The State of Michigan is just filled with wonderful piers that can make for nice low-intensity rambles.  During our recent visit to the Tip of the Thumb, my sister, brother-in-law and I spent an hour or so walking the pier at Port Austin.

The pier is not long.  It’s only about a half mile each way.  But the views are spectacular.  Two large trees guard a picnic area and small beach at Waterfront Park, the start of the pier.

To the west, large rocks jut into Lake Huron.  We noticed sun-worshippers that had found comfortable spots up on these rocks.  The water is quite shallow in this area.  We noticed many explorers walking to these rocks and all along the shore.  It would also be a great place to launch a kayak.

Fishing in this area is, of course, quite popular.  Boats can be chartered in Port Austin for an afternoon adventure.  One came into the harbor of refuge during our pier walk.

The water was quite clear on the day that we visited.  We were impressed by how the sunlight illuminated the underwater rocks along the pier.  It was quite beautiful.

Like most Army Corps projects, the pier is not always user friendly.  The footing is not always even and a grated walkway would be trouble for those with puppies.  I had no problems, however.

Here is the pier on Google Earth:

View Larger Map

The Pigeon River Country State Forest has been in the news frequently recently.  The area to the southeast of Indian River boasts one of the longest foot trail systems in the Lower Peninsula.  Elk and bear are among the animals that call the area home.  During the past year, the DNR has completely revised its management plan for the area to ensure the future of the area’s near-wilderness quality.

Two problems within the state forest have made backpacking trips to the area more difficult recently.  Several state forest campgrounds and two High Country Trail bridges have been closed.  The Traverse City Record Eagle has an update on both situations:

The Pigeon Bridge state forest campground on Sturgeon Valley Road just reopened, while nearby Pickerel Lake state forest campground did just before the Memorial Day holiday. Both sites in Otsego County were closed last year because of water well problems, although some sites at Pickerel Lake remained open.

Another area campground recently reopened after water well repairs is Garey Lake Trail Camp in Benzie County. All the well work at the state campgrounds was paid for by grant dollars and state campground operational funds, officials said.

Meanwhile, the DNR halted foot and mountain bike traffic on two portions of the High Country Pathway in the PRCSF for needed bridge repairs.

Two wooden bridges built in 2005 across the Pigeon River and the Black River are unsafe. They cost about $190,000 to build and state officials expected them to last much longer, Pearson said.

“We don’t know if it’s structurally the design or the materials used,” she said.

http://www.record-eagle.com/local/local_story_176094202.html

One of the more offbeat tourist attractions in Michigan is the set of iron ore mines that open themselves to public tours near Marquette each summer.  WLUC TV in the UP has a nice video overview of these tours:

The tours are a chance to see the plants where more than 13 million tons of iron ore pellets are processed each year.

“It gives folks the opportunity to see how it is we take the ore out of the ground,” said CCI Spokesman Dale Hemmila, “and then process it into iron ore pellets, and it’s really the only time the general public has the opportunity to see the mine and mining operation.”

Tours of the mines officially begin Wednesday and continue until the end of August.  Tickets are $11 each, and reservations can be made by contacting the Lake Superior Community Partnership.

http://wluctv6.com/news/news_story.aspx?id=151193

Danielle Portteus of the Monroe Evening News has good coverage of the conclusion of the PALM bike tour at Sterling State Park.  Excerpts and link:

Ann Allen and her family from Monroe cruised into Sterling State Park Friday morning after riding 38 miles from Tecumseh. Her family of four participated in the 27th annual Pedal Across Lower Michigan and biked about 270 miles over six days.

Mrs. Allen and her husband participated in the biking event about 15 years ago, for three consecutive years, but took time off to have and raise children. The family decided to return to the event this year.

More here…

http://www.monroenews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080628/NEWS01/331142723/-1/NEWS_RSS

Let’s just say that you are sitting around on the couch in the next few weeks watching TV.  Suddenly, the urge to watch a fireworks show overcomes you.  Well, you should click right back here because I have a link to a statewide database of fireworks shows.

http://www.michiganfireworks.com/

The internet is a wonderful thing.

Update:  The Detroit Free Press also has a list:

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080628/FEATURES01/806280343

Note: The image above comes from the web site of the U.S. Department of Labor/OSHA.

MyNorth.com, the internet arm of Traverse Magazine, has an interesting tidbit explaining why human beings get wrinkled fingers when swimming.  It’s worth the click:

http://www.mynorth.com/My-North/June-2008/Mystery-of-the-Wrinkled-Fingers/

Note: The image above is from the wikimedia commons.  Click below for source information:

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Wrinkly_fingers.jpg

Earlier this month, the State of Michigan announced expansion of Muskegon State Park:

The Department of Natural Resources will move forward with a proposal to acquire 33.03 acres of land from the Land Conservancy of West Michigan and to receive an additional 35.21 acres from the organization as a gift.

Acquisition of the first parcel will complete state ownership of the Lost Lake fen, a significant coastal plain community and one of only 40 known in Michigan. The parcel being received as a gift from the conservancy will be operated as part of the state park with a primary emphasis on natural resource protection and non-motorized outdoor recreation. The parcel also will remain in its natural, generally undeveloped state.

http://www.michigan.gov/som/0,1607,7-192–193639–RSS,00.html

Eric Sharp of the Detroit Free Press has an interesting question/answer column at freep.com.  He answers the age-old question: Do fish sleep?

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080626/SPORTS10/806260361/1118/rss

There are few places with a more dramatic visual impact than Silver Lake State Park near the Lake Michigan town of Mears.  Most dune parks on Lake Michigan have significant forest cover.  This is actually better for hiking.  But the dunes at Silver Lake are more of what you’d expect from the Sahara.  Empty.  Shifting.  Dramatic.

Silver Lake State Park is famous for its off-road vehicle areas.  It is the only place in the Midwest where private vehicles are allowed on dunes.  Don’t worry.  The vehicular area is separate from other areas and strictly enforced.

Ken Kolker at the Booth Newspapers have a good overview of the park.  Excerpts and link:

MEARS — The line where dune meets blue sky is blurred by occasional blasts of wind-blown sand. Then, suddenly, there’s a roar. An orange flag appears, followed quickly by an airborne ATV.

The bright yellow all-terrain vehicle, with its orange warning flag, seems to hang in the sky.

For more than 50 years, dune buggies, ATVs, motorcycles, even a four-wheel drive Corvette and a Lincoln Continental, have plied the Silver Lake State Park sand dunes — the only place in the Midwest where private vehicles are allowed on dunes.

But high gasoline prices and a weak economy are keeping some sand-riders away, and it’s beginning to hurt the local economy.

More here…

http://blog.mlive.com/grpress/2008/06/gas_costs_take_toll_on_fun_and.html

The Toledo Metroparks, perhaps the best run area park system, purchased three new small properties along the corridor between Secor and Oak Opening Metroparks.  The long-term goal is a greenway connector between the two parks.

Toledo Blade excerpts and link:

The Toledo Area Metroparks board of directors voted yesterday to buy three land parcels in Spencer Township for its ongoing effort to establish a “greenway” between the Secor and Oak Openings Preserve metroparks.

The parcels were about four, five, and nine acres and will be purchased for $38,000, $45,000, and $84,550, respectively, from private owners, said Metroparks spokesman Scott Carpenter.

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080626/NEWS18/806260394/-1/RSS09