A Michigan Thing

21/08/2025

Around 9,000 years ago, when water levels were much lower, a limestone ridge stretched from Alpena, Michigan, all the way to Ontario. Early Native hunters used it to track migrating caribou, building stone hunting blinds, and drive lanes right where fish swim today. Archaeologists call it the Alpena-Amberley Ridge, and at nearly 120 feet underwater, it’s one of the best-preserved prehistoric hunting sites in North America.

62 miles – Approximate length of the ridge, stretching from Alpena, MI to Ontario.

3,000 years – How long caribou hunters are believed to have used this corridor.

Older than 4,500 years – Age of the stone hunting structures, making them older than the Egyptian pyramids.

1 of a kind – It’s the only known submerged prehistoric hunting site of its scale in North America.

The ridge was once a caribou “superhighway” during migration seasons.

It’s a powerful reminder that the Great Lakes hold stories far older than we see on the surface.

20/08/2025

A couple of these have thrown me off in the past, so I made a helpful guide!

20/08/2025

Not the Statue of Liberty, the Statue of Grit. Detroit’s torch is football 🏈

20/08/2025

Did you know Thomas Alva Edison, one of America’s great inventors, once lived in Port Huron?

Though he was born in Milan, Ohio, his family moved to Port Huron, Michigan, in 1854, when he was about seven years old. These years shaped his inventive spirit.

He attended school briefly in Port Huron but was considered a bad student who asked too many questions in class and had a lot of active, fidgety behavior. His mother, a former teacher, recognized his curiosity. She home schooled him and helped him tap into his potential.

As a child, he set up a small laboratory in the family’s basement and began experimenting. By age 12, Edison was working as a newsboy on the Grand Trunk Railroad, selling newspapers and snacks to passengers traveling between Port Huron and Detroit. He even published his own paper, the Grand Trunk Herald, making him one of the earliest teen publishers.

In Detroit, Edison would use his downtime to explore the Detroit Public Library, where he taught himself advanced science and engineering concepts. His railroad work also gave him space for a portable chemistry lab in a baggage car — though this ended in disaster when a chemical fire caused him to lose the setup.

Edison’s time in Michigan also sparked his early interest in telegraphy. After saving a station agent’s young son from being struck by a runaway train in Mt. Clemens, Michigan, he was rewarded with lessons in telegraph operation. This skill eventually led him to jobs as a telegraph operator across the Midwest and from there to his first inventions.

Although he eventually left Michigan for larger opportunities in places like New Jersey, his Michigan years were his foundation — the period where he developed his habits of relentless experimentation, resourcefulness, and self-education.

👉 Today, Greenfield Village (at The Henry Ford Museum) preserves Edison’s Menlo Park laboratory and other buildings related to his career, brought there by Henry Ford, who deeply admired him.

He experienced hearing loss as a child due to illness and remained partially deaf throughout his life.

Edison holds the record for the most patents ever awarded to one person, with a total of 1,093 patents. This record still stands today!

He invented the phonograph, the first device capable of recording and playing sound.

He established the first industrial research laboratory, a model that is still used today.

Edison had a tattoo of a quincunx, the face of the number five on a dice cube, on his forearm, according to edisonmuckers.org.

19/08/2025

Peach season 2025

19/08/2025

The Woodland Skating Rink in Grand Rapids was one of those classic community hangouts that people still talk about with a lot of nostalgia.

It opened in the mid-20th century on 28th Street SE, directly across from Woodland Mall, at a time when roller rinks were booming across the country. Inside, it had a big maple wood skating floor, colored lights, a snack bar, and music that evolved with the decades — from live organ tunes early on to disco in the ’70s, pop in the ’80s, and hip-hop in the ’90s.

For many kids and teens in Grand Rapids, it was the place to go on weekends: school field trips, birthday parties, church groups, and teen nights all kept the rink buzzing. Woodland was also known for its roller hockey leagues and family skate sessions. At its peak, the place could draw hundreds of skaters in a single night.

By the late ’90s and early 2000s, attendance dropped — partly because of changing entertainment habits and the rise of video games and other activities — and the rink eventually closed. The building was later demolished, and today the area is occupied by newer retail developments.

Even though it’s gone, longtime residents remember it as a slice of Grand Rapids youth culture — a mix of roller disco, neon, and carefree Friday nights on wheels.

18/08/2025

The Mackinac Bridge Walk is an annual Labor Day tradition in Michigan that allows people to walk the length of the five-mile Mackinac Bridge, connecting the state's Upper and Lower Peninsulas. This event, which started in 1958, is the only time of the year when pedestrians are allowed on the bridge. Traditionally led by the Governor of Michigan, the walk draws an average of 40,000 to 65,000 participants each year.

