Chasing Waterfalls

In Tornado Alley where I grew up, there are storm chasers, people who pursue tornadoes for scientific  investigation or simply for the thrill of it.  They are crazy!  I'd rather chase another natural phenomenon--waterfalls.

This summer we've seen the second largest waterfall east of the Mississippi River.  Actually, make that two we've seen which are reputed by locals to hold second place after Niagara Falls!

Tahquamenon Falls

Yoopers, those residents of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, claim Tahquamenon (pronounced Te-Qua-Min-On and rhymes with phenomenon) Falls is the next largest waterfall after Niagara Falls.

Cumberland Falls

Yet, Rick and Julie, our friends in Corbin, Kentucky, say the Cumberland Falls has claimed that spot.

Tahquamenon's Upper Falls

So let's look at the statistics!  Tahquamenon's Upper Falls are at least 200 feet across with a drop of approximately 48 feet.  Wikipedia states that "during the late spring runoff, the [Tahquamenon] river drains as much as 50,000 US gallons of water per second, making the upper falls the third most voluminous vertical waterfall east of the Mississippi River."  Hmmm!  Third most voluminous?  Obviously, those Yoopers are prone to exaggeration by claiming the No. 2 spot.

Tim and I climb down to the brink of the Tahquamenon Falls for a closer look.

Tim at the observation deck for Tahquamenon Falls

Yes, it's magnificent, and as Tim and I can attest, it's a long haul back up those 94 steps to the trail.

But it was worth it to see the beauty of this place in the North Woods.

Cumberland Falls

On the other hand, the Cumberland Falls makes a strong claim simply by its sobriquet, The Niagara of the South.

Julie and I at the observation deck for Cumberland Falls

Again I turned to Wikipedia for statistics.  There I read the Cumberland Falls "is 68 feet high and 125 feet wide."

Furthermore, according to Wikipedia's entry, "Cumberland Falls is the second largest waterfall east of the Rocky Mountains and the largest waterfall as measured by water volume in the Eastern United States, south of Niagara Falls."  Ah, ha!  If Wikipedia says it, it must be true, right?  However, when I followed Wikipedia's footnotes, this quote came directly from The Explore Kentucky Initiative web site, an organization that clearly has promotion of Kentucky in mind.

So, finally I googled "largest waterfalls in the US" only to find that neither Tahquamenon nor Cumberland Falls are found on the World List Mania's "Tallest and Largest Waterfalls in US," but that's beside the point.  I'm casting my vote with my friends for the Cumberland Falls simply because its setting in the Cumberland River Gorge is so, well, gorgeous.  Plus, I value my friendship with Julie which goes clear back to our Wilderness Women era, times when we with two other single female friends backpacked through the wilderness of the Rocky Mountains.

Cumberland Falls Moon Bow by William V. Cox
Posted on Wikipedia

One more note that places Cumberland Falls ahead of the Tahquamenon, in Julie's opinion, is its moon bow.  If it is clear on the night of a full moon, you just might see a lunar rainbow at the base of the falls.  This rainbow is caused when moonlight is reflected off mist from the falls.  I only wish I'd been there at the right time to see it.

Two Presidential Libraries

Tim sits in Pres. Ford's seat at the Cabinet's table.

Tim has a goal to visit every presidential library beginning with Herbert Hoover, the first president to have such an institution.  As of today, and with the exception of John F. Kennedy, we are current through 1980 when Jimmy Carter left office, thanks to three stops we've made this summer.  First was Hoover's library in West Branch, Iowa which I wrote about in July.

Then, with a visit to our friends, Gary and Judy, in Grand Rapids, Michigan a few weeks ago, we stopped at the Gerald R. Ford Museum.  Gary and Judy are dear friends from our first stint in D.C.  Their son Devin now teaches K-12 grades in a remote school in Alaska; he was Richard's best buddy so we were delighted that he was also visiting his parents while we were there.

Now, Tim and I are in Americus, Georgia, where we've spent the month of August attending Habitat for Humanity training to become faciliators for a course in volunteer management. In addition, for the past two weeks we've volunteered with the facilities manager for the Habitat headquarters here to reduce the number of odd jobs on his to-do list.  All this to say, that I'm woefully behind on posting our summer adventures to our blog.

So, let's begin with President Gerald R. Ford.

