[SEL] OT the hi road or the low road

[Russell Gilbert]

Thanks Dave, just the kind of response we were hoping for. Some good 
ideas there and will give us some more searching on google etc.

I Helen is reading; I have been trying to con Carmel into doing the 
white water rafting thing! She recons she will stay home if we are 
gonna do that :-( bOO hOO

Keep em coming if you wish.
Cheers, Russ

At 10:43 AM 1/07/2009, you wrote:
>Depending on the timing, there are a lot of shows all over the place
>at this time of year.  Many people focus on the big event shows,
>but there's usually something interesting at even the smaller ones.
>
>Also, many shows spill back into midweek, so you don't need to
>catch them on a weekend.
>
>One item is to take the coal fired steam ferry from Ludington
>to Manitowoc, instead of the shiny new boring one to Baraboo,
>although the big circus museum in Baraboo is worthwhile.
>
>On the west edge of Manitowoc is the Manitowoc crane factory
>and training facility, with always a bunch of ginormous machines
>sitting out to look at...ie, a lowboy trailer filled with a single crawler
>track.
>Their licensed toy store is there too, where you can spend big $$$ easily.
>
>Also depending on the time you have allotted, you could do the
>Lake Erie Circle Tour, which circles the lake shore on very well
>paved 2-lane roads near the lake shore.  You can make good time
>on these roads, with plenty of scenery all along the way.
>The tour route is designated and marked with signs.
>Note that the Great Lakes are not lakes in the usual sense,
>but big freshwater seas. There are wineries all along
>the Lake Erie shore, especially east of Erie.
>
>If you're into railroads, one of the busiest, fastest, and highest
>tonnage main lines in the world runs from Chicago to Buffalo,
>ex New York Central, always within a couple miles of the lake,
>paralleled by a second, more picturesque line, ex Nickel Plate.
>
>There are a series of lake ports along the Ohio shore where you
>can see really old freighters, some still steam, or diesel conversions
>that still use steam for the winches and auxiliaries. The oldest,
>homeported Milwaukee, is from 1906, the second oldest
>is from 1929, and many are from the 1940's.
>
>Toledo has a lake freighter museum from the 1920's, Cleveland
>has a WW-II sub in unmodified condition, and a lake freighter
>from 1926, Erie has the Brig Niagara, unless it is out on tour,
>and a big machinery museum, and Buffalo has a naval museum
>with 3 good ships.  Just west of the city dock in Erie is an old
>water works, with one of the original big triple expansion steam
>pumping engines still there to see, although not "presented".
>
>North of Buffalo, is the Welland canal, which has plenty
>of both laker and salties traffic.
>
>This is quite a list, and barely scratches the surface.
>
>Have fun!
>Dave Merchant
>
>
>At 06:36 PM 6/30/2009, Russell Gilbert wrote:
> >G'day All, just asking for some thoughts of those who may be in the
> >know. We are still planing (trying to at least) our road trip from
> >Chicago to Buffalo, back to Detroit, Across the lake on the ferry to
> >Baraboo!. I have had plenty say driving is easy because of all the
> >great roads/freeways. We have plenty of time to poke about have a
> >sticky nose at all kinds of things.  Saying this I'm sure these great
> >roads by-pass many great points of interest. Anyone having some
> >suggestion on when to take a left or right hand turn off the freeways
> >to perhaps pass by some good old looking towns etc please feel free
> >to contact us off list russell at ncable.com.au
> >
> >PS: thanks to Arnie we have a great collection of maps and travel
> >planers and continually check them over. Just always good to hear
> >from some of the locals?
> >
> >regards Russell
> >
> >_______________________________________________
> >SEL mailing list
> >SEL at lists.stationary-engine.com
> >http://www.stationary-engine.com/mailman/listinfo/sel
>
>Dave Merchant
>kosh at nesys.com
>nesys_com at ameritech.net
>dmerchant at layerzero.com
>
>http://www.nesys.com
>http://www.nesys.org
>YouTube: SteamCrane
>
>_______________________________________________
>SEL mailing list
>SEL at lists.stationary-engine.com
>http://www.stationary-engine.com/mailman/listinfo/sel