Sometimes I just enjoy watching water

:slight_smile:

Yep, although we consider it THE River Jordan although not the biblical one. Wifeā€™s father is from a farm now just above the federal hatchery that uses the COLD spring water for the trout and salmon. The family still has 120 acres there. That valley is about a good a place as you might hope to find. The paddling water is much farther down stream.

I liked to go camping and hiking up along the Jordan during my years in Michigan (1996-2003). It is a pretty area and was the only part of the state that reminded me of the Allegheny Mountains, hills and valleys of Western PA that I was often homesick for.

It was mainly the lakeshores and beaches that compensated for the scarily flat land of Michigan during my occupational exile there. And I must admit it was MUCH easier to bike in the Big Mitten.

Funny but some of my Michigan relatives have been freaked out by the steep hills and precipitous valleys of Pittsburgh when they visited, just as I have always been freaked by how flat their state is. I guess we all have a sort of geographic terrain baseline. But then we lived near Ann Arbor until I was 5 so it couldnā€™t be early childhood patterning.

@willowleaf I donā€™t know about the terrain baseline. I was born & raised in Western Pennsylvania but have mostly been in Mid-Michigan since I headed for MSU in '68. Took up enjoying the rivers & forests of Northern Michigan. I do enjoy getting back to Penna. every so often though.

I do remember scaring the heck out of some flat land friends in my college years. Took them over the mountain from Youngstown to Ligonier on Old Rt. 30. I (probably) was showing off & driving way faster than I should have butā€¦ it was fun.

@willowleaf said:
ā€¦Michigan ā€¦ freaked by how flat their state is

you havenā€™t visited a ā€˜flat stateā€™ until youā€™ve visited the ā€˜sandspit stateā€™, er I mean sunshine.
The largest (and just about only) ā€˜rapidsā€™ on a river we have is ā€˜The Shoalsā€™ on the Suwannee. Some call it a class III, hmm, I suppose at certain water levels.
But, there is a LOT of water to enjoy watching all year round down here.

You havenā€™t been to the falls of the Steinhatchie? A very short drop over a limestone shelf.

@raisins said:

@willowleaf said:
ā€¦Michigan ā€¦ freaked by how flat their state is

you havenā€™t visited a ā€˜flat stateā€™ until youā€™ve visited the ā€˜sandspit stateā€™, er I mean sunshine.
The largest (and just about only) ā€˜rapidsā€™ on a river we have is ā€˜The Shoalsā€™ on the Suwannee. Some call it a class III, hmm, I suppose at certain water levels.
But, there is a LOT of water to enjoy watching all year round down here.

I discovered how flat in a strange way, after having driven from CO to FL for a symposium and other snowbirding escape time. Total time away from home was about 5 weeks. When I returned home and went for our usual walks, my Achilles tendons felt like they had tightened up from never having climbed any hills or even stairs on that trip. I mean, not even one dinky incline. It took several walks on our steep home turf before my legs began to feel normal again.

@string said:
You havenā€™t been to the falls of the Steinhatchie? A very short drop over a limestone shelf.

Last time I paddled there the falls were ā€œdrownedā€. Water was up.

Limestone shelf is what forms the ā€œBig Shoals SPā€ rapids. There are several throughout the west Fla.

Sometimes the critters just want to look at the water too.

https://youtu.be/rbE53XUtVw0

My brother recommended we stop by Steinhatchie on our way to Nokomis once.
The total runnable river was 5 miles, maybe. The motel room had a sign that said " Donā€™t clean fish in the sink". My wife was not impressed.
It did have a very good seafood restaurant.