MICHIGAN TRAVEL TIPS
FROM
THE HOLOGLOBE PRESS
(The 19th Edition)by
Victor Edward Swanson,
Publisher
www.hologlobepress.com
RULES OF USE
The reports and stories contained on this Web page have been put together with information taken from "The Victor Swanson Fabulous Files of Places to See in Michigan and Wisconsin" and with information obtained from operators and staffers of tourist attractions and from press releases, Web sites, and other sources. The reports and stories are provided as a public service by Victor Swanson and The Hologlobe Press. Almost all persons and entities, such as staffers of radio stations, may freely use the materials; neither AAA Michigan nor any employee of AAA Michigan may use, distribute, download, transmit, copy, or duplicate any of the material presented on this page in any way or through any means.
- - - Travel Thoughts for Everyone - - -
In the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and the northern one-fifth of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, a motorist will find very little roadway that can be called "freeway." In fact, the only freeway in both regions is the I-75 freeway. Mostly, people who travel in those two regions travel on two-lane roads. During the day, there are times when a traveler in either region can end up in heavy traffic, but the heavy traffic is nothing like the heavy that can be found on the roads in, for example, the Detroit area. Often a traveler who uses the roads in either region during the day will have very little traffic. At night, it is rare when there is heavy traffic on the roads, and if there is heavy traffic, the heavy traffic is probably found near a city or town where an event is going on or was going on, and when there is heavy traffic, the heavy traffic does not stay around long. Late at night, a traveler can find the self alone--and alone for many miles on some roads. That can be scary!
Being alone on a road late at night, you could certainly begin to daydream about what spooky thing might be up ahead. That thing may be around the next bend, hiding down in the right-side ditch, where fog is developing. That thing may make you believe it is around the next bend, when it is really at the bend that is beyond the next bend. Since Michigan is a place where you can find a lot of creatures along the roads, you might begin to feel Godzilla could be up ahead--no, no, that's not possible--rather, you could believe some type of monster that could swallow your entire vehicle is up ahead, and a good example of such as a monster that you could dream about is a giant toad. It is not as if Michigan is a place where you could not find a giant toad. For a couple years, people have been able to see a giant toad in Michigan, and they have one devious dude to blame for that, Thomas Moran.
Stop! Stop! Stop!
This edition of Michigan Travel Tips is getting off the track of reality. There is a Thomas Moran, but he is certainly no "devious dude." And no giant monsters that could swallow your entire vehicle exist along any of the roads in Michigan .
However, I do know that Thomas Moran has ties to giant things, even a giant toad. Thomas Moran is the man who, in 1978, founded Moran Iron Works Inc., which is a "custom welding and fabricating" company that is based in Onaway (actually, the business is located at 11739 M-33/M-68, which is a little west of Onaway (in Presque Isle County, the Lower Peninsula)). Since 1989, Thomas Moran has been instrumental in creating giant sculptures--mostly made of steel--and showing them off for the first time during each 4th of July parade at Onaway. Generally speaking, one giant sculpture is made every year for the parade on July 4th and then put on display somewhere in Michigan. To date, Thomas Moran has been instrumental in creating 17 giant sculptures, but, on this date, only 15 still exist, and each that still exists is on display somewhere in the state of Michigan and can be seen for free. Through this edition of Michigan Travel Tips, I am passing along information about the giant sculptures created by Moran Iron Works and where the sculptures can be found. The information has come from a staffer of Moran Iron Works and from Special Reporter Joan Scheel. Joan Scheel reported that one of the sculptures will oon be set up at a new location, but I report where it has been on display until recently.
1. Logging Wheel -- This sculpture was shown off for the first time at the 1989 parade, and, currently, it is on display at the Onaway Court House, Onaway.
2. Pick Ax -- This sculpture, which is about 36-feet long, was shown off for the first time at the 1990 parade, and, today, it is located at the Cheboygan County Fairgrounds, Cheboygan, Cheboygan County.
3. Cant Hook -- This sculpture was shown off for the first time at the 1991 parade, and it is on display at the Cheboygan County Fairgrounds, Cheboygan, Cheboygan County.
