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Aloha From Germany… Almost
March 2nd, 2007 @ 19:20:38 | Germany, Houghton, Marquette, Michigan, Research, USA
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 canceled. 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….
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!
I cannot believe your journey! How frustrating (but fun to read about!). We loved looking at your pics, as always. Adam is very impressed with your pictures and camera. I updated some of my webpages, including this http://karenkoethe.com/photos/photos.html
Welcome back to Houghton
@Karen (& Adam):
Thanks for taking time to read & see through the pics; I am thinking about having you guys over for some dinner or something like that – sometime soon, before this semester ends and you guys disappear from this area during Summer. I checked your new photo page – with the new layout, it’s quite coherent with the rest of the pages (like the same ‘menu’ showing across all pages… Nice!
And yeah, it feels good to be home
The best thing about photographs during snow is that all pictures look black and white (also with some shades of gray and brown).
BTW,9311 which is your car number is also the index of a prime Fibonacci number !!
@Pavan,
Yeah, that something I have come to realize/understand recently – that camera (or most of them) treats colors as shades of grey. Thanks to a book and bunch of friends, I now get snow as ‘white’ instead of cement-like grey. About 9311 being the index of a prime Fibonacci number, I had absolutely no idea. Thanks for that information – I can now brag about it too
Amazing pics. Apart from really good photography, you really know what photographs to take!
Who can think of photographing like : “Blizzard’s finally here; Marquette Airport, MI” or “Gopher’s Cafe; Marquette, MI”
Niiiiice. You do have an eye for images that are mesmerising.
What camera is it? (Not that I know uc about photography/cameras or Image-art)
Enjoying touring around your “space” Gowtham…will be doing it a little a time, savouring the words and images. Thanks a lot for sending me the link!
@Manoj,
Thanks dude – I have been using, since June 2006, Nikon D70s (a 6.1 megapixel digital SLR) with few different lens (wide-angle, close up, zoom and such…), More details about all of my equipment / accessories are here.
@Deepa,
Thanks for taking time to go through; For a while, I thought LJ liked me and it was properly syncing your entries in my People News page; but it has been on and off with regular irregularity… Ah, it seems to work again (that means I get to read about many of your previous entries)
Hi Gowtham,
I feel u have a gift in everything … every thing u touch. These photos are truly amazing… I loved all of them. Especially the downtown one. U truly give photography a new meaning. Continue the good work.
Regards,
Sunil
@Sunil,
Gift in everything? I beg to differ… Your photographs are good too and we have talked about this before – just a bit of post processing and it will make them look mint/print quality
Photos are good man! What camera are you using?
@Ashwin,
Thanks dude – I used Nikon D70s (digital SLR) with few different lens (18-70mm wide-angle, 50mm/150mm close up, 70-200mm VR zoom and such…). Details about all of my equipment / accessories are here.
What’s this trick that helped you again?
@Kyle,
Will tell you about it when I see you next time around
uhhhh buddy…another masterpiece…amazing pics as always….but dont take such huge risks of driving in blizzardss man…nevertheless going thru this was like me taking the journey….Good that you are back in one piece
)….have a great weekend!!!
@Santosh,
There was no (at least not much) risk involved with this trip – timing worked out just fine such that majority of the drive was less-hazardous; and snow stopped coming down at just the right time/place for me to stop driving and shoot some pictures… We should do that Grand Canyon thing sometime soon though
Dinner would be so much fun! It would be fun to learn how to make one of the dishes. Let me know – it would be great and we can bring something too
@Karen,
Will let you about the details in a mail very soon
hey buddy!! neat snaps .. the lamp one is awesome…
Hey Gowtham…..
pics tumba chennagide maga…..by the way when are you coming to Germany……Keep me posted about it maga….we can try to meet……I am sorry for your tiresome journey…but nevertheless a very interesing one….and of course awesome scenes of the snow covered places….
