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[erikruud]

I took the family camping this weekend. Due to some very hectic schedules, it was our first chance to get out this summer.

I brought along the ARES 5 for it's first road trip. For this trip I had it loaded in the car in it's original shipping carton.

We went to Weldon Springs State Park just outside of Clinton, IL. As far as state park campgrounds go, it's OK, but not great. The DNR website claims that it was "Named by Family Circle magazine to be one of the "Top Twenty Campgrounds in America". I don't know what the criteria was for this list and I can't find any reference to this list on the Family Circle website.

On Friday night, I pulled out the scope and set it up in our campsite on the picnic table. I had a nice clear view of the quarter moon. I spent some time looking at different features. The view was pretty good even with the campfires and campground lights.

I did discover that a picnic table is not the best platform for a scope. The length of the table can get in the way depending on which way the scope is pointing.

I also found that I had forgotten the clip to hold the pointer for my setting circle, so I didn't try to find any DSO's. The only planet's (or Dwarf Planets) up at that time were Pluto and Mercury. I know I can't see Pluto and Mercury was behind some trees.

I thought about relocating to the west end of the campground which had an open view across most of the western sky, but with out a clip for the setting circle, I would have had a hard time finding anything.

Saturday night was so hazy due to the humidity that I didn't even try.

I was very happy with the portability and ease of setup.

My next road trip will take me here and here. The second location looks like it should have some good viewing.

[-=CROMAN=-]

I'd really like to check out that ARES 5.

[erikruud]

We will have to get together some night, but it will have to be after the big road trip to the UP.

[Paulie pchris00]

Love the UP. My mom was born there, my grandparents are buried there, and still have some distant family that are Yuppers. My grandparents were originally from Newberry, near Tahquamenon Falls. If you have the chance, visit the falls. I've been to Whitefish Point, but not in the maritime museum there. My sister says it's not worth the admission though, not even to see the bell of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Have fun up in the UP, and clear skies. Looking forward to the report.

[patrickm]

You will have fantastic views up there! We spent a week outside Skanee last summer and it was FANTASTIC, even with a full Moon. The flies sucked, but the skies did not.

The copper mine in Houghton was really cool as is the geology museum on campus. It was a hot summer, so Lake Superior felt great for swimming. But the best thing was the near total lack of light pollution.

Have a great time.

[erikruud]

I am back from my Upper Peninsula adventure.

Unfortunately, the skies were not very cooperative. It was unusually hot and humid in the UP. It also gets dark a lot later up there.

The first night at Straits State Park, St. Ignace, Mi turned cloudy.

I did get these shots of the moon with my camcorder.






The second night was a little better, but we took the kids into town that night for some fireworks over the harbor.

The third night was in the Porcupine Mountains State Park, but storms were passing through that night. None of them hit us, but they clouded up the sky.

The fourth night was clear of clouds, but between the high humidity and campfire smoke I couldn't see any DSO's that I tried to find. The moon wasn't high enough in the sky yet and none of the planets were in view either. I did spend some time just scanning the sky and looking at various stars and checking for any sign that the optics were still collimated.

The fifth night was more storms and one of them went right over us. Once it was passed, they put on an awesome light show over Lake Superior, but my camcorder didn't pick up any of it. I guess the CCD in it isn't fast enough.

The scope was packed inside the trailer this time. It traveled well and didn't seem to have been affected by any of the bouncing along the way.

[erikruud]

PS. Michigan state parks rock! They are far superior to anything I have ever seen in an Illinois state park.

Every day there were guided hikes and other activities for the kids, including Geocaching, Archery, nature hikes. We were disappointed that we missed the "Bones, Fur and Poop" presentation.

Straits State Park was doing a "Christmas in July" thing with crafts, games, site decorating, and a hay ride with Christmas Carols.

[patrickm]

Bummer about the skies, but it sounds like you had a great time with the family. Hopefully at least a few degrees cooler than it was around here!

[erikruud]

We did have a great time.

It was only a few degrees cooler.

While we were in the Mackinac area it was in the upper 80's. Maybe as high as 92. It was about 10 degrees cooler at night.

I was really looking forward to cooler weather on the Lake Superior shoreline as it was supposed to average in the 70's with 50's at night. We were about 30 minutes away from the Porcupine Mountains state park when I looked down at the dash and saw that the outside temp was 95. We did get some relief one night when the breezes came off the lake and the last night cooled off quite a bit when the storm came in.

[erikruud]

This is the Lake of the Clouds inside of the Porcupine Mountains State Park. See the haze?


This is the Lake Superior shoreline along the campground. There is some very unique geology in this area.

[erikruud]

If anyone is interested, the rest of the pictures are here

[patrickm]

Look! it's a replica of The Terrapin That Holds Up The World!
www.a-ruud-awakening.com/2011_Vacation/slides/2011-07-16_09-31-42_2011_Vacation.html

[erikruud]

Yes, but the elephants seem to have wandered off. Maybe that explains the increased wobble that is messing up the phases of the moon.




On the other hand this terrapin got stuck holding up my son.