4. The Liberty Bell -- This sculpture, which is a giant version of the real "Liberty Bell," was shown off for the first time during the 1992 parade, and it is currently on display at the VFW Hall in Onaway.
5. Chain saw -- This chain saw, which is like an old-style Homelite chainsaw, was shown off for the first time in the 1994 parade, and it is currently on display at Da Yoopers Tourist Trap and Museum, which is along US-41 at Ishpeming, Marquette County, the Upper Peninsula. The chain saw, which won first prize at the parade, does work and is powered by a V-8 engine. "Big Gus" is the name of the chain saw.
6. Water Pump -- This sculpture, which is 14-feet high, was shown off for the first time at the 1995 parade and won first prize, and it is on display today at Da Yoopers Tourist Trap and Museum, Ishpeming, Marquette County, the Upper Peninsula.
7. Rifle -- This rifle, which does work, was first shown off during the 1996 parade, and it is on display at Da Yoopers Tourist Trap and Museum, Ishpeming, Marquette County, the Upper Peninsula. The rifle has a name, and that name is "Big Ernie."
8. Fish Tank -- This sculpture was first shown off at the 1997 parade, and it is now on display at Black Lake Marina, which is near Onaway.
9. A Bust of George Washington -- This sculpture was first shown off during the 1998 parade, and it is now found at the location of Moran Iron Works (11739 M-33/M-68, Onaway), and the sculpture is roughly 12-feet wide by 12-feet high.
10. Eagle's Head -- This sculpture, which is 14-feet high, was first shown off during the 2000 parade, and it is now located on the grounds of the Onaway Court House, Onaway, and, by the way, this sculpture won "Best Overall" at the 2000 Cherry Royale Parade in Traverse City, Grand Traverse County, the Lower Peninsula.
11. Toad -- This sculpture was first shown off at the 2001 parade, and it is owned by a private citizen, who lives at Hubbard Lake, Alcona County, the Lower Peninsula.
12. Butterfly with Flowers -- This sculpture was first shown off at the 2002 parade, and it is located at Northern Michigan Hospital, which is in Petoskey, Emmet County, the Lower Peninsula, and the wings of the butterfly can move.
13. The Head of an Indian -- This sculpture, which is mostly made of limestone, was first shown off at the 2003 parade, and it is on display at the Michigan Magazine Museum, which is along M-33 at Comins, Oscoda County, the Lower Peninsula.
14. Torch of Freedom -- This sculpture is a representation of the hand of the Statue of Liberty that holds the torch, and it was first shown off at the 2004 parade, and it is located at Moran Iron Works (Onaway).
15. Globe with two Persons -- This sculpture was first shown off at the 2005 parade, and it is now on display at Cheboygan Memorial Hospital, Cheboygan, Cheboygan County, the Lower Peninsula.
Now, let me report information about the two sculptures that no longer exist. For the 1993 parade, Moran Iron Works made a "Forge," and what happened with the sculpture is it was melted down. Moran Iron Works created a "Silver Coin" for the 1999 parade, and the coin was later melted down--not for hundreds and hundreds of pounds of silver, of course.
By the way, I have presented information that the "Torch of Freedom" is at Onaway. Actually, Onaway is where it was for many months until recently. It is currently at Rogers City, and it will soon be set up at a new location--a permanent location--at Rogers City.
Through this edition of Michigan Travel Tips, I will not tell you to see the sculpture that is at Hubbard Lake, but I urge you to see the sculptures that are on display at Cheboygan, Comins, Ishpeming (the Upper Peninsula), Onaway, and Petoskey when you get to those places.
Your travel tips in Michigan are:
Black Lake Marina, Black Lake (near Onaway), which is a lake that exists partially in Cheboygan County and partially in Presque Isle County, the Lower Peninsula.
The Cheboygan County Fairgrounds, Cheboygan, Cheboygan County, the Lower Peninsula.
Cheboygan Memorial Hospital, Cheboygan, Cheboygan County, the Lower Peninsula.
Da Yoopers Tourist Trap and Museum, Ishpeming, Marquette County, the Upper Peninsula.
Michigan Magazine Museum, Comins, Oscoda County, the Lower Peninsula.
Moran Iron Works, Onaway, Presque Isle County, the Lower Peninsula.
