When I began this series of postings on the Great Lakes--Michigan Side; I had thought that when discussing Lake Erie that all I could offer was information.
Having forgotten that my parents had taken us to Lake Erie too, the only information to present would be that which all of you could discover through your own research using Wikipedia.
Now, I remember!
Thanks to Wikipedia, here we see Lake Erie in the dark blue color;
Erie bounds a lower east area of Michigan,North along Ohio, & New York--US & Ontario-near Leamington.
The Lake is 241 Mile long; 57 miles wide. It 'fills' from St. Clair River & Lake Huron and flows into the Niagara River.
It is the fourth largest lakes of the five Great Lakes [Ontario being the smallest] and the thirteenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest & smallest [by lake volume] of the 5 Great Lakes.
Poet, Margaret Atwood described Lake Erie thus:
"...Big, flat, beautiful, subject to unpredictable rages, and with dead spots in it--like Robert Mitchum's eyes..." [ not too kind toward Mr. Mitchum ]
see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Erie for in depth information [36 pages worth]
Two personal references I have are:
...a neighbor for 18 years in Harrison Twp, would talk about his Fishing trips to and upon Lake Erie. He spoke highly of the times he and his friends spent on this lake. never having been upon the actual Lake, it was interesting & fun hearing his tales.
...& during this research, realized that a much more relevant memory was of the
trips our parents took us on during summer vacation. We went more than once to Point Pelee national Park. Once when the three older of us could visit and then once again when the two youngest boys joined our family. Don't know which time was most rewarding, but the trips were fascinating.
I recall mainly Flowers, sandy beach area, walking almost into the water itself [more than likely on a boardwalk provided area] and Birds, All types of Birds. I remember the sounds of those Birds along with the sound of the Lake. It was a glorious time, before I had an incident that caused a real fear of the water.
Looking back now, I don't think that I ever realized the knowledge of the world around us that my parents provided year after year. I know now that summer vacation was a misnomer for my Mom, as she still did the cooking, cleaning [until we got old enough to help] and all the packing involved with 5 kids, a dog, & 2 adults. Often times, my Dad would take up and then return home to work until the weekends. They really put us first--too sad that I didn't realize that then.
More info about Lake Erie:
It got it's name from the Erie Tribe of Native Americans who lived along its southern shores.
The water surface of Lake Erie totals 9,910 sq miles.
It plays an important part in the Great Lakes Shipping Industry.
It is known for the sport fishing particularly Walleye & Yellow Perch.
The only state park on Lake Erie is the 1,300 acre Sterling State Park.
Also known for wildlife viewing and hunting is Pointe Mouillee State Game Area, just south of the Metro park [Lake Erie Metro park]. This 4,000 acre site boasts one of the world's largest fresh water marsh restoration projects,less than an hour south of the city of Detroit [on Lake Erie]
Lake Erie runs the northern borders along Ohio, Pennsylvania, & New York [Buffalo area];
Those of you in the Rain who live in these areas are welcome to post thoughts, facts and photos from your areas.
This will flesh out my information thus far.
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