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Hi everybody,

I am very excited to be the new Great Lakes editor. There is so much to write about.

Hope you are all enjoying your summer days -I sure am.

August is closing in on us, but there are still many summer days left for us to relax and take in the outdoors, whether it be hiking, camping, biking, or going for a long drive.

Feel free to share some of your summer activities or trips you have taken. We'd all love to hear about them.

Sharon
Posted By: "Rosie" Re: Welcome to the Great Lakes site! - 07/28/08 01:42 PM
Hi Sharon, welcome to the forum, hope you enjoy your stay
Posted By: Trish-D Re: Welcome to the Great Lakes site! - 07/28/08 01:46 PM
Welcome Sharon. I'm a Michigan native. I look forward to reading your articles on all the Great Lakes states. You will love it here at BellaOnline.
Posted By: rdywenur Re: Welcome to the Great Lakes site! - 12/01/08 11:42 PM
Lake Effects....and winter snow oh no. My favorite time of the year is the summer where I spend most of my time on the beaches of Lake Ontario. Never got a chance to take the ride on our now defunct ferry to Toronto frown I like the beach best during a weekday when its quiet and the boaters aren't all lined up down the beach coast hogging the waters.

Posted By: SpiritualArtist Re: Welcome to the Great Lakes site! - 12/02/08 12:40 AM
Welcome to Bellaonline Sharon. I'm from Michigan as well. I have fond memories of spending time on the beaches of Lake Michigan. I also lived for 6 months on Macinac Island when I was in college and will never forget the straits, the ferry rides, etc. (though I hate driving on the Macinaw Bridge - too scary). Again, welcome. smile
Posted By: khawk Re: Welcome to the Great Lakes site! - 12/05/08 02:54 PM
I live in Northern Michigan, near the Mackinaw Bridge and I also hate driving across it. In case anyone is interested, we have tons of snow. almost 2 feet already and its not even officially winter yet. Snowboarding, skiing and snowmobiling are big up here. My daughter broke her wrist last saturday snowboarding already...so wear your safety gear. Just wanted to let everyone know if your looking for snow for outdoor activities...we have it and the ski hills are open and ready for tourists.
Posted By: NewYorkMegan Re: Welcome to the Great Lakes site! - 01/05/09 09:44 AM
You guys have me totally curious! What is scary about the Mackinaw Bridge? Inquiring minds need to know! wink
Posted By: Claybird Re: Welcome to the Great Lakes site! - 01/05/09 09:01 PM
The Mackinaw bridge is very high and seems narrow, so if you have any issues with heights you won't like driving over it. I hear that you can arrange to have a bridge worker drive you over it if you just can't do it yourself.
Then there is the story of the small car that was blown off the bridge some years ago during a storm, the driver was killed of course. I think that they have made safety improvements since then but that does stick in my mind.
However, the UP is beautiful and totally worth the white-knuckle bridge drive.
I live in MI. My mother was born and raised in the UP, but moved to mid-Michigan for college, marriage, and rest of life.

At times I have been a little nervous when crossing the bridge, especially when it is windy. I remember well the car that went over the side due to wind, because we had crossed within 12 hours of that car going over. There is a windsheer at times, plus the feeling of being so high and sometimes feeling like there is not much support underneath.

It can also be an exhilarating experience, and if you are not driving the view is tremendous.
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