�

Perhaps you haven't heard-- The wind doesn't get up in the morning just to blow across your Pacific.

It blows across the whole damn world, and part of that world is covered by 96,000 square miles of open water. Open FRESH water, that is.

I'm not sure if you've heard, but there are these lakes in the Midwest, and they're often referred to as the Great Lakes. "Great" implying that there is something pretty spectacular about them.

Not only are they spectacular because they're clean, natural and fresh, but also because they're friggin' huge.

You can't see across them. You heard me right, you actually CAN NOT see across them. I know it's a difficult concept to comprehend, but there it is. Another thing you may not have heard? Waves. The Great Lakes have waves. Big ones. On a particularly stormy day? I've seen waves crash into a breakwall at 20 feet. Not kidding.

Want to know where 10% of the world's fresh water is? Yep. (And that 10% is just Lake Superior.)

Other fun facts? The state of Michigan has the most lighthouses of any other state in the union. (And the closest ocean is about 1000 miles away.)

I could tell you about the 3,200 miles of coastline (that's just Michigan) or 100's of shipwrecks (the most famous of which, the Edmund Fitzgerald was thought to be lost when a 100ft. wave broke the ship in half) or various other Great Lakes factoids.

But I think I'll just let you go see for yourself. Or better yet, don't. Those of us that know the joys of the Great Lakes don't want it to be spoiled by you uppity Left and Right coasters who think Gitche Gummi is some kind of Trolli snack food.

Just know this, there are waves. I promise.

Love,

Kasey