Michigan

1958 Vintage card showing Mackinac Bridge - the largest
suspension bridge in the world -anchorage to anchorage
Opened November 1, 1957

Michigan is a state that has four of the Great Lakes as its borders.  Lake Michigan, Lake Huron and the Straits of Mackinac actually divide what is called the Upper Peninsula from the Lower Peninsula.    This northwestern section of the state is mostly forested and home to one of the world’s oldest mountain ranges.  For the outdoor sportsman, the Upper Peninsula is paradise. For extreme adventure you can visit Isle Royale National Park located in the waters of Lake Huron.  It is accessible only by boat or seaplane and remains a remote wilderness with an abundance of wildlife including wolves and moose.    

 
Tourists flock to Mackinac Island for their own “Somewhere in Time” experience.   The hotel where this popular movie was filmed is The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. An exclusive resort community, quaint shops, no motorized vehicles and a look at the Victorian era  have made this island a prime destination.  I have never been to the Upper Peninsula and would love to see it. 
  

Petosky stones shaped to look like Michigan

 

 

 

 

When I visit Michigan I usually am in Traverse City to visit my brother and my sisters-in- law who live nearby.  Traverse City is very tourist oriented as it is one of the most popular places in Michigan.  The Grand Traverse Bay is usually filled with those enjoying all kinds of water sports from sailing to wind surfing to beach combing for Petosky stones. The Petosky Stone is the state stone and one found only in Michigan.  The stones are actually fossilized coral that were formed by the pressure of glaciers and polished over eons in the waters of Lake Michigan to become the smooth stones found along beaches in the spring.  When dry they appear to be plain limestone pebbles but when wet or polished they reveal the unique fossilized coral.

Sleeping Bear Dune Climb Score Card

One of my sisters –in-law lives near the end of the Mission Peninsula in a wonderful home in the pine trees on the bay.  Just a short distance north of her place is the Mission Lighthouse. Traveling to her home from Traverse City you drive by many orchards.  At one time they were all cherry orchards but vineyards for wine have begun to appear.  There is a small general store that has been there for many years and is now a wonderful stop to glimpse into days past.  No matter where you are in Michigan, you are never far from the water of one of the Great Lakes, rivers or other lakes.  There are 150 lighthouses in Michigan, more than any other state.  The Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes are one of many dunes in Michigan. 

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Frankenmuth Bavarian Inn

The economy has taken a toll on several Michigan cities including Detroit.  There is still much to see in this city built by the automobile industry.  It may be struggling at the moment but the Michigan people are determined to come back strong and American cars are succeeding once more.   The Presidential Library of Gerald Ford is located in Detroit along with the Henry Ford Museum.  Battle Creek is famous for its cereal industry, Ann Arbor is a college town, Frankenmuth is called “little Bavaria” with a strong German influence, Lansing is the state capitol city and there are a number of other cities, each with their own history and attractions.
 

One of the most interesting places to visit is Holland, Michigan.  Just as its name implies, this city has a strong Dutch heritage.  There is a wooden shoe and Delft factory, a tulip farm, Windmill Island Gardens and an annual Tulip Time Festival at the beginning of May when the tulips bloom.  Located along the shore of Lake Michigan, there are plenty of water activities plus the beach.  For more information and schedule of events visit their website at http://www.holland.org

Pine Mountain Ski Jump

 

 

 

 Winter finds many skiers on the slopes of Iron Mountain.  At the time of this vintage postcard it was considered to be the world's highest artificial ski slide. You can also go dog sledding, ice sailing or ice climbing.  Michigan is the birthplace for snowboarding and cross country skiing is also very popular.  There are miles of cross country ski trails and snowmobile trails.  I have only touched on a few places to see in Michigan and there is so much more.  Check out their website at http://www.michigan.org

Massachusetts



This should have been the easiest post for me but it has been the most difficult.  I apologize for taking so long but it is hard to choose just a few from the many wonderful places in Massachusetts.  This state was my home when I was in Junior High School and then again for the first fourteen years of our marriage.  This is where our children were born and the place where they all started to school.  Although it has been a number of years since we left Massachusetts, it still holds a special place in my heart and we return to see old friends when we can.  It is where I met my husband and where we loved our little ones, taking them places when they were young. 



Paul Revere's home in Boston



Eastern Massachusetts is where much of our country’s history began.  Plymouth Rock marks the place where some of our earliest pilgrims came ashore.  The Boston Tea Party was one of the sparks that ignited our Revolutionary War.  



Mapparium, located within
the Mary Baker Eddy Library
Eastern Hemisphere View



Boston is the center of this history but also for many other attractions such as Fenway Park (home of the Red Sox baseball team, several museums, including the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, The Mary Baker Eddy Library, Boston Gardens, and other famous landmarks such as Faneuil Hall. 



