Sailing The High Seas With Marinetraffic.com


It’s a beautiful weekend here in Santander, Spain, and my son and I can see the Hanoi and the Barbet Arrow, two giant container ships, moored in the harbor. The Finland-registered Misana, which I saw sail in from my office window, is moored out of sight in the dock beyond. The Cape Cee, a 118-meter-long Spanish vessel, left Santander a few days ago and is sailing towards the Strait of Gibraltar at 10.1 knots.

We know all this because of my kid’s latest online obsession. Marinetraffic.com combines Google Maps with an online database of ships from around the world, updating their position in real time. Zooming in on spots like the Strait of Gibraltar or the Bay of Biscay, you realize just how many ships are out there, linking far-flung economies. There are profiles of the ships with details of their registry and dimensions, and ports have their own profiles too.

Marinetraffic.com relies on voluntary registration, so some spots like the Red Sea are almost blank. With pirates hiding out in Puntland ready to swoop down on container ships, you can understand why captains on that route would be hesitant to join the website.

While incomplete, it’s a fun site that show kids an aspect of our world that we mostly take for granted. You can also use Google Maps as an educational tool. Used correctly, they can siphon some of your child’s obsession with your computer into something educational. Just don’t expect them to replace that persistent question, “Can I play video games?”

[Photo by Sean McLachlan]

Take a Lake Superior leaf tour this Fall


When it comes to fall foliage, New England seems to get all the credit. But Midwestern fans of fall color need not be jealous. Just a few hours north of Chicago, on majestic Lake Superior, road-trippers can experience one of the country’s most spectacular autumn displays along the shores of the Great Lakes.

Starting from the bustling Midwestern port city of Duluth and driving Northeast towards the Canadian town of Thunder Bay, visitors will experience an ever-changing landscape of wild natural beauty and scenic autumn views. It’s a virtual art show put on by mother nature: vistas of inky-green pine trees punctuated by fiery oranges and glistening yellows, set against towering cliffs and the steely-gray surface of Lake Superior beyond.

Begin your trip in Duluth, one of the largest port cities on the Great Lakes. The city is connected by the St. Lawrence Seaway to the Atlantic Ocean more than 2,000 miles to the East. Along the canal leading to Duluth’s harbor, you can watch the massive cargo ships ferrying iron-ore as they maneuver they way in and out of port. From Duluth make your way towards Split Rock Lighthouse State Park, home to a historic lighthouse set above the massive rock formations of the lake.

As you make your way closer to Canada, make sure to stop off at Grand Marais and the Lutsen Mountains, where you’ll be spoiled by a wealth of great hiking opportunities. Soon you’ll arrive at the final stop in Ontario’s Thunder Bay. Perhaps the most famous attraction in the area is the Ouimet Canyon, often referred to as the “Grand Canyon” of Ontario and home to two knee-shaking suspension bridges.