Great Time to Visit a Beach: The Discoverer posted "5 U.S. Beach Towns That Are Better in the Winter," and Marquette's Presque Isle Park made the list. Now, we don't know that "better" is the word we'd use – Marquette is spectacular to visit all year. That said, we approve of the text that went with the choice: "The northern beaches of the Great Lakes are often overlooked by beachgoers in the summer months and even more so in the winter. But if a winter wonderland is what you’re after, look no further than Marquette, a remote town in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Perched on the shores of Lake Superior, the town’s nearby Presque Isle Park is the perfect place for exploration along the coast. Depending on the snowpack, winter hikers may walk or snowshoe along the park’s trails to witness Superior’s infamous cliffs and icy vistas. Winter enthusiasts can also choose between the region’s abundant snow activities from snowmobiling, single-trail fat biking, and downhill skiing. After the sun sets, keep your eyes peeled for the Northern Lights, which are known to be seen on refreshingly cold evenings up north." Need more convincing? Check out Travel Marquette's 30 second take on why to visit in winter.
Wrong Place, Wrong Time of Year: A couple news item caught our attention this week from in Thunder Bay. The Chronicle Journal headline said "Another Man Caught on Ice" and a story by Colin Redston on the Country 105 website noted that the firefighter's air boat was deployed for a second time to collect someone from the frozen bay. According to both stories, the second man was uncooperative and refusing to return, but was eventually brought back to shore. Searching a bit, we found the CBC report about the first fellow, who rode his bike from marina to the harbour breakwall and got stuck out there. The airboat rescued him and his bike. Both stories reminded residents that the marina is a restricted area under the authority of the Harbour Master and such excursions are not allowed – even if the ice were safe. There have been plenty of warnings around the Big Lake neighborhood about the varied thickness of ice on Lake Superior and inland lakes. We wrote last winter about ice trekking safety protocols in "Safe Ice? Don't Bet Your Life on It." Be careful out there! The Thunder Bay Firefighters posted a video (seen in photo) in November teaching how to self rescue, too.
What the Gulls See: The maritime season wraps up soon (the Soo Locks close Jan. 15), so we thought we'd share an amazing video showing "a bird's-eye view" of 2019 shipping season. It's a compilation and videography is by Dan Vaught, mostly on the St. Marys River.
At 5:30 p.m. today the offices of Lake Superior Magazine & BusinessNorth, along with the Lake Superior Gift Shop, close. We reopen Thursday, Jan. 2, at our new downtown location on the Duluth Skywalk – 109 W. Superior St., Ste. 200. (It's above the Dubh Linn Brew Pub.) Watch this newsletter for our official Open House so you, too, can become Skywalkers and join our Force in the New Year. Our online shop will remain open throughout the move, but shipping may be delayed. Have a great New Year … and we look forward to seeing everyone in our new space in 2020.
Photo & graphic credits: Travel Marquette; Thunder Bay Fire Rescue; Dan Vaught; Konnie LeMay