Vintage Fun Map of Cape Cod



Cape Cod, Nantucket Island and Martha’s Vineyard are attractions for those who love beaches, sailing and quaint villages built when whaling was “king”.  



Boston University



Harvard University, Brandeis University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Tufts University, Boston College, Wellesley, Amherst and Smith Colleges (well known schools with exceptional reputations) are all located in Massachusetts, many of them in the Boston area. 







Some of these schools are located in small towns, such as Smith College in Northhampton.  There you will find quaint shops, bookstores, restaurants and other places that cater to the needs of the student population.   We found a marvelous restaurant called The Green Bean near the center of Northampton that serves wonderful sandwiches, soups and salads for lunch.  They utilize ingredients from local vendors which results in exceptionally tasty food.  Their menu is posted on their website. 



Self Portrait by Norman Rockwell



Art, Dance and Theater Festivals are widespread in the Berkshire Mountain area of western Massachusetts.   Stockbridge is home to the Norman Rockwell Museum and the location for many cultural events, especially Tanglewood Music Center.   http://www.stockbridgechamber.org/



Candlemaking at Old Sturbridge Village



We lived in the Connecticut River Valley city of Springfield, a short distance from Old Sturbridge Village which is one of those “must see” places in my opinion.   You can see a typical New England Village from around 1800.  Historians dress in garments similar to those worn at that time and demonstrate many of the skills and crafts used by the early settlers.  Do check out their website for more details at http://www.osv.org/

 With a young family, an old car and not much spare money, most of our exploring was done close to home.   One of the many things Springfield is famous for is the birth of Basketball.  The Basketball Hall of Fame is just south of the downtown area and we enjoyed seeing it a few years ago when we returned for a visit.  The creator of the “Dr. Seuss” books is also from Springfield.  Another author of children’s books, Thornton Burgess, lived in nearby Hampden. His home is now home to the Laughing Brook Wildlife Sanctuary.  Sad to say, we never made the trip to Cape Cod in all the years we lived in Massachusetts.  That is one place I really would have enjoyed.    

Summer time is blueberry picking time and we all loved our time at the blueberry farm, filling our buckets.  Even the littlest one was given a tiny bucket.  More blueberries were eaten while picking than we brought home for the freezer.  In the middle of the winter it was a special treat to have fresh (thawed) blueberry muffins for breakfast which reminded us of the summer fun.

Pioneer Valley with tobacco farms
along the Connecticut River

In the fall we used to drive up Pioneer Valley to pick our own apples and perhaps pick out a pumpkin or two for Halloween.   We used to make this a special Sunday trip, bringing along lunch for our last picnic before winter.   There was a place high on a cliff above the valley with picnic tables so we could enjoy the view while we ate.  The foliage in the fall in New England is spectacular with all the different brilliant colors.  Farmers all over the area had “pick your own” signs or roadside stands to buy fresh produce.  One year we found a special on a big bag of sweet onions.  The afternoon was spent making our own onion rings to freeze.  Everyone had a job on the assembly line so it was a fun whole family event.  The kitchen, the onions, the floor and everyone were covered in flour!



Early Whaling Days
Nantucket, Massachusetts



This post has brought back many fond memories for me and if you ever travel to Massachusetts, I hope your visit brings you many fond memories too.  To discover all that Massachusetts has to offer, check out their website at http://www.massvacation.com/

 

Maryland

Vintage Fun Map of Maryland

Maryland is one of our smaller states but has a large population.  A portion of its land was donated to  form the District of Columbia for our country’s Capitol, the city of Washington.  The Chesapeake Bay almost cuts the state in two as you can see on this postcard, so there are miles of waterfront.  A small southeastern portion faces the Atlantic Ocean and most of the southwestern border is shaped by the Potomac River.  Do I need to tell you that water activities of all kinds are the main tourist attraction in Maryland? 



Toll Gate House built in 1833 on the National Road
LaVale, Maryland

This is one of those states that I have traveled through many times but have not visited as a tourist.  There is much to see besides ships, harbors and lighthouses.  There are a few places that I would most like to visit in Maryland.

First I would like to visit The U. S. Naval Academy in Annapolis.  The Naval Academy Museum has many exhibits dating back throughout the history of the United States.  Annapolis is also the Capitol city of Maryland and has many other museums and sites to visit.

