Michigan's ice caves
Along the eastern shore of Lake Superior's Grand Island, off Michigan's Upper Peninsula, giant icicles drip from the cliffs like fangs. While it can be brutal here, it's also beautiful. "I think the ice formations are fantastic from a photographic perspective," said professional photographer Ian Plant of Victoria, Minn., on a recent visit to the ice caves. "I love the textures and the shapes and the colors, especially when the ice is backlit." Scott Kusmirek, owner of Lake Superior Ice Cave Tours, which uses snowmobiles towing sleds to chauffeur tourists to the caves from Munising, noted this season was the first time "we've been able to get out here in about three years," due to ice safety.
Detroit News
Canada drops test
Starting April 1, vaccinated travelers entering Canada will not be required to complete a pre-entry COVID-19 test. But all travelers must still use the ArriveCAN app or website to submit their travel information to Canadian officials before coming to the border crossing. The free app/website will have users upload a variety of documents, including a photo of their vaccination card. The app won't let a traveler submit information about their trip until 72 hours before they arrive at the border. Canadian border agents will ask to see an ArriveCAN receipt, which can be in the form of a printout or on your phone screen.
Bellingham (Wash.) Herald
Capitol tours
The U.S. Capitol will reopen to the public on Monday for guided tours for limited groups of people who have registered in advance, two years after the coronavirus pandemic prompted the cessation of such visits. Officials said that the resumption would occur in phases, beginning Monday for school groups and other groups of up to 15 people who would be led by lawmakers or their aides. Congressional offices would each be limited to leading one tour weekly. The Capitol Visitor Center, an adjacent underground complex that has exhibits and a restaurant, would tentatively reopen to limited numbers of visitors on May 30.
Associated Press
Mermaid burlesque
Cocktails flow like the outgoing tide around the darkened Wreck Bar in Fort Lauderdale, designed to look like a Spanish galleon resting on the ocean floor. By the time the mermaids hit the pool for the only underwater burlesque show in the U.S. and slowly strip down to their pasties and G strings, the bar is vibrating with energy. The mermaid shows at the vintage B Ocean Resort are a glorious throwback to the golden age of Florida tourism. The burlesque women perform on Friday and Saturday nights, the Aquamen "Boylesque" show every other Thursday. Sometimes, they swim together. If pasties and thongs give you the vapors, maybe stick to the more relaxed Mermaids & Mimosas brunch on Sunday and enjoy the retro "Mad Men" vibe.
Miami Herald
