[SEL] OT the hi road or the low road

[Dave Merchant]

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

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