Cruises for Two Lifetimes?: The Lake Superior Marine Museum Association has been lucky to receive the gift of a freighter voyage for its Cruise of a Lifetime Raffle offered each year, in the past from such generous donors as Central Marine Logistics and Great Lakes Fleet. This year, the
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association received two great gifts for the Grand Prize winner to choose from (with the second drawn winner getting the remaining cruise). Interlake Steamship Company donated a 4-6 person cruise on a freighter and, for the first time ever, Victory Cruise Lines donated a 2-person cabin on a rare voyage in August 2019 that will cross Lake Superior on its boutique cruise (about 200 passengers) on the Victory II. While some Great Lakes cruises merely hull-dip into Lake Superior, passing through the Soo Locks and turning immediately back around, Victory II will cruise from Detroit to Thunder Bay, with stops in Marquette and Duluth, and the following week another cruise will travel from Thunder Bay back to Detroit. We – and Victory – are hoping the Lake Superior cruise may become a regular option. Full disclosure: our editor is on the LSMMA board, and we think the raffle is a great opportunity for a shot at a Cruise of a Lifetime while helping LSMMA and all of its maritime heritage and education projects. The drawing will be the culmination of the Gales of November program in Duluth, Nov. 2-3. See the line up of speakers online. Cruise on!
A Tragedy at the Park: The National Park Service reported this week about a California woman who tragically plunged to her death off the cliffs near the Grand Portal Point in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Michigan. Her fall, which happened while she was taking selfie photos near the cliff's edge, was witnessed by some kayakers, who went to her aid and got her to shore near Chapel Beach. Sadly, though, 32-year-old Tu Thanh Nguyen from Sunnyvale, California, did not survive. The park has been the site of several fatal falls from the high cliffs over the years, including one in 2006 that resulted in the murder conviction of man found guilty of pushing his wife from a 140-foot cliff.
What's Up at the Airports?: Thunder Bay Airport wrapped up the summer with record passenger traffic and is on pace to break last year’s all-time passenger count. The airport authority’s figures show that from Jan. 1 to Aug. 31, the terminal welcomed 588,076 travelers, TBnewswatch reports. The figure is 4.6 percent more than in the same period last year. For all of 2017, a record year, 845,000 passengers used the airport. A significant factor has been the higher traffic from northern communities, with Bearskin Airlines, North Star Air and Wasaya Airways all reporting stronger volumes. The airport authority also pointed to additional flights to Toronto and Winnipeg for aiding the boost.
In Duluth, meanwhile, the second phase of the runway relocation project at the Sky Harbor Airport on Park Point is under way this month. Work included installation of erosion control and traffic control measures. Material is being barged in and placed on top of the fill that was completed last year. Construction is expected to continue through October, with topsoil being added and timber for the submerged crib structure delivered. Phase 3 is to start in late summer or early fall of 2019. Runway 14/32 and the seaplane base remain open for use.
Red, White & New: One-year-old vines planted in 2016 (making them 3 years old) are producing grapes for the first time for Seven Ponds Winery near Bayfield. The grapes have all been harvested and pressed and this first wine may be reserved for members of the business’ Wine Club, says Caitlin Mathewson, chief experience officer at The Wineries on Betzold Rd. (which includes Seven Ponds and Bayfield Winery). Club members get discounts and special limited wine offerings. The red grapes are Marquette and the white are Brianna, both new varieties well adapted to our region. Even if this year’s crop doesn’t make the store shelves, the winery still has other regional wines and hard ciders for sale.
The End Is Near?: Northbound, a post-North American apocalypse series filmed in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, will soon begin airing its third season and “final chapter season" on Seeka TV. (The cast, mostly from the U.P., is seen here.) The series was created in 2014 by U.P. natives Seth & Nathan Anderson, and producer Jason Hagen, a native of Minnesota. Those fellows recently led a 2018 Series Tour in the U.P. to let locals preview Season 3 footage and sign up to participate in further filming. The series actually came out of the idea for a feature film, "Northstar," for which the Andersons and Hagen still have plans to film in Houghton, Gwinn, Norway, Iron Mountain and Sagola. The series plot is described as following a father, Alex (played by U.P. actor Nate Alwine) as he travels a rugged post-Cataclysmic North American landscape with his comatose daughter, Crystal. "Along the way, Alex gives his all to protect Crystal as they come into contact with other survivalist groups challenging each other for control of the North Woods." See a preview trailer for Season 3 or watch the series via Seeka TV.
Teeny, Tiny Travis: Remember a few ATCTWs ago when we mentioned that Grand Portage, Minnesota, photographer Travis Novitsky was featured in a Kare11 story? We caught back up
with his work this week as he revealed on his Facebook page some stunning red mushrooms, using a little Lego man to show scale. “It's a small but incredibly beautiful world,” Travis notes. “Some lovely little mushrooms that I found today while hiking through the forest.” Then, hey, we – and some of his other Facebook friends – noticed that the little fellow looks like Travis. You can judge for yourself. Another Minnesota photographer/naturalist, Sparky Stensaas, did an amazing fungus story for Lake Superior Magazine that features “Dead Man’s Fingers” and “Brain Fungus” among its creepy cool fungi.
Photo & graphic credits: LSMMA; National Park Service; Thunder Bay Airport; Ajay Pickett; Seven Ponds Winery; Northbound; Travis Novitsky
Around the Circle This Week editor: Konnie LeMay