While Ford's presidential papers are stored on the campus of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, it was the memorabilia of his life and the life of his wife Betty that we wished to see at The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in his hometown, Grand Rapids.

Leslie Lynch King, Jr. and his mother Dorothy Gardner King

I am always interested in what makes for greatness so I found the story of Ford's childhood captivating.  His start in life was not the easiest of beginnings.  His father abandoned his mother soon after Ford (once named Leslie Lynch King, Jr.) was born.  At an Episcopal Church social, Dorothy Gardner King met Gerald R. Ford, a hard-working, kind man who was affectionate towards her toddler son.  They married in 1917.

Gerald R. Ford, Sr. with Junior Ford

From that point on, they called the young boy Junior Ford, and Ford Sr. became the father Jerry Ford "loved and learned from and respected."

Jerry Ford posing with his half brothers, Tom and Dick, while his step-father holds baby Jim.

Soon Tom, Dick and Jim were born and the family was complete.

Jerry joined the Boy Scouts and at age 14, proudly earned the rank of Eagle Scout.  In 1929, the governor of Michigan selected Ford, along with several other Eagle Scouts from around Michigan to serve as honor guards at Fort Mackinac on Mackinac Island.  Throughout his life, Ford remained dedicated to the Boy Scouts and the organization's principles.

When Jerry was ready to attend high school, his parents debated whether to send him to the newer, more elite Ottawa High or to South High where students came from diverse backgrounds: recent immigrants, African Americans and the working class.  They chose South High largely because a family friend and high school basketball coach advised "he will learn more about living there."  It was a good choice.  There Ford learned to get along with many different people.

He also joined the football team, a decision that paid off later when he earned a scholarship to play football at the University of Michigan.  After college, Ford was tempted to play professionally.  He received offers from the Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions, but he turned them down to pursue a law degree at Yale, graduating in May 1941 in the top quarter of his class.  He returned to Grand Rapids and opened a law firm with a friend, Philip Buchen.

A bronze statue of LCDR Jerry Ford was unveiled on the USS Gerald R. Ford in April 2016.  

Soon after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Ford enlisted in the U. S. Navy Reserve and saw action in the South Pacific on the USS Monterey.  During Typhoon Cobra, he almost lost his life when the high winds caused many of the carrier's aircraft to break loose and crash into each other.  He had to cross the flight deck on his way to the bridge and as he did so, the ship rolled sideways.  Ford fell and almost slid overboard but fortunately, he caught himself on the edge of the deck and survived the storm.

Elizabeth Anne "Betty" Bloomer Ford

When the war ended, Ford returned to Grand Rapids and his law office.  He met a beautiful divorcee, Elizabeth Bloomer, at Grace Episcopal Church and soon married her.  Betty was a fashion model and a dancer with the Martha Graham Dance Company.  During their engagement, Ford was campaigning for office as a U.S. Representative, a position he won for the next 13 terms until President Richard Nixon appointed Ford as Vice President following the resignation of Spiro Agnew in 1973.

Ford is sworn in as the 40th U. S. President

Of course, we know how that turned out.  Nixon was forced to resign the presidency following Watergate, making Ford the only person to have served as both Vice President and President without being elected to either office.

Hoping to heal the nation from the scars of Watergate, Ford gave Nixon a full pardon for any crimes he might have committed while president.

This pardon undoubtedly cost Ford the presidential election of 1976 which he lost to the Democratic nominee, Jimmy Carter.

That brings us to this weekend's visit to the Carter Presidential Center.

Carter takes the oath of office on Jan. 20, 1977.

A year ago, Tim and I learned much of Jimmy's life story when we visited his home town, Plains, Georgia.  Now with this visit, I've come to believe that Jimmy Carter has accomplished more since he left the presidency at age 56 than he was able to achieve during his four years in office.

One of Carter's most notable achievements while in office was the Camp David Accords signed by Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egypt's President Anwar Sadat at Camp David, 1978

The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum is on the same Atlanta campus as the Carter Center, the nongovernmental organization Carter and his wife Rosalynn founded in 1982 which has helped improve life in more than 80 countries by advancing democracy and human rights, fighting disease and promoting mental health.  His center has monitored more than 100 elections in Africa, Latin America and Asia.  In addition, the Carter Center leads the fight to eradicate diseases such as schistosomiasis, trachoma and Guinea worm globally.

