25. Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

26. Great Basin National Park, Nevada

27. Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado

28. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee & North Carolina

29. Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas

30. Haleakalā National Park, Hawaii

31. Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii

32. Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas

33. Indiana Dunes National Park, Indiana

34. Isle Royale National Park, Michigan

35. Joshua Tree National Park, California

36. Katmai National Park, Alaska

37. Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska

38. Kings Canyon National Park, California

39. Kobuk Valley National Park, Alaska

40. Lake Clark National Park, Alaska

41. Lassen Volcanic National Park, California

42. Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky

43. Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado

44. Mount Rainier National Park, Washington

45. New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, West Virginia

46. North Cascades National Park, Washington

47. Olympic National Park, Washington

48. Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona

49. Pinnacles National Park, California

50. Redwood National Park, California

51. Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

52. Saguaro National Park, Arizona

53. Sequoia National Park, California

54. Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

55. Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota

56. Virgin Islands National Park, United States Virgin Islands

57. Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota

58. White Sands National Park, New Mexico

59. Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota

60. Wrangell—St. Elias National Park, Alaska

61. Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, Montana & Idaho

62. Yosemite National Park, California

63. Zion National Park, Utah

[buffalojournal]

Two Poems by Jessie Lynn McMains

Secret

is I stabbed summer      watched it twitch and spurt, dark, arterial        crunched the husks of late cicadas esoteric as the leaves                 we use to cross our sacred wounds            mystic is her lemonlips         the fuzz soft above        them charcoal smudge of shadow                   over her clavicle I wanna wake up in       November with a sprig       of verbena planted        in the pocket of my leather jacket       her fingers fuzzing on the stubble of my                  brooding clouds crisp wind rustle in        the oaktrees how sweet how soft she                 sing to me

At the Denny’s in Michigan City, Indiana, at 2 a.m. in Mid-October

everyone’s loonier than a junebug in a Canadian goose- feathered bed. One middle-aged fella in a Van Halen t-shirt with the sleeves torn off stuffs his mouth fulla straws and whistles “Dusty Crabapple Pie.” The old-timers in the back booth play poker for packets of non-dairy creamer and Sweet n’ Low, sling stories of glory days hunting Mud Mermaids and Wild Men. There’s a drunk lady who’s 30 or 45 or maybe 67, she doesn’t need anybody but she wants somebody to love. She stumbles from table to table, asks every man and half the women if they want to go neck in the bathroom. Her hair is the color of motor oil puddled on the floor of Moore’s Auto Repair, and if she’s especially fond of ya she’ll pull her shorts down and give you a flash of her star-freckled ass— but she’ll smack ya if you try to trace the constellations.

At the Denny’s in Michigan City, Indiana, at 2 a.m. in mid-October they have a secret menu. Sure, you can get the Grand Slam Slugger or the Moons Over My Hammy, but you should ask about the house specialities. Like Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammo, where they cut the flapjacks into crosses and arrange the bacon in the shape of a gun, and the eggs are boiled hard as bullets. Or Uncle Sam’s Thanksgiving—a deep-fried turkey leg stuck through with lit sparklers. Sometimes, if the fishing was good that day, they have fillet of Mud Mermaid. Once in a blue moon you can get The Elvis Platter.

At the Denny’s in Michigan City, Indiana, at 2 a.m. in mid-October they only play one song, which is a mashup of songs by the most famous Hoosier musicians. It’s called “Hurts So Good Runnin’ With the Devil Billie Jean in Paradise City.” It would be obnoxious if you could hear it over the din of spoons and trash talk, if you weren’t so tired you’d pass out facedown in your flapjacks if you didn’t have to get back on the road to Michigan.

At the Denny’s in Michigan City, Indiana, at 2 a.m. in mid-October the night manager—who’s also the host—is the spitting ghost- twin of latter-day Elvis. Fat and bedazzled with a queasy quaalude smile. When you arrive, he greets you with a ‘hunka-hunka-burnin’ love,’ and when you leave he says: “It’s so good to see ya, darlin’. I haven’t seen ya ‘round here in years.” When you tell him you’ve never been to that Denny’s, or to Michigan City, before in your life, he says: “Of course ya have. I knew ya when you were knee-high to a soybean. We’d go down to the Town of Pines and boogie with the Wild Men. We’d go up to the state park and have hotdog-eating contests on the sand dunes. Don’t ya remember?”

At the Denny’s in Michigan City, Indiana, at 2 a.m. in mid-October you say no, you don’t remember, that wasn’t you, he must have mistaken you for someone else. “Not possible,” Elvis says. “Not possible.” And at the Denny’s in Michigan City, Indiana, at 2 a.m. in mid-October when you’re goose-tired and fulla greased hash and headed for Kalamazoo you never know. Darlin’, you just never know.

🦬 Jessie Lynn McMains

[cur-vy]

[rjzimmerman]

Great Lakes piping plover Imani stretches his wings after helping to incubate an egg at Montrose Beach in Chicago on May 31, 2024. The Chicago Park District announced the presence of a new egg on the protected area at the Montrose Beach Dunes. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)

Great Lakes piping plover Searocket looks for food near a nest where she laid an egg at Montrose Beach on May 31, 2024, in Chicago. The Park District announced the presence of a new egg on the protected area at Montrose Beach Dunes. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)

Excerpt from this story from the Chicago Tribune:

Captive-reared piping plovers are making history as they guard two separate nests with eggs in Waukegan and Chicago.

Three plover eggs were documented Saturday in Waukegan, and 30 miles down the Lake Michigan shoreline, another egg was confirmed at Montrose Beach.

“This is an historic event for the Great Lakes Piping Plover Project,” said Brad Semel, endangered species recovery specialist for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

Three of the four parents-to-be, Blaze, Pepper and Searocket, hatched in a captive-rearing facility in Michigan last summer. They were released as chicks near Montrose Beach and Illinois Beach State Park in Zion last July, and have returned from their southerly wintering locations to start families.

The fourth plover is Imani, born in the wild at Montrose Beach to Monty and Rose, the famous plover pair that first captured Chicago’s attention in 2019.

Captive-reared plovers have never laid eggs in Illinois before, only in Michigan, Semel said.

Carolyn Lueck, a volunteer plover monitor with the Lake County Audubon Society’s Sharing Our Shore-Waukegan program has been visiting Blaze and Pepper almost daily since the plovers returned from two different wintering homes within a day of each other in May.

“By Saturday, we had three eggs and were anticipating a fourth,” said Lueck, a former Lake Forest and Chicago resident who now lives in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin. If the captive-reared plovers can raise wild piping plovers, that will show the “great experiment,” to save the endangered shorebird species can be successful, she said.

“Blaze and Pepper have been very diligent,” Lueck said. “They never leave that nest unattended. They’re protecting it from the grackles and other threats.”