Great Lakes Cities

[Nouvellecosse]

^ very cool view!

[Steely Dan]

Both Viking Octantis and her sister Viking Polaris were in Milwaukee Harbor together recently.



Source: https://www.skyscrapercity.com/threa...post-188537600

[galleyfox]

Haha

Viking will be making stops by Chicago starting 2026 via the Calumet.

A cultural hub renowned for its world-class museums, including the Art Institute and the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago is an expansive metropolis with a magnificent skyline that stretches along the shores of Lake Michigan. Numerous sandy beaches offer the perfect spot to while away a sunny day. For nature lovers, Rainbow Beach features a dune habitat which provides an important stop for migrating birds; more than 250 species have been recorded here. Jazz and blues, a rich history, and the famed Chicago-style pizza round out this sophisticated Midwestern city.

https://www.vikingcruises.com/expedi...nsin&year=2026

Also Victory I & II will be returning to the Great Lakes next year in 2025.

[softee]

Some little town on Lake Ontario


Toronto by Marcanadian, on Flickr

[rdaner]

I wonder where to get stats on growth of other GL cities in 2023. This would definately put Toronto ahead of Chicago.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C8pen...9ia3J2MnVwdg==

[Nite]

That little town on Lake Ontario is both the fastest growing city and fastest growing metro in North America

[Velvet_Highground]

Chicago-area project to keep invasive carp out of the Great Lakes moving ahead with construction



A major tactical effort to keep invasive carp out of the Great Lakes will soon enter a new phase.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reached an agreement last week with the states of Illinois and Michigan that will allow construction to begin on the $1.15 billion Brandon Road Interbasin Project on the Des Plaines River west of Chicago.

The Project Partnership Agreement unlocks federal funding to start building a series of deterrents at the Brandon Road Lock and Dam that are designed to keep invasive carp from swimming upstream in the Des Plaines River and making their way into Lake Michigan.

….

It’s hoped that work can be begin in January of 2025 and run through mid-March to coincide when traffic on the river will be interrupted by the closure of another lock upstream, Heilig said.

The series of deterrents will include an electric barrier, a bubble curtain and a sound system to annoy the fish. Also in the plans is an “automated barge clearing” system that will clear fish from around barges as they move through the dock, Heilig said.

She did not have an estimate for when the entire project is expected to be completed.

The agreement between the corps and the states allows the corps to start using $274 million in federal funds allocated so far to the project. Illinois has kicked in $50 million and Michigan another $64 million.

The silver, bighead, black and grass carp are the four primary species of carp that threaten the Great Lakes. The silver and bighead would be especially harmful to Lake Erie because they eat plankton and would be a competitive threat to walleye and perch.

https://www.cleveland.com/news/2024/...outputType=amp

[Centropolis]

I was walking along the Chicago River this weekend and spotted what I presume to be dead Asian carp.

[Steely Dan]

^ there are over 70 species of fish living in the Chicago river, and at least according to authorities, Asian carp have not established a presence there, so unless you're an expert fish identifier, your presumption is likely incorrect.

You probably spotted dead common carp, which are a dime a dozen in the chicago river.

[Centropolis]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

^ there are over 70 species of fish living in the Chicago river, and at least according to authorities, Asian carp have not established a presence there, so unless you're an expert fish identifier, your presumption is likely incorrect.

You probably spotted dead common carp, which are a dime a dozen in the river.

fair enough (and thats good), i should have photographed it. there were numerous carcasses which led me to my presumption.

(update: definitely wasn't asian carp - my bad!)

[WhipperSnapper]

Those Viking cruises ain't cheap.

[Steely Dan]

^ yeah, it's a very niche product for wealthy retired people who've already cruised everywhere else and are just looking for "the next thing" to stave off their boredom for a little bit.

Great Lakes cruising will never be anything like those utterly gargantuan floating buffets for the masses that drift around the Caribbean.

[TownGuy]

One thing I appreciate about the Great Lakes is you get Prairie like big skies over them. Neat looking out and seeing cloud formations, storms, etc.

This is from today. Interestingly enough I looked at the radar, this storm was smack on the Canada/US border.



Final Destination vibes for this guy

[mrnyc]

getting this cap ad on insta feeds lately —

[mrnyc]

hide your kids alligator spotted in lake erie — yep for real — near erie, pa


https://www.instagram.com/reel/C-dJW...IyZ2ozN2F6cw==

[benp]

Toronto as seen from Fort Niagara New York across Lake Ontario - distance 50 km (31 miles)



French Castle at Fort Niagara, constructed by the French in 1726, and the oldest building on the Great Lakes.

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by benp

French Castle at Fort Niagara, constructed by the French in 1726, and the oldest building on the Great Lakes.

Wow, that's crazy old for the great lakes.

I believe the oldest existing building in my part of the great lakes is the officers stone quarters at Fort Mackinac built in 1780.

[mousquet]

Originally Posted by benp

French Castle at Fort Niagara, constructed by the French in 1726, and the oldest building on the Great Lakes.

It rather looks like a "corps de ferme", some kind of roomy houses that farmers who could afford it built in the countryside.
There's plenty in France.

Actual châteaux are way fancier. Don't feel offended. It's just due to the fact that immigrants, pioneers, explorers or adventurers, whatever you call them didn't have the workforce or the money to build any freaking castle in North America in the 18th century.

[benp]

Originally Posted by mousquet

It rather looks like a "corps de ferme", some kind of roomy houses that farmers who could afford it built in the countryside.
There's plenty in France.

Actual châteaux are way fancier. Don't feel offended. It's just due to the fact that immigrants, pioneers, explorers or adventurers, whatever you call them didn't have the workforce or the money to build any freaking castle in North America in the 18th century.

It wasn't until the late 19th century that it began to be referred to as the "French Castle." A newer military base had been constructed on nearby property, and the buildings of the old fort were vacated, but by the early 20th century, they started marketing it to tourists as a "castle" and even added a non-historical moat and drawbridge to the grounds because that's what people expected.

La Maison a Machicoulis, however, was originally designed so that the exterior looked more like a house than a fort to soothe relationships with the Seneca Indians who weren't all that enthused about having a foreign fort on their territory. Its original design was for 40 soldiers, which did not include housing on the third floor, but prior to the British siege there was a permanent presence of 500 soldiers, in addition to temporarily supporting 3000 arriving troops and 1000 Indian fighters on the grounds.

The stone walls are over 2 ft thickness, and the grounds and out buildings are heavily fortified. Note that the gabled roof was added later by the British, as it used to be open for artillery and as a lighthouse.

Here are a couple of pictures I took inside the 1726 building, including an enlisted quarters and an officer's quarters. Note that the furnishings are based on US occupancy at the time of the War of 1812, time of the last active battles at the fort:







Here are some of the fortifications, and one of the redoubts adjacent to the main building added by the British in 1771. The British captured and held the fort after a 19-day siege in 1759, as part of the French and Indian War. Canada is visible across the river.

[Wigs]

benp, I had no idea the original French fort was that old!

And yeah over 2 foot/61cm thick walls means it was built to last. Not a castle to Europeans per se, but "castle" in the sense of permanence and strength to North American minds.

To go off tangent from forts/War of 1812 history,
Do you have any recent photos of the recreated Erie canal boat? I forget the name.