Joel Dinda's photos with the keyword: rapids

On the Looking Glass River in Portland, Michgan.

Color version of the next photo to the right, at Pam J 's request. FWIW, I prefer the monochrome.

One last Dimondale photo. Best if you Lightbox this one by clicking on the picture.

Michigan's Grand River was dammed at this location in 1850 by Isaac Dimond, who laid out a village around the dam, called Dimondale, in 1856 (I'm leaving out a lot of complications). Dimond build a sawmill in what's now Lions Community Park, and a grist mill in the present (and brand new) Danford Island Park. This photo was taken from Island; Lions is on the far shore of the river. After some rebuilds of the dam and both mills the village thrived as a mill town, supporting settlers and farmers in Windsor Township, southwest of Lansing. The 1880 incarnation of the dam was removed in September of 2006 and replaced with what the village and the state call a "W" weir. Who am I to argue with that description? I had a Dimondale address for about a dozen years, though I've never lived in the village. It's now pretty much a Lansing suburb, though the town seems to resist the description.

Below Tippy Dam; Wellston, Michigan.

This photographer was working harder at his craft than I was. Hope he got some good pix.

A photo with youngsters to give you a sense of scale. This is a small waterfall. One of the things we learned from Thursday's visit to Ocqueoc was that there's a trail along the river. So on Saturday, with better weather. we returned to the Falls and went for a short hike. The little park at the falls was just loaded with people on Saturday. We encountered several who'd come fairly long distances just to see the fall; all expressed disappointment.

It rained on Thursday, so we mostly hid in the camper and read. Eventually we got bored.... Joan suggested we find Ocqueoc Falls, which (as perhaps you know) is the biggest/highest/only waterfall in the Lower Peninsula. My expectations were low, so I wasn't disappointed in the fall (at 3 or 4 feet it's basically the tallest drop in a rapids). That said, there's a great park and the scenery's just terrific. Well worth a visit if you're in the area; not worth a long trip if it's your main destination.

Here's the Glade Creek Mill in context. The State Park's attractive headquarters building is to the left of the picture, and the creek is dammed below the HQ building to create what was once a swimming pool. This is the actual view when you come up the Sewell Road from our cabin. To my eyes, a very attractive place. When we first started staying at Babcock, the HQ building housed an excellent restaurant, with a selection of well-prepared dishes. A couple years later the restaurant's quality had significantly deteriorated, and eventually the effort failed. The former restaurant's now been occupied by the park's gift shop. That used to be your corner-of-the-building collection of t-shirts and ashtrays; now it's a fairly serious place with interesting things. Joan picked up a calendar; I bought a book. This photo is best LARGE .

On the Sturgeon River in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. (Last in set.)

On the Sturgeon River in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

Sturgeon River in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. This is the same flume as yesterday's photo , from a different angle. Right at the downriver end of the canyon which defines the waterfall and the rapids below the fall.

The Sturgeon River in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

On the Sturgeon River in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Another view here .

As the photo came out of the camera....

Not sure where I took this. Above Laughing Whitefish? Silver River Falls? Upper Michigan, anyway. Thanks to Michigan Nut for identifying this fall. See the comment below. Camera: Minolta Zoom 110 SLR

Pitcher Zach Piccola of the West Michigan Whitecaps. Zach was signing autographs, bantering with the crowd, and watching Duane Below, the starting pitcher, warm up pretty much simultaneously. Looked to be enjoying himself. He'd eventually relieve Below in mid-game. That's Whitecaps pitching coach Ray Burris behind him. Original photo here . More game pictures here .