MICHIGAN TRAVEL TIPS
FROM
THE HOLOGLOBE PRESS
(The 8th Edition)by
Victor Edward Swanson,
Publisherwww.hologlobepress.com
RULES OF USE
The material contained within this page is derived from my "fabulous files" of places that vacationers can see in Michigan and Wisconsin, and, in fact, my fabulous files contain information about hundreds of things to see. The material provided is as a public service of Victor Swanson and The Hologlobe Press. Almost all persons and entities, such as radio stations, may freely use the material; 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 - - -
At two in the morning, the sky is dark and black, and even if it is a summer day, the air at thousands of feet above the ground is cold. At thousands and thousands of feet above the ground, it is hard for a person to get an impression of the speed in any airplane, even when the airplane is a B-25 bomber, an important bomber for the U.S. during World War II. When flying high in a B-25 bomber, a person gets no sense of life below. Neither the sounds of the diesel trains below nor the sounds from the rushing water of the big rivers below get this high. The roar of the two engines of this medium-range bomber is monotonous, and the shaking and buffeting never stops. From the tail-gunner position, a person only sees what is being left behind, what little there is to see in the dark. From the upper turret gun, a person can continually swing around and see the stars to the east, the north, the west, and the south and can stop to look straight above, and what is below goes unseen, as if not there. From the nose-gunner position, a person has some sense of others, being near the pilot and the co-pilot, and can see out the nose windows to where trouble will soon come. Certainly, at any moment, a flash of light from an exploding antiaircraft shell could strike the eyes, and some oddly shaped piece of flak could rip through a wing or an engine and set off a fire that could destroy the ship, and all would be gone.
On Saturday, October 9, 2004, a most unwelcome fire lighted up the evening sky at Willow Run Airport, Belleville, Wayne County. It was a fire at the Yankee Air Museum. The fire drew the attention of many people, such as a group of firefighters who were doing what they could with the fire, which had already destroyed the hanger that was the main building of the Yankee Air Museum. Not far from the fire stood a B-25D, one of several aircraft that had been rescued before it was too late, and also nearby were a C-47/DC-3 and a B-17G, each of which was also removed from the hanger before it was too late. The following morning, the fire was out, and the heart of the Yankee Air Museum was gone.
In essence, today, the Yankee Air Museum, which is based at Willow Run Airport, is closed, or it is closed as a fully functioning museum; the guys and gals who operate the museum have set up temporary headquarters for their museum in what was an empty hanger at Willow Run Airport, so the museum does have a headquarters building and is open in limited form. The operators of the Yankee Air Museum have already made it publicly known that they are going to rebuild the museum, and, in fact, the staffers of the Yankee Air Museum and the staffers of the Michigan Aerospace Foundation are already asking for donations of money and memorabilia so that they can open a more permanent home for the Yankee Air Museum sometime in the future. A good place to get information about how an individual can help the Yankee Air Museum is the Web site of the Yankee Air Museum, which is at www.yankeeairmuseum.org/.
I began this edition of Michigan Travel Tips by mentioning the B-25 bomber and giving an impression of being on a B-25 bomber late at night while the B-25 was in the air, maybe on a mission over Sicily. The B-25 existed in various versions, some of which were the B-25C, the B-25H, and the B-25J; for example, some B-25s had the upper turret gunner near the tail, and some had the upper turret gunner near the pilot, and some B-25s had no co-pilot position. I happened to base my opening presentation on a B-25 that I saw in a photograph, which had machine-gun locations in the nose, at the tail, on each side of the fuselage, and on top. The photograph that I have of the B-25 at the Yankee Air Museum does not indicate that the B-25 at the museum has an upper turret. After World War II, war planes were often converted to do other duty, such as carry cargo. I do not want you to have the impression that the B-25 described in the first paragraph of this edition of Michigan Travel Tips is a description of the B-25D at the Yankee Air Museum.
By the way, since the start of 2000, fire has destroyed several tourist attractions that I have had listed in files of places to see in Michigan. For instance, on March 10, 2000, fire destroyed the museum building of the Father Marquette National Memorial and Museum at St. Ignace, Mackinac County, in the Upper Peninsula, and, on February 12, 2003, fire destroyed the Maybury Living Farm of Maybury State Park, Northville Township (near Northville), Wayne County, in the Lower Peninsula and killed three horses and some other animals. From time to time, I have to note setbacks in my files and pass along the setbacks to you.
