Top 10 Fan Photos of April 2015

Activities

Once again our social media followers blew us away with the amazing Grand Haven area photos they shared with us this past month! While they are all awesome, these are some of our favorites from April 2015.

April started with warmer weather and spring showers allowing the ice and snow along the pier and Lake Michigan to finally start the thawing process. Instagramer @scp79 shared this interesting ice formation that would happen if you put a chunk of ice from the Grand Haven pier in your hand in early April. 

Early in April, we were treated to a Lunar Eclipse! Todd Maertz woke up bright and early on a Saturday morning to be able to capture this amazing scene along Grand Haven State Park. See more Grand Haven Lunar Eclipse fan photos here! 

With the snow almost gone, early April was a great time to hit up the area parks for the first hike of the season. Instagramer @janelledarnell and her adorable children headed out to Rosy Mound Natural Area for a great spring hike. 

April showers bring…April thunderstorms! While we love sunshine and clear skies here along Lake Michigan, a Great Lakes thunderstorm is quite the sight to see as it rolls into shore. Photographer Walter E. Elliott captured this incredible moment during one of the first big thunderstorms of the year here in the Grand Haven. Talk about great timing!

With strong Great Lakes storms come big wind and waves along the Lake Michigan shoreline. The big lake is a powerful force that can produce ocean size waves (or bigger!) when Mother Nature is feeling a bit surly. Photographer Bill Klouw used a powerful camera lense and plenty of distance to capture this massive wave hitting the Grand Haven pier in April. 

During mid-April we experience the first taste of summer-like temperatures here in the Grand Haven area. Instagramer @alexandrawisen and family took full advantage of the warm weekend weather and headed to the beach for sunset.

Something very rare appeared in April here in the Grand Haven area. During a warm Spring day on Saturday, April 18th a “Superior Mirage” could be seen along the shoreline of Grand Haven. Luckily local photographer Ed Post was on the scene to capture this incredible occurrence. “It created a so-called ‘superior mirage’ of sand dunes far north and otherwise invisible from this vantage point,” Post said of his photo. According to Michigan Sea Grant, superior mirages are created by atmospheric conditions that alter the appearance of the Earth’s horizon. The mirages are made possible by uniform and widespread temperature inversions, where warm air quietly lies over a layer of colder air. The difference in air density bends horizon light downward, causing visual distortions and/or making objects located below the horizon visible. Read more in this Grand Haven Tribune article.

The melting of the ice and snow made way for the beginning of Spring fishing here in the Grand Haven area. Instagramer @jeffreywilk shared this beautiful scene along the Grand Haven pier of half a dozen big lake fishing hoping to catch the big one before sundown. 

It’s not uncommon to see 50 or more species of birds and waterfowl, especially on an early spring morning near Harbor Island including the majestic Bald Eagle. Photographer Bill Klouw captured this handsome creature hanging out in the Grand Haven area in April. Bald Eagles are becoming more and more prevalent in our area since we’re home to some great fishing spots – for humans and large birds alike!

The Grand Haven is an excellent place to catch a spectacular sunset anytime of year. Instagramer @seoung shared this beyond stunning sunset image he captured in early April. It ended up being the most ‘liked’ image ever on the Visit Grand Haven Facebook page with over 5,000 likes!

Do you have great photos or videos of the Grand Haven area to share? Post them on our Facebook timeline or tag us on Twitter and Instagram using @VisitGrandHaven & #VisitGrandHaven