The Michigan Tech Winter Carnival festivities aren't over here in the Keweenaw, until the last picture is viewed. Here today, Capt. Paul & Dr. Nat (Paul and Nathalie Brandes) give us a couple of night time looks at two of our more famous landmarks in the area. The Portage Lake Lift Bridge lit UP at night and the Quincy Mine Shaft, aglow up on the hill. Paul snapped those while they were waiting for the fireworks to begin over on Mont Ripley.

The display of giant sparklers was a good one, as it usually is and as always, the torchlight parade folks craft a design out of torches, which are actually road flares. This year, since the theme was of the 50 states, they created a heart design with the USA in the middle. I like the symbolic nature of this design, saying that we LOVE the USA!

Today's bottom photo, comes to us via Joe Kirkish, who emailed me that a former student of his from MTU, Marty Schendel was here for the festivities and drove back to lower Michigan Sunday night. He arrived at the Mackinac Bridge around 2 a.m. to this beautiful sight, so he stopped and captured it to share.
I love how we started out today's photos with the Gateway to the Keweenaw at night and end the display with the Gateway to the U.P. shining in the dark, also!

Yes, my favorite is the 'love USA'!

My two favorite bridges :-) with fireworks in
the middle to boot. Gotta love it! The good news
is I'll be coming back to the great state of MI
soon!

Oh how I love those two bridges. I will be crossing the Mighty Mac
tomorrow. Especially love the church in Phoenix in the review.

Hey...youse guys done good!

Excellent Winter Carnival coverage! Thank You
all...Capt. Paul & Dr. Nat and Mary! You all rock!

A great set of night time pictures on display. I like the pics of the little bridge that goes up and down and the big bridge that goes UP and Down.

I very much appreciate your coverage of Winter Carnival from the good Capt. and Nat. This year is my 40th anniversary of graduation and I have never been back for another Winter Carnival although I've been back twice in the winter (and many times during summer). Vicarious U.P. living via Pasty Central is a favorite.

I truly enjoyed my 4 years at Tech and I actually enjoyed all the snow, and those 4 years included some of the higher snowfalls. I think I enjoyed it so much because I didn't have a car to bother with, but over the many years hence I have come to simply abhor winters. I hate the snow. I hate the cold more. Here in Northern Illinois I sometimes think our slightly higher winter temperatures but with higher humidity make things feel worse than the UP. Cold days then warm days, snow then slush then freezing rain? Just get cold and stay cold. Maybe it's due to my age? I do miss walking on all the squeaky sidewalks though.

2015. . . mowing the snow? I do that sometimes to clear grass clippings from the sidewalks.

Greetings:

I am puzzled by the photographic angle or lens that was used in taking the night photo of the Mackinac Bridge. The bright white lights below the bridge structure just don't make sense to me from here.

A ship passing under, tall light towers for I-75 or something else? The five mile Straits of Mackinac just seems to be oddly compressed.

JT

All Awsome.

Thanks for the pix! Looks like a blast, wish I could be there to enjoy it.

Loved all the pictures from the Capt and Dr. We
wanted to see the statues up close and personal
this year, but they were snow covered.

I love the bridge pictures. Haven't found a bad
one of either of them yet. Also love the Phoenix
church in the review. Went by there on Tuesday.
Just love that area. So peaceful.

Wonderful pictures of "home".

Great pictures, especially the fireworks.