The second place on my list would be a day trip to Assateague Island.  This is a barrier island that has shared ownership with the state of Virginia.  The northern two-thirds of the island is Maryland’s share.  The island has been designated as a World Biosphere Reserve.  Assateague National Seashore and the Assateague State Park own and preserve the entire Maryland portion of the island.   The rare opportunity to observe the wild horses who reside on this island would be wonderful.  There are also beaches to enjoy on the ocean side of the island.  The bay side offers many coves and marshes to explore,   The National Park Service for the island is http://www.nps.gov/asis/index.htm

1980 view of Skyline and Inner Harbor

Baltimore has several special places that I would like to see.  The USS Constellation is the last all sail warship still afloat and is in the Inner Harbor in Baltimore.  Fort McHenry is also in Baltimore and is the place where Francis Scott Key was imprisoned when he wrote our National Anthem, “The Star Spangled Banner”. 



U.S.F. Constellation



These are just a few suggestions of the places I would most like to see in Maryland.  There is so much more that I have not touched upon.  If you plan a visit to the area (Washington, D. C. is just across the state line), check out the state tourism website at http://visitmaryland.org/Pages/MarylandHome.aspx.    

Maine

Vintage postcard showing
the many unusual town names
found in Maine.

Maine is an eastern state with the wilderness more often found in a western state.  One area in the far northern part of Maine has  a population of only 10 people in over 2600 square miles!  Almost 90 percent of the land is covered in forests with the remaining 10% as crop land, towns and cities.  Maine is situated in the far northeast of the United States, adjacent only to New Hampshire on the west side.  With 3500 miles of rugged coast on the Atlantic there are numerous lighthouses, ships, and some of the best seafood.  Maine Lobster is well known as the best lobster of all.  With so much forested land, it is understandable that wildlife is also abundant in Maine including deer, black bears, beavers and moose.  Outdoor enthusiasts can find an abundance of places to bike, hike, climb, ski, fish, hunt, canoe, kayak or sail. 

Maine Potato
Vintage Cartoon Postcard

Farms and Farmers’ Markets are also found throughout Maine.  Organic farms, family farms, dairy farms, potato farms, apple orchards, sugar maple farms and others provide a wide variety of farm goods.  There are farms where you can stay in a tent,  a yurt, or a bed and breakfast to just enjoy the country air or be part of a working farm.  There is an annual Open Farm Day in Maine when you can visit farms to see demonstrations.

It has been a long time since I was in Maine but we spent one very memorable vacation there with our children and another family.  An acquaintance had loaned us a cabin on a lake without charge since they only used it as a hunting lodge.  We were warned that it was off the beaten path and had not been used since the previous fall.  When you’re young with children and little money, free makes even a primitive cabin sound like a palace.  We loaded up the children, some food and our roughing it clothes and headed for Maine.



Fun Map of Maine



 We found that it was definitely off the beaten path.  After leaving the highway behind, we had 14 miles of gravel road before we hit the last section which was a dirt road.  Once we arrived at the cabin we decided that it was worth the trip in, but we also determined that we would leave for home when our food ran out.  While the children checked out the surroundings, the men cleared the cabin of critters and debris from the winter, swept it out and then let us in to see the place.  A pot bellied stove for heat and cooking, a pine log table and benches, beds made from pine logs to support mattresses, a sink and windows with views; it was a primitive but great cabin for kids to explore and enjoy.  Since some of the beds were in the loft, the older children were delighted.  With only two other cabins on this lake, we found peace and quiet and wonderful fun for the kids.  They picked fresh raspberries to dress up a plain cake for a birthday cake and decided an out house was fun but scary.  Waking up to see a moose walk by the window in the morning on his way to get a drink in the lake was exciting to all of us.  Canoe rides on the lake were special but the greatest moments were watching the stars come out at night and seeing The Milky Way and a million other stars.  

Blacksmith's shop for 1890'slumber camp
Lumberman's Museum - Patton, Maine



After we left the cabin we stopped in Patton, Maine to see The Lumberman’s Museum which shows how the lumber industry operated in Maine during the peak time of shipbuilding. The old equipment and how it was used helps you understand the difficult work these men endured. 

Otter Cliff, on Shore Line Drive, below
Thunder Hole - Acadia National Park

We also visited Acadia National Park to see Cadillac Mountain, the highest point on the eastern coast.  The kids loved a spectacular blow hole where the ocean waves slam into the rocks with such force that the water spurts out up to 40 feet in the air.  The noise it makes gives it the name Thunder Hole.  They thought it was wonderful because they got wet from the spray.



Windjammer Cruiser along
the rugged coast of Maine



Names like Bar Harbor, Kennebunkport, Portland, and Augusta are a few of the well known places that attract those who want to enjoy a real Maine experience.  Lighthouses dot the coastline, southern beaches attract sun lovers, restaurants and lodging are readily available, and of course there is all that outdoors!  Visit their website at   http://www.mainetourism.com for more detailed information.