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USA: Midwest favorites: IL, IN, MI, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD

73 images Created 31 Mar 2011

Favorite Midwest USA photos by Tom Dempsey include:
- Indiana (IN): Parke County, the "covered bridge capital of the world" (Burr Arch Truss, Mecca, Narrows, and Bridgeton Covered Bridges, Turkey Run State Park); Cataract Falls State Recreation Area & its 1876 Covered Bridge; Indianapolis Zoo animals
- Michigan (MI): Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Munising Falls, Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, Presque Isle River potholes, spinning foam cake, birch bark patterns.
- Minnesota (MN): snow and water drops on orange, red, and yellow maple leaf color.

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  • Carhenge sunrise. Carhenge replicates England's Stonehenge using vintage American automobiles, near Alliance, Nebraska, in the High Plains region, USA. After studying Stonehenge in England, years later, Jim Reinders recreated the physical size and placement of Stonehenge's standing stones in summer 1987, helped by 35 family members. Reinders said, "It took a lot of blood, sweat, and beers." Carhenge was built as a memorial to Reinders' father. 39 automobiles were arranged in the same proportions as Stonehenge with the circle measuring a slightly smaller 96 feet (29m) in diameter. Some autos are held upright in pits five feet deep, trunk end down, while other cars are placed to form the arches and welded in place. All are covered with gray spray paint. The heel stone is a 1962 Cadillac. Reinders donated Carhenge to the Friends of Carhenge, who gifted it to the Citizens of Alliance in 2013. Additional sculptures have been erected in the Car Art Reserve, where Reinders' "Ford Seasons" is comprised of four Fords, inspired by Vivaldi's Four Seasons. Also, 29-year-old Canadian Geoff Sandhurst sculpted a spawning salmon. This image was stitched from multiple overlapping photos.
    1909US1-1865-1870-Pano.jpg
  • Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. Clad in stainless steel and built in the form of a weighted catenary arch, Gateway Arch is the world's tallest arch (630 feet high), the tallest man-made monument in the Western Hemisphere and Missouri's tallest accessible building. Built as a monument to the westward expansion of the United States, and officially dedicated to the American people, it is the centerpiece of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. The Arch was designed by Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen in 1947. It was built 1963-1965 at the site of St. Louis' founding on the west bank of the Mississippi River and opened to the public in 1967. (Although built to last for ages, it is eventually susceptible to a tornado impact which could rip off the upper two-thirds.)
    1709US1-2191_Gateway-Arch_MO.jpg
  • The Presque Isle River carves round potholes in Nonesuch Shale rock before flowing into Lake Superior. Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, Michigan, USA. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    03MI-G0079.jpg
  • Dock at sunset reflects in Lake Mitchell, at Lakeside Charlies restaurant, near Sun-N-Snow Motel, Cadillac, Michigan, USA.
    1610MI-070.jpg
  • Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Keystone, South Dakota, USA. Sculptor Gutzon Borglum designed and oversaw the project 1927–1941, with help from his son, Lincoln Borglum. Mount Rushmore features 60-foot sculptures of the heads of four United States presidents: George Washington (1732–1799), Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919), and Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865). South Dakota historian Doane Robinson conceived the idea of carving the likenesses of famous people into the Black Hills in order to promote tourism. Robinson's initial idea of sculpting the Needles was rejected by Gutzon Borglum due to poor granite quality and strong opposition from Native American groups. They settled on Mount Rushmore, and Borglum decided on the four presidents. Each president was originally to be depicted from head to waist, but lack of funding ended construction in late October 1941. Mount Rushmore is a batholith (massive intrusive igneous rock) rising to 5725 feet elevation in the Black Hills.
