What’s so great about the Great Lakes? - Cheri Dobbs and Jennifer Gabrys

During my lifetime, I have lived exclusively in Georgia (about 54 years) and Texas (14 years), and the bulk of my relatives and in-laws from both marriages live scattered from Georgia to Arizona, with the exception of some of my second wife's relatives that live around Traverse City, Michigan.  That being the case, with the exceptions of various vacations and road trips, e.g., 1973, 1974, 1977, 1981, 1982, and 1983, most of my journeys have been across the "Southern Tier" of states. 

As a follow-up to posts about my second wife and I spending a few days in the area of the Great Lakes in August, another video is offered for the purpose of increasing knowledge about "just how special the Great Lakes are". 

On this August 2021 journey, we saw and photographed Lakes Michigan, Huron, and Superior and I stuck my hand into all three of them, partially fulfilling a Bucket List item.  (On August 12th, we wanted to visit the Michigan Lake Erie shoreline, but afternoon traffic was "looming large" and my wife's back was hurting, thus getting to Frankenmuth, Michigan at a decent hour was a vital goal.)

Prior to this journey, though my first wife Marla and I visited Niagara Falls in 1983 (before we were married), I was under the impression that I hadn't visited nor seen any of the Great Lakes.  Being "young and in love" (we had met about two months earlier) I didn't engage in much Geology during our 1983 trip, other than our visiting Luray Caverns in Virginia.

That being the case, I didn't give much thought to actually visiting either the nearby Lakes Ontario or Erie.  Prior to reaching the immediate Niagara Falls area, we had been in downtown Dunkirk, NY to visit the now-defunct Fred Koch Brewing Co., but I don't recall if we could see Lake Ontario from our vantage points at or near the brewery.

Now, after watching several videos on Niagara Falls, the Great Lakes, and Lake Ontario (in particular), I have come to understand that Niagara Falls is part of the Great Lakes Ecosystem and perhaps by some definitions, the Niagara Falls "Plunge Pool" might be the "headwaters" of Lake Ontario.

So, here's hoping that this video is educational and entertaining.

Apprehensively Easing into a Bold New Phase

A couple of Sundays ago, my wife Mary Alice and I picked up this low-mileage 1993 Ford Econoline van.  The goal is to engage in some travel camping at some point in the future.  In the short term, we hope to make a "shakedown" run next month, with a couple of possible planned routes.  Her original dream was to get a larger van to eventually do some semi-back country camping, but recent medical expenditures and health issues necessitated the budgetary downsizing and mobility reconsiderations.

This is my first van ownership experience (or co-ownership) and certainly, my first travel/camping experience, though I did some light camping years ago with a 1976 4x4 Jeep pickup and a 1981 Datsun pickup (both with camper shells.)  I did use the Jeep for living while doing a couple of geology-related summer jobs in NM and TX in 1978 and 1979.

Proposed Plan A includes a short trip to Vicksburg (we are both History Buffs) and some other southern mid-continent sites.  And if the Texas Bluebonnets (Lupinus texensis) are in bloom, perhaps a foray into western Louisiana or east Texas.  During the 14 years I lived in El Paso (1977-1991), during my numerous traverses between my native Georgia and El Paso, it was never during Bluebonnet season.  

This being the case, seeing and photographing Bluebonnets has been a "Bucket List" item for some time.  The "normal" Bluebonnet season is generally March and April, though the wicked winter weather in Texas may have delayed it a bit, this year.  Another nature photo consideration is that I would like to photograph the small, green flowers of "Spanish Moss" and my chances will be better in Vicksburg, than to the Northeast.   

I don't know if I can talk her into spending a half-day at the Crater of Diamonds or not.  We will just have to see.  She likes taking part in my hobbies, but because of balance issues, she has to use a walker.  The primary question will be if she is willing to self-entertain for half a day, while I play in the "diamond fields".  

Proposed Plan B, early in its planning begins with a visit to Kings Mountain Battlefield Park, south and west of Charlotte, NC.  The first generation of my ancestors settled in the Lincoln Co., NC area after arriving in Philadelphia, reportedly in 1748.  Intense research by a distant relative suggests that my grandfather (x 7 generations) took part in the Revolutionary War Battle of Kings Mountain, as part of the Lincoln County volunteers.  Earlier studies of the battle suggest that he lost a father-in-law and a brother-in-law in the battle.

What else we might do in Plan B remains to be considered, with some pandemic restrictions possibly still in place.  A further northward journey to Antietam Battlefield Park, to follow up on our mid-2019 Gettysburg visit is one consideration if it fits within our 6-day window. 

[On a side issue: Can anyone recommend a modestly-priced dashcam/back-up camera combo?  (Not quite sure about how to mount a screen on the dashboard.)]