On Feb. 4, 1993, Carter and Jay Leno demonstrated their nail-driving skills on The Tonight Show.
Rosalynn's carpenter tape measure

Of course, of particular interest to Tim and I is the Carters' involvement with Habitat for Humanity.  One week a year for over 25 years, the Carters have helped Habitat build houses for people in need.

Octavio Ocampo, Jimmy Carter, 1979 [Oil on canvas], The Carter Presidential Center, Atlanta
Enlarge this portrait and you'll see the national symbols and personal images Ocampo incorporated. 

There was an article in the Washington Post on Saturday that profiled Carter as the "un-celebrity president," noting that he has bypassed the wealth and perks that flow so freely to other former presidents to live a simple life in the home he and Rosalynn owned before their term in Washington, D.C.  One interesting statistic the article related was the following:

"Carter costs U.S. taxpayers less than any other ex-president, according to the General Services Administration, with a total bill for him in the current fiscal year of $456,000, covering pensions, an office, staff and other expenses.  That's less than half the $952,000 budgeted for George H. W. Bush; the three other living ex-presidents--Clinton, George W. Bush and Obama--cost taxpayers more than $1 million each per year."

What a bargain!  In the above article, Carter says, "It just had never been my ambition to be rich."  I admire Carter for how he has lived his life.

Carter's Noble Peace Prize medal on display at Carter Presidential Library

What he said in his acceptance speech when he received that Nobel Peace Prize on Dec. 10, 2002 resonates with me.  "The bond of our common humanity is stronger than the divisiveness of our fears and prejudices.  God gives us the capacity for choice.  We can choose to alleviate suffering.  We can choose to work together for peace.  We can make these changes--and we must."

The Little Finger of Michigan's Mitten

When Tim and I crossed the Mackinac Bridge, we left behind the Upper Peninsula to enjoy the sights in Michigan's little finger.  

If you've ever looked at a map of Michigan, you'll notice that the lower portion of state is shaped like a mitten, but its northwest corner, the Leelanau Peninsula, extends 30 miles into Lake Michigan.  It's often referred to as Michigan's little finger.

That's where we found the resort town of Petoskey on the shores of Little Traverse Bay.

Petoskey lends its name to stones which are an oddity of the area.  Found throughout Northern Michigan along the beaches, Petoskey stones with their distinctive hexagon pattern are the petrified remains of prehistoric coral colonies.  Glaciers polished their rough edges leaving smooth stones behind.

Ernest Hemingway on vacation with his family

Petoskey is also where Ernest Hemingway, between 1899 and 1921, vacationed with his family as a youth.  He spent much of his time swimming, fishing and wandering through fields and forests, all of which provided Hemingway with the inspiration and setting for some of his best short stories, combined and published as The Nick Adams Stories.  There is a good exhibit about Hemingway's ties to the city in the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad Station, now the Little Traverse Museum.  In addition, we followed with interest the trail of Hemingway plaques scattered throughout Petoskey's downtown; each spoke of the author's connection to the city.

My favorite was the one outside the Carnegie Library, a favorite haunt of Hemingway's.  Today the Carnegie Building connects the library with the old United Methodist Church and acts as the home of the Crooked Tree Arts Center.

The Perry Hotel is another vital presence in the heart of Petoskey's historic downtown.  Petoskey was a village just 20 years old when Dr. Norman J. Perry built this hotel in 1899.  Built of brick, a novelty at the time, the Perry advertised itself as the only fireproof hotel in town.  It certainly has a beautiful veranda.

Just up the road from Petoskey is Traverse City, the Cherry Capitol of the World.  We missed the city's National Cherry Festival at the end of June, but we had a taste of its flavor at the Cherry Republic on Front Street in the historic downtown.  Cherry jam, cherry scones, cherry chocolates, cherry pie and even cherry wine.

My personal favorite was their Cherry Conservancy Wine which made good hostess gifts for our overnight stay with friends.

No visit to the Little Finger would be complete without a look at the sand dunes that pile up against the west side of Leelanau Peninsula.

Tim and I spent a day at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore near Traverse City, Michigan.  Here's a sampling of what we saw.

Miles of sand dunes, some taller than 450 feet, line the shore of Lake Michigan.