    1709US1-2881_Mount-Rushmore-SD.jpg
  • At Carhenge, 29-year-old Canadian Geoff Sandhurst sculpted this spawning salmon, seen at sunset. Carhenge replicates England's Stonehenge using vintage American automobiles, near Alliance, Nebraska, in the High Plains region, USA. After studying Stonehenge in England, years later, Jim Reinders recreated the physical size and placement of Stonehenge's standing stones in summer 1987, helped by 35 family members. Reinders said, "It took a lot of blood, sweat, and beers." Carhenge was built as a memorial to Reinders' father. 39 automobiles were arranged in the same proportions as Stonehenge with the circle measuring a slightly smaller 96 feet (29m) in diameter. Some autos are held upright in pits five feet deep, trunk end down, while other cars are placed to form the arches and welded in place. All are covered with gray spray paint. The heel stone is a 1962 Cadillac. Reinders donated Carhenge to the Friends of Carhenge, who gifted it to the Citizens of Alliance in 2013.
    1909US1-1768.jpg
  • Mecca Covered Bridge (150 feet long) was built in Burr Arch style over Big Raccoon Creek in 1873 by J.J. Daniels in historic Parke County, Indiana, USA. Golden sunset light beckons at the far opening. Puffy white clouds decorate the blue sky. The traditional "Cross this bridge at a walk" sign required slow vehicle speed, but traffic is now diverted to an adjacent modern bridge.
    10IND-154-p1.jpg
  • Windows distort the reflection of another building in downtown St Louis, Missouri, USA.
    1709US1-2246.jpg
  • Cathedral Spires Area, Custer State Park, South Dakota, USA. Completed in 1922, the Needles Highway includes sharp turns, low tunnels and impressive granite spires along the northern 14 miles of South Dakota Highway 87 (SD 87). The road lies within Custer State Park, 30 miles south of Rapid City, in South Dakota, USA. Needles Highway is part of the figure-eight route of Peter Norbeck National Scenic Byway. South Dakota's largest and first state park was named after Lt. Colonel George Armstrong Custer.
    1709US1-3243_Custer-SP-SD.jpg
  • Water drops collect like beads on a maple leaf in late September in Superior National Forest, Minnesota, USA.
    03MN-G0034.jpg
  • A Burr Arch Truss supports McAllister Covered Bridge (126 feet long), built in 1914 by J.A. Britton over Little Raccoon Creek, on County Road 400S, Parke County, Indiana, USA.
    10IND-018.jpg
  • Dock reflects in Lake Mitchell at sunset, at Lakeside Charlies restaurant, near Sun-N-Snow Motel, Cadillac, Michigan, USA.
    1610MI-086.jpg
  • Reddish twilight illuminates clouds in darkening blue sky over layers of ancient sediments on the Loop Road near the Interior Entrance of Badlands National Park, South Dakota, USA. This park has the largest undisturbed mixed grass prairie in the United States.
    1709US1-2673-77-Edit_Badlands-NP-SD.jpg
  • The Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) is also known as the Common Bottlenose Dolphin. Inside the Dolphin Pavilion, enter the 30-foot-diameter underwater viewing dome in the center of the main performance pool, wheelchair-accessible. Indianapolis Zoo, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.
    1409IN-039_zoo.jpg
  • The 148-foot wooden Cataract Falls Covered Bridge was built in 1876 at the Upper Falls of Mill Creek (formerly known as Eel River) and was open to automobile traffic until 1988. The bridge now serves pedestrians and was extensively repaired starting in 2000. It is the only remaining covered bridge in Owen County. Cataract Falls State Recreation Area is an hour southwest of Indianapolis, near Cloverdale, Indiana, USA. The bridge was designed with a Smith's High Double Wood Truss (Smith Type 4), prefabricated in Toledo, Ohio and shipped disassembled for reassembly. Vibrant autumn foliage colors glowed for this panorama stitched from 5 overlapping photos captured October 21, 2015.