Northern Michigan Hospital, Petoskey, Emmet County, the Lower Peninsula.
Onaway Court House, Onaway, Presque Isle County, the Lower Peninsula.
The VFW Hall, Onaway, Presque Isle County, the Lower Peninsula.
- - - Public Service Copy for Broadcasters (four pieces) - - -
Number One:
Since 1989, a company called Moran Iron Works, which is at
Onaway, has created giant metal sculptures for the Fourth of July
parades at Onaway, which is in the northeastern region of the
Lower Peninsula, and, today, 15 of the sculptures are on display
in the state. Cheboygan, Comins, Ishpeming, Onaway, and
Petoskey are places that have one sculpture or more. At Onaway,
there are several. For instance, there's a giant Logging Wheel and
a giant Eagle's Head at the court house at Onaway, and at the
location of Moran Iron Works, which is west of Onaway, is a
Bust of George Washington. Elsewhere, Cheboygan
Memorial Hospital has a Globe, and Northern Michigan Hospital,
which is at Petoskey, has a Butterfly. In the Upper Peninsula at
Ishpeming, Da Yoopers Tourist Attraction and Museum has a
giant Chain Saw, a giant Water Pump, and a giant Rifle. Remember:
While traveling in Michigan, look for the unique things, and drive
safely.
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Number Two:
On July 1, 2005, the Michigan Department of Transportation--
originally called the "State Highway Department--became 100
years old, and, at this time, I have a safety message from the
Michigan Department of Transportation. Traffic accidents range
from the types that are serious to the types that are not. After
accidents take place, there are times when people should move
vehicles and there are times when people should not. If no one is
injured in an accident and if the vehicles involved in the accident
are still derivable, people should move the vehicles out of the flow
of traffic so that the accident does not get bigger. When an
accident takes place and a person in a vehicle is injured, the vehicle
should not be moved if moving the vehicle could injure the person
more. Of course, anytime a vehicle is undriveable, let it sit. And
those are rules from The Michigan Department of Transportation
that should help you enjoy traveling in Michigan.
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Number Three:
Scattered about Michigan are a number of water craft that are
like museums and can be toured, and some of the places that have
such water craft are Sault Ste. Marie, St. Ignace, Muskegon, and
Port Huron. The water craft at Port Huron, which, generally
speaking, meets Canada at the base of Lake Huron, is called the
Bramble. The Bramble is a cutter that was used on the Great
Lakes for about three decades and was even used in the waters
around Bikini Island during the time of atomic testing by the U.S.
By the way, Bikini Island is in the Pacific Ocean, and atomic
testing began at the island in 1946. Although the summer-tourism
season is past, the Bramble can still be seen and toured this year;
in fact, it can be seen on most days through the end of the year.
It is not open to tours on the major holidays. To find the Bramble,
head to the Port Huron Seaway Terminal of the St. Clair River.
And enjoy your safe traveling in Michigan.
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Number Four:
As the days go by at this time of year, the nights get longer, and
the stars come out sooner--except at planetariums, which can make
the stars come out anytime. For example, the planetarium at the
Exhibit Museum of Natural History at the University of Michigan
at Ann Arbor can make the stars come out in the daytime on most
Saturdays and Sundays at this time of the year, and the Abrams
Planetarium at Michigan State University has public shows on
Sunday afternoons. Planetariums are not restricted to presenting
shows only in the daytime. For instance, Shiras Planetarium, which
is at Marquette High School at Marquette, has a show on most
Monday evenings at seven-thirty, and the Carr-Fles Planetarium
at Muskegon Community College at Muskegon usually has shows
at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The Hologlobe Press
reminds you--on one of these upcoming days, you should take
time to see a planetarium.
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- - - Contact Information - - -
The Hologlobe Press
Postal Box 5455
Dearborn, Michigan 48128-0455
The United States of Americacopyright c. 2005
File date: 10 October 2005To see the next edition of Michigan Travel Tips,
click on: Travel #20
To see the previous edition of Michigan Travel Tips,
click on: Travel #18
To see the catalog page for Michigan Travel Tips,
click on: Travel
To go to the main page of The Hologlobe Press,
click on: www.hologlobepress.com
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