Participants have several options for experiencing the walk: they can start from either St. Ignace (Upper Peninsula) or Mackinaw City (Lower Peninsula), walk to the middle and turn around, or walk the entire five miles to the other side. For those choosing the one-way crossing, it's important to note that transportation back to the starting point is not provided and must be arranged independently after the bridge reopens to traffic at noon. Some dedicated walkers opt to walk the bridge both ways, covering a 10-mile round trip and earning themselves the unofficial title of "Double Crossers".

While there's no fee or registration required to participate in the walk, it's recommended to start early, as participants must reach the bridge's midpoint by 10 AM to continue walking across. After 10 AM, the turnaround points will be moved closer to the ends of the bridge. The bridge is closed to vehicular traffic from 6:30 a.m. until noon, with the walk beginning at 7 a.m. led by the Governor's party. No running or racing is permitted during the walk, and certain items like bicycles, roller skates, skateboards, and animals (except service dogs) are prohibited. There are also no restrooms available on the bridge itself, although portable toilets are provided at both ends. Walkers should dress in layers, wear comfortable shoes, and be prepared for potential bridge swaying. Upon completion, participants receive a numbered certificate, which could potentially be a prize winner displayed in local store windows.

The bridge walk takes about two hours at a leisurely pace. This can vary depending on individual pace and crowd size.

The bridge is closed to vehicular traffic from 6:30 AM until noon on Labor Day. This v provides a safe environment for the walkers.

No running or racing is permitted during the walk in order to focus is on enjoying the experience at a leisurely pace.

Certain items like bicycles, roller skates, skateboards, and wagons are prohibited. This is a safety measure to ensure smooth pedestrian flow.

No restrooms are available on the bridge itself. This is important to note for participants, although portable toilets are provided at both ends.

This information changes a bit from year to year. Please follow the site in the comments for the official information.

If you have tips, please put them in the comments. 🙂

18/08/2025

You can be a lifetime Michigander, and never come across this!

Flaming cheese, or saganaki, has deep roots in Michigan, where the theatrical version was first popularized in Detroit’s Greektown in 1968. Instead of serving simple fried cheese, local Greek restaurateurs set it ablaze with brandy or ouzo, shouting “Opa!” to thrill diners—a tradition that spread nationwide. Made with cheeses like kasseri, kefalograviera, or graviera, saganaki quickly became a Michigan food icon. Today, more than 100 Greek restaurants across the state serve it, and thousands of portions are flambéed each summer at Greek festivals in Detroit, Ann Arbor, and Grand Rapids. What began as a local experiment has become both a culinary and cultural performance, making flaming cheese one of Michigan’s most delicious contributions to American dining.

My first experience with this was in a diner. The diner served pancakes, burgers, and shakes. Flaming cheese was unexpected!

18/08/2025

Rams QB Matthew Stafford Announces New Role on Tuesday - Athlon Sports

Matthew Stafford's 2025 season just got a little tougher.

18/08/2025

I'm going to miss the Aaron Glenn memes!

17/08/2025

Glenn Frey, co-founder of the Eagles, was born in Detroit in 1948 and raised in Royal Oak, Michigan, where his love of music began with piano lessons at age five before switching to guitar after seeing the Beatles at Olympia Stadium in 1964. As a teenager, he played in local bands like The Subterraneans and The Mushrooms, performed at popular teen clubs such as The Hideout, and gained early experience in vocal harmony with The Four of Us.

His Michigan roots ran especially deep through his friendship with Bob Seger, who produced The Mushrooms’ first single and featured Frey on guitar and backing vocals for the 1968 hit Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man—a collaboration that helped shape his songwriting ambitions. After graduating from Dondero High School in Royal Oak, Frey moved to Los Angeles, where he co-founded the Eagles in 1971.

The Eagles' breakthrough came with their debut album in 1972, which included the hit single "Take It Easy". Their greatest success came with the release of the album Hotel California in 1976. The Eagles' hit, "Best of My Love," involving a Kalamazoo, Michigan DJ who requested the album track, which then gained popularity on the radio and throughout the country. This helped The Eagles rise to widespread success.

His achievements earned him induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with the Eagles in 1998, and his influence as both a songwriter and performer remains immense.

When he passed away in 2016 at age 67, Michigan honored its native son by renaming a street near his alma mater “Glenn Frey Drive,” a lasting reminder of the Detroit-area roots that carried him to global fame.

16/08/2025

24-17 Miami
FINAL