Familiarly know as “The Mighty Mac” or “The Big Mac”, Michigan’s Mackinac Bridge opened in 1957 connecting Lower Michigan to the Upper Peninsula. For more information here’s a link to the Mackinac Bridge Website. Beyond the official website there’s additional bridge history about the Mackinac Bridge on Wikipedia including one of the best photos I’ve ever seen of the entire span across the Straits of Mackinac.

The web page that I frequently visit before I drive up to that part of the Upper Peninsula is the Bridge Cam to double check the weather. Here’s the link to the Mackinac Bridge Cam. (Hint: when you’re on the bridge cam page click the refresh button of your web browser to update the image.)

Mackinac Bridge Cam Image

You can’t always jump in the car and head up north at the drop of a hat.  For those times when you need a little break from work, and to remind yourself what it’s all about here are a couple of websites with their web cams on two Wisconsin lakes.

Trump Lake, near Wabeno in Forest County, Wisconsin

Big Stone Lake, near Three Lakes in Oneida County, Wisconsin

Please forward the links for any Wisconsin and Michigan webcams you find for inclusion in future blog updates.  Thanks, and Happy New Year 2011.

From light windbreakers to heavy parkas overnight, the first blizzard of Winter 2009/2010 dropped a total of 14.7 inches of snow on Green Bay, Wisconsin, a December storm high.  Here’s the view from the Loon Lake Realty office:

Snowdrift

Crivitz is one the central hubs of Northeast Wisconsin.  Although most of us can’t be up north every day, thanks to the webcam at the Crivitz High School we can take a look at the weather and the Crivitz ‘skyline’.

Check it out the Crivitz webcam here:

http://www.instacam.com/showcam.asp?id=CRVTZ&size=L

There have long been unsubstantiated rumors of cougar sightings in Wisconsin, ‘bar talk’ as the grapevine is know in these parts, but now it is a proven fact. Sadly, our only cougar crossed the border into Illinois where he met his demise. Too bad he didn’t take a left at McHenry and head up north.

Here’s a link to the article: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-il-cougarautopsy,0,4441738.story

Here’s an interesting take on the ‘cougar-cide’: http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=746216

And, for some real good info about cougars in Wisconsin browse around the excellent WI DNR site: http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/er/mammals/cougar/index.htm

If and when you get up this way we can’t promise you’ll witness your own cougar sighting, but we’ll give you a good shot at seeing eagles, deer, porcupines, otters, muskrat . . .

These photos of an extremely rare sighting of not one but TWO albino moose were taken just north of Wisconsin’s border with the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

More photos . . . (more…)

It’s often been said that one shouldn’t mix politics and real estate.  I couldn’t agree more.  However, there’s an issue that both parties can agree on: ‘Fishing in Wisconsin is fun.’  Here’s a look back on some of the former Presidents of the United States that have sought a break from the rigors of the office and found respite on the waters of northern Wisconsin: Grover Cleveland, Calvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover and Dwight Eisenhower.

• GROVER CLEVELAND

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Lions & Tigers & Bears in Northeastern Wisconsin?!?!   Oh My!!!

Lions, tigers and bears in northeast Wisconsin?  Yes, just across the border in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to be precise.  Near the Menominee River in Wallace, northwest of the city of Menominee, you’ll find The DeYoung Family Zoo.  Open all summer long with weekend hours during the fall and winter this little known gem of the northwoods offers a close up, and sometimes a hands on, experience with exotic, native and domestic animals.  If you’re ever up in this neck of the woods make sure to visit and support this zoo.  After you head back south, your friends and co-workers will never believe you saw a tiger in the forest near Crivitz!

The DeYoung Family Zoo

Last week I came across two old abandoned boats on two different properties. One was on the shore of a beautiful lake surrounded by national forest. The other was on the shore of the Menominee River in a remote area of the Upper Peninsula. Both were simple little row boats turned turtle to keep out the rain, snow and leaves.

They looked like they had been left, hidden in the trees and brush, to await the return of the owner for another day on the water. Seasons changed, months passed and years went by with the two boats individually moldering away, never to ply the water again. How come those anglers never returned? If they’re still alive do they ever think about their boats, still hidden and waiting for them?       -Patrick