@Srinidhi,
As of now, there are no definite plans of me coming to Germany; if I do (don’t know when), it will be to a place called Juelich (nearest airport is Dusseldorf) for a short visit to Neumann Institute of Computing. Amount of free time I will have depends entirely on how quickly I can get some programs to work though…
Hey Gowtham..wow ,wow !! some really smashing images!!you certainly have the eye!!..I Loved em all!! I Bet everyone who has viewed the above , is darn well tempted to visit Baraga and Michigan ASAP !!
Cheers Ross
@Phillip,
Thanks man; and you are invited to Michigan (Upper especially) anytime – at least as long as I am here. You would go nuts while shooting pics in the area
wonderful machax !
If you are coming to Dusseldorf, then Muenster is just under two hours from there. So, if time permits, we have a realistic chance of meeting. Hope to see you shortly
@Sreenidhi,
2 hours drive is quite manageable I suppose; Will keep you posted of any further updates about Germany trip…
hey goti,
i don’t think i can add anything that’s not already said about ur pics.
Prachanda neenu!! Alla, anthad yen ase Germany ge hogakke? Blizzard madhya yella yaak drive madbeku anteeni. Germany mane halaaga..neen sath gith hodre amele nanna blog mele comments yaar bareetare. And “Blogs Deepti reads” yaav nann maga maintain maadtaane.. hingella maadbeda innondh sali. E -sali kshamisideeni.
@MarwaDi,
So, I was kinda hoping that, somehow, snow would vanish and my flight would take off, but it wasn’t to be 
Nevertheless, like someone once said, when fate hands you a lemon, make a lemonade, I figured I might as well shoot some good pictures of snow storm/blizzard. I have added reasons to visit that nearby (100 miles) town of Marquette – Gophers Café is one; and other reason, will tell you over chat some day.
Few reasons to go to Germany, apart from usual research thing – GOOD BEER and NO SPEED LIMIT WHILE DRIVING
About me vanishing in snow storm and not being able to leave comments and/or maintaining the page that you use to read blogs, you will find someone else – and I know for a fact that replacements are usually better
Moreover, looking at the top of this page, you are the one who have been a very regular commentor (or commentator) for my blog – so, it is you who should be more careful about what you do…
Much has been said already, but I’ll still say my “eraDu maathu”…
The pictures are great, as always…The bay of baraga one especially is WOW! beyond words…
Having driven that route myself a few times, I don’t understand what motivates u to go driving in such hazardous conditions…I guess danger is the price for the beauty captured…I’m glad ure back safe and sound…Try not to make such dangerous journeys in future, although I know the advice falls on deaf ears…
@Soumya,
Driving in that hazardous condition was mostly a necessity but when you do do it yourself, you will realize that conditions aren’t that hazardous – at least when you get decent quality pictures out of such drives. A bit of risk is definitely worth a few good pictures and I am more than certain that you are right about your last sentence
Hey Gowtham.. how are you dude?? wondering who I am??? This is your school mate from Bangalore-Lakshmi. Hope you remember me.. very glad to have contact with you again.. The pictures are awesome….
) as one of your friends has mentioned above you are really a gifted person… I will keep looking for more feast for my eyes…
regards,
@Lakshmi,
Wow! This is a very pleasant surprise to hear from you!! Long live internet…. Thanks for taking time to read and post comment – will write to you very shortly
[...] who have been quite regular at reading these posts, my trip to Germany is kinda old news. Unlike my previous attempt, weather gods in UP (Michigan’s Upper Peninsular) were more than kind and none of the flights [...]
Whoa. I was looking for some information on an old chatroom I was a part of and I came across this (the reference to “red fox inn”). Well, your photography is absolutely amazing. I’m glad I came across this site because I was trying to write but writers block is like a plague man but these photo’s inspired me. So thank you and you did a wonderful job. Like seriously. Not really sure if that says enough, my awe has no definite expression.
<3 Amber
Thanks! I will recommend this to all my friends.