    1510SE-11058-62pan_Cataract-Falls-Co...jpg
  • Upper Falls, in Cataract Falls State Recreation Area –  Indiana's largest-volume waterfall. Mill Creek plunges 20 feet in the set of Upper Falls, and a half a mile downstream the Lower Falls drops 18 feet, for a total drop of 86 feet including intermediate cascades. Autumn foliage colors were brilliant but water volume was low for this photo in mid October 2015. The park's limestone outcroppings formed millions of years ago when the region was covered by a large shallow ocean. Cataract Falls State Recreation Area is an hour southwest of Indianapolis, near Cloverdale, Indiana, USA.
    1510SE-5243_Cataract-Falls_Indiana.jpg
  • Carhenge sunrise. Carhenge replicates England's Stonehenge using vintage American automobiles, near Alliance, Nebraska, in the High Plains region, USA. After studying Stonehenge in England, years later, Jim Reinders recreated the physical size and placement of Stonehenge's standing stones in summer 1987, helped by 35 family members. Reinders said, "It took a lot of blood, sweat, and beers." Carhenge was built as a memorial to Reinders' father. 39 automobiles were arranged in the same proportions as Stonehenge with the circle measuring a slightly smaller 96 feet (29m) in diameter. Some autos are held upright in pits five feet deep, trunk end down, while other cars are placed to form the arches and welded in place. All are covered with gray spray paint. The heel stone is a 1962 Cadillac. Reinders donated Carhenge to the Friends of Carhenge, who gifted it to the Citizens of Alliance in 2013. This image was stitched from multiple overlapping photos.
    1909US1-1846-Pano.jpg
  • Snow dusts maple trees in late September, in Superior National Forest, Minnesota, USA
    03MN-G0072_snow-maple-yellow-orange-...jpg
  • Lake Michigan waves have tumbled and smoothed colorful pebbles into rounded shapes at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore on the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, USA. The scenic park includes the hilly shoreline between Munising and Grand Marais, Michigan. Published in "Light Travel: Photography on the Go" by Tom Dempsey 2009, 2010.
    03MI-G0014_pebble-pattern_Pictured-R...jpg
  • Reddish twilight illuminates clouds in darkening blue sky over layers of ancient sediments on the Loop Road near the Interior Entrance of Badlands National Park, South Dakota, USA. This park has the largest undisturbed mixed grass prairie in the United States. This image was stitched from multiple overlapping photos.
    1709US1-2643-62-pan_Badlands-NP-SD.jpg
  • Young women in 1800s costume design a scarecrow. Conner Prairie Interactive History Park, Fishers, Indiana, USA. Conner Prairie provides family-friendly fun for all ages. Founded by pharmaceutical executive Eli Lilly in the 1930s, Conner Prairie living history museum now recreates life in Indiana in the 1800s on the White River and preserves the William Conner home (listed on the National Register of Historic Places). For licensing options, please inquire.
    1610IND-187.jpg
  • A pattern of windows distorts reflections of buildings in downtown St Louis, Missouri, USA.
    1709US1-2244.jpg
  • Bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis). Badlands National Park has the largest undisturbed mixed grass prairie in the United States. Erosion has exposed layers of ancient colorful sediments in this corner of South Dakota, USA.
    1709US1-2293_Badlands-NP-SD.jpg
  • Upper Falls, in Cataract Falls State Recreation Area –  Indiana's largest-volume waterfall. Mill Creek plunges 20 feet in the set of Upper Falls, and a half a mile downstream the Lower Falls drops 18 feet, for a total drop of 86 feet including intermediate cascades. Autumn foliage colors were brilliant but water volume was low for this photo in mid October 2015. The park's limestone outcroppings formed millions of years ago when the region was covered by a large shallow ocean. Cataract Falls State Recreation Area is an hour southwest of Indianapolis, near Cloverdale, Indiana, USA.
    1510SE-5247_Cataract-Falls_Indiana.jpg
  • Fresh snow falls on tree foliage changing from green to yellow, orange and red in late September in Superior National Forest, Minnesota, USA.
    03MN-G0021_snow-maple-yellow-orange-...jpg
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