Scads of sightseers slid their way down to the shore.

Tim thought about joining them.

I, on the other hand, was not even tempted!  I'll just stay right here on the Little Finger of Michigan.

Mackinac Island

Tim and I had already made plans to travel to Mackinac Island way before May 15, 2018, when TripAdvisor named the 10 Hottest U. S. Destinations for Summer and ranked the island as No. 1, ahead of the likes of Bar Harbor, Jackson Hole and Martha's Vineyard.

Of course, we'd planned to have our children with us, but work commitments kept them home.  So we held onto our hotel reservation for one night and the four ferry tickets we'd pre-purchased.  If we couldn't hawk the two extra ferry tickets, it would be no hardship to cross the Straits of Mackinac twice to enjoy this charming 3.8 square-mile island.

The island's ban of automobiles right from their inception at the turn of the 20th century has resulted in the obvious--exhaust-free air and the absence of auto noise--but also in the island's ambiance that recalls that period of time.

The village lanes are narrow and lined with quaint shops

and picture-perfect Victorian homes.

Horse-drawn carriages line up in the early morning hours ready to carry tourists wherever they will

while cargo drays powered with--well, horsepower, of course-- transport goods.  I found it a little disconcerting to see shipment boxes labeled Amazon on the back of the latter.

So how did budget-conscious visitors like Tim and I get around?  By foot power, either walking or peddling.

We wanted to join the island's cycling craze, but I was without a bike or bloomers, those baggy trousers that once liberated ladies from cumbersome petticoats and skirts.  I could substitute my own duds for bloomers, but having left our bicycles back on the farm, we needed to rent two if we hoped to cycle around the island.  I didn't know if the island's bike rental shops would have enough for the day's crowd.  So we arrived at the dock of the Star Line Ferry in St. Ignace, Michigan early enough to catch the first ferry over.  I need not have worried.  With five rental shops on the island, there were plenty to go around.

What I noticed first when I walked off the ferry was the smell of chocolate.  Mackinac is world-famous for its homemade fudge.  Chocolate Turtle, Double-Dark Chocolate Cherry Walnut, Penuche Pecan and a host of other flavors designed to make you drool appeal not only to smell or taste but to sight as well.  Confectioners dump the stuff on marble-topped tables and scrape it around until sugar crystals form and the fudge becomes firm.  Then they shape the chocolate deliciousness into mounds that look like meatloafs before cutting them into 1 inch-wide slabs certain to add pounds to your behind.

So it's a good thing that most visitors bike the island's eight-mile perimeter

and climb the steep hill leading up to Fort Mackinac.  We did as well, dodging other cyclists, carriages and the crap left by the horsepower.

The picturesque route took us past Arch Rock, a geologic curiosity that spans 50 feet at its widest point, and British Landing where British, Canadian and Native Americans came ashore and overtook the island during the War of 1812

However, the showpiece of the island is the Grand Hotel.

Built in 1887 to accommodate the flood of summer visitors who still flock to it, the hotel sets its guests apart from the masses.  Not a guest?

Don't expect to climb up the steps to its 660-foot long porch without paying a $10 entry fee.  And if you are a guest, ladies must don their best dress while gentlemen are required to wear ties and jackets at dinner.

Our hotel reservation was not at the Grand Hotel.  Still, ours was pricey, but I found it totally worth it in order to experience the island after the day visitors were ferried away.

Near the island's public school (a place of learning for approximately 80 K-12 students with an average class size of 6 students), Tim and I found a good place to watch the sunset.

The next day was Friday and you could tell by the size of the crowds who arrived by ferry that the weekend was gearing up.  This was the weekend of the Chicago Yacht Club's Race to Mackinac, the longest freshwater race in the world.  The race would begin Saturday at 11:00 a.m. near the Chicago Lighthouse just off the Navy Pier and end 333 miles and between 40-60 hours later at Mackinac Island.

Tim and I used our last two ferry tickets to the island on Monday where we saw the boats arrive after their long jaunt.

Saturday's weather had been stormy and one man was swept overboard amid six to eight foot waves soon after the race began.  Despite a search by fellow competitors, the Coast Guard and Chicago's Fire Department and Police, he was not found.  A very sad tragedy!  My heart goes out to the man's family.