the third coast

on a foggy day from my office or home, lake michigan actually looks like an ocean, spanning far til it meets the sky.

it is one of the 5 great lakes, the only lake fully in the U.S., and chicago is at the southwestern tip. the word michigan is actually derived from an ojibwa indian word mishigami, meaning "great water."

the lake has a surface area of 22,400 square miles which makes it the largest lake (by surface area) entirely in one country and it is the 5th largest lake in the world. it is also affectionately known as the "third coast" (after the atlantic and pacific) considering all the miles of sandy beaches that make the lake a vacation spot for millions.

the sand has a high quartz content, so it squeaks when you walk across it; people call it "singing sand." the water is quite chilly, getting in the low-mid 70s even in the height of summer (and trust me, i got in last august, and it was cooold).

lake michigan also hosts one of my favorite sports: sailing. currently the lake is covered with ice and occasionally mounds of snow; but come april, the beautiful boats start filling in the harbors dotting the lakefront with white. every wednesday, thursday, saturday, and sunday, races are held locally with hundreds of boats participating. my favorite view is of all of them headed downwind with their colorful spinnakers flying!

the highlight of the summer is the race to mackinac island, michigan. it is one of the longest fresh-water races in the world at 333 miles and celebrated it's 100th anniversary in 2008. hundreds of boats enter and spend anywhere from 33 - 69 hours sailing to the finish line. the fastest finish time was in 1998, when stars and stripes, captained by steve fossett, finished in 18 hours and 50 minutes. roy disney also set the monohull record in 2002 with a time of 23 hours and 30 minutes.

i stumbled across the beginning of this race one weekend in 2006 when i came to chicago with my sister for a visit. there was so much energy along the lakefront! hundreds of boats and thousands of people, sun shining and cool breezes blowing (you know they say "it's always cooler by the lake"). i'd eventually like to sail this race if i can find a good crew of people i'd like to spend up to 2 solid days with in cramped quarters!

the destination alone might be worth it though. mackinac island is a time capsule. a unique ordinances prohibits motor vehicles, so people get around by horse & carriage, bicycles, or foot. there is the beautiful grand hotel, built in the 19th century and boasts the largest wrap around porch. there's state park, haunted ghost tours, and an historic downtown. and an ice cream shoppe!

the lake also is home to a lot of small towns on the michigan and wisconsin shores. i'm not sure i'd like to actually go anywhere in michigan or wisconsin, other than mackinac, so i'm not going to do the research. i think there might be a winery in michigan. when do they have time to grow the grapes?