« Multiple EMails & FetchMail 101 | Current | For Your Eyes Only… »
Aloha From Germany… Almost
2007:03:02 @ 19:20:38 -0600 under Photography, Research, Travel
Part 1: Houghton, MI –> Minneapolis, MN
Part 1: Houghton, MI –> Marquette, MI
Well, some of you might have known about this for a while - either heard from me directly or read in my recent blog entry. Anyways, I got the VISA last Sunday (which, in itself, was rather surprising), got all the required paper work from our University, packed all my stuff and joyfully shopping in Wal*Mart with a buddy of mine on Tuesday night… when my cell phone rang and at the other end of the call was a NorthWest Airlines representative. I hear … Sir, all our flights out of Minneapolis have been canceled due to bad weather. Earliest we can get you out is Thursday and from Marquette. Would you like to do so? Having not too much to choose from, /me accepted the offer - this gave me just about enough time to do some things that I would have otherwise not done, I managed to start my journey just after the predicted blizzard started its trailer (trailer as in a movie trailer) in the area. Driving in these blizzard-like conditions, warned by the National Weather Service as hazaradous, was nowhere close to fun. Gusting winds, often carrying snow with them, made it quite an experience - especially in the open areas as well as lake shores. Following are some of the pictures shot during this treacherous 100 mile journey:
Blizzard across Michigan’s Upper Peninsular - seen while driving along US41
While searching for a place to eat… Downtown Marquette, MI
Blizzard’s finally here; Marquette Airport, MI
/me had a pretty good dinner in a recently introduced eatery in Downtown Marquette and when I reached the airport, a very pleasant sight awaited me — all but my flight, scheduled to leave at 11:14 am EST, were cancelled. Although the strengthening blizzard didn’t give me much hope, I somehow thought that snow would disappear by morning and decided to stay over in a nearby motel. Trick/Tip taught by fellow grad student during NorthWestern rendezvous helped me again 
The hotel itself was pretty cozy and helped me get some good sleeping time…
Red Fox Inn; Marquette Airport, MI
Part 2: Marquette, MI –> Detroit, MI
Part 2: Marquette, MI –> Houghton, MI
Waking up to about 15 inches (and increasing) of pure white stuff all around did hint at something NorthWest Airlines website was about to tell me - all flights out of Marquette were cancelled. After a short discussion with Ralph, my advisor and NorthWest representative, I accepted the trip cancellation with full refund offer - as more snow and backlog of passengers wouldn’t let me fly till later part of next Tuesday 
Shoveling knee-deep snow around and footlong snow on my car; Marquette Airport, MI
With this change in plan, my trip to Germany might have to wait for a while - it’s so faaar, yet soooo close kinda thing but I am glad that it got cancelled in the very first stage of the journey. Things could have been lot worse, if I had gotten stuck either in Detroit and/or Amsterdam… So, I headed back to Marquette - had breakfast at the same place where I had dinner before…
Gophers Cafe; Marquette, MI
Gophe’s Cafe; Marquette, MI
Gophers Cafe; Marquette, MI
A good breakfast, strong coffee and short but interesting chat later, /me started the 100 mile journey back to Houghton through the blizzard (this was blizzard, not its trailer). This was probably the slowest speed at which I have driven between Marquette and Houghton. Since it’s not everyday that we get blizzards and white-out conditions, I took about 3 hours but with innumerable stops, mostly for shooting pictures and one for food 
Since I cannot show you the food, I will post the pics below (or some of them at least):
Near Bay of Baraga, US41
Snow covered White Pines; In Baraga along US41
Snow covered trees along US41
Snow covered trees along US41
If one wants to know what it feels like driving in Heaven, at least during winter, one should come up and drive through such hazaradous blizzards Fact that Michigan Tech (and Northern Michigan too) was closed should hint at the magnanimity of this blizzard, for it hasn’t happened in a looong time and it (school closures during winter) is a measure of the harshness of the winter times… Good news is that I am back in Houghton, in one complete piece. Probably a good drink, preferably from the KBC, should be a nice way to end the day. And, if you are wondering about rest of the pictures, they will be here sometime soon….
2007.03.02 @ 19:54:10
Wow! The photographs are awesome. Some are timeless - like the one titled ‘ near Bay of Baraga’. The photograph of the lamp in Red Fox Inn is so fairy-tale like. The blizzard pic is great too. I’m a fan of your photography :-). Keep the ball rolling!