September 3, 2001

you'd kind of feel sorry for them

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Today we field-tripped to Palms Book State Park near Manistique, MI to see one of the U.P.'s great natural attractions Kitch-iti-kipi, The Big Spring.  The following information is provided courtesy of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

Two hundred feet across, the forty foot deep Kitch-iti-kipi is Michigan's largest spring.  Over 10,000 gallons a minute gush from fissures in the underlying limestone.  The flow continues throughout the year at a constant 45 degree Fahrenheit.  By means of a self-operated observation raft, visitors are guided to vantage points overlooking fascinating underwater features. 

Ancient tree trunks, lime-encrusted branches and fat trout appear suspended in nothingness as they slip through crystal waters far below.  Clouds of sand kept in constant motion by gushing waters create ever-changing shapes and forms.

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"I think a lot of disputes between people could be solved if everybody had to wear a lapel pin showing what they looked like as children.  That way, you'd kind of feel sorry for them."

Chris Ware, illustrator and graphic novelist.

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