Your travel tip this time is a place in need of help:
Yankee Air Museum, Willow Run Airport, Belleville, Wayne County, the Lower Peninsula.
- - - Public Service Copy for Broadcasters (four pieces) - - -
Number One:
It can be said that the Yankee Air Museum, which is in
Belleville of Wayne County, is one museum in Michigan that
focuses on national and international history. For example, it has
a B-25D bomber, which was used during World War II, and it has
other aircraft that were used by the U.S. during war. What is
unfortunate for everyone is the museum is not what it was before
the evening of October 9, 2004; that evening, the museum
proper--which was an airplane hanger and everything in
it--burned down. Maybe, you heard about the fire. Much was
lost. Today, the guys and gals who operate the museum need
help. For one, if you hear about someone who is about to throw
away materials that could help rebuild the collection of the Yankee
Air Museum, you should let the staffers of the Michigan
Aerospace Foundation and the Yankee Air Museum know about
the materials. And, in the meantime, tell friends about
www.yankeeairmuseum.org.
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Number Two:
In the winter, Manistee, which is in the northwestern quarter
of the Lower Peninsula, receives a lot of snow. Because
Manistee gets a lot of snow in winter, many snowmobilers spend
time there in the winter, and when there is enough snow on the
ground at Manistee, snowmobilers are allowed to use parts of
Division Street, First Street, and Walnut Street, which are
designated snowmobile routes. In addition, snowmobilers may
use the other streets when they are attempting to reach Division
Street, First Street, or Walnut Street. In Manistee,
snowmobilers must run their snowmobiles on "the extreme
right-hand side of the plowed portion of any roadway," and no
snowmobile may be ridden at more than 15 miles an hour. If you
plan to snowmobile in the Manistee area, you may ride into
Manistee on that snowmobile. And The Hologlobe Press reminds
you that, at Manistee, you will find the Lyman Building--which
is a museum--along First Street..
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Number Three:
In early February, people--wrapped up well for cold
weather--gather in the Sand Point/Munising area of the Upper
Peninsula of Michigan for an annual ice-climbing festival. The
2005 festival--called "Michigan Ice Fest 05"--is coming up
soon, scheduled for February 3, 4, 5, and 6. What some people
will do during this festival is climb icy cliffs along Lake Superior.
Last year, about 400 climbers took part in the event, and the
upcoming event should also attract hundreds of climbers.
Well-known professional climbers are scheduled to show up,
and, this time, well-known professionals are also going to give
slide shows and teach climbing techniques. Of course, it's an
event not only for climbers but also for spectators. For more
information about Michigan Ice Fest 05, you should telephone
Down Wind Sports at Marquette. And The Hologlobe Press
urges to keep your speed down on those snowy roads this winter.
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Number Four:
Between November and March, people from other states head
to Michigan to do hiking, hunting, ice fishing, and snowmobiling,
and, for visitors, The Hologlobe Press has these reminders. Even
though the snow season is back, do not transport any ash, which
is a type of wood, since the state of Michigan is one of the states
in the country that is having trouble with the Emerald Ash Borer;
in fact, some parts of the state are under quarantine, and no ash
at all may be transported. Hunters and hikers often use the
shoulders of roads in winter, and they can sometimes be hard for
motorists to see, so be alert for hunters and hikers along the
roads, especially around dusk and if snow is falling. Know how
thick that ice really is before you head out for ice fishing, and do
not head out on the ice with a snowmobile till you have made
tests to prove the ice is safe for a snowmobile and you. And
enjoy your safe vacationing in Michigan this winter.
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- - - Contact Information - - -
The Hologlobe Press
Postal Box 5455
Dearborn, Michigan 48128-0455
The United States of Americacopyright c. 2004
File date: 10 November 2004
To see the next edition of Michigan Travel Tips,
click on: Travel #9
To see the previous edition of Michigan Travel Tips,
click on: Travel #7
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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