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Here's what I'm not seeing discussed: The Great Lakes system is unique in ALL THE WORLD. There are dozens of major ocean coastlines around the world, but there is only one Great Lakes system - it is the largest, most geographically extensive system of large freshwater shoreline on the planet. There are larger freshwater lakes (such as Baikal and also some lakes within Canada) but not an entire inland freshwater "sea" like this.
I think people in America take freshwater lakes for granted... go to a country like India which has virtually no real lakes of any size, for example. America is the only country on earth where something that would be called a "lake" anywhere else is often called a "pond" (as in the Adirondacks where a "pond" can be several square miles in area!)
Here's what I'm not seeing discussed: The Great Lakes system is unique in ALL THE WORLD. There are dozens of major ocean coastlines around the world, but there is only one Great Lakes system - it is the largest, most geographically extensive system of large freshwater shoreline on the planet. There are larger freshwater lakes (such as Baikal and also some lakes within Canada) but not an entire inland freshwater "sea" like this.
I think people in America take freshwater lakes for granted... go to a country like India which has virtually no real lakes of any size, for example. America is the only country on earth where something that would be called a "lake" anywhere else is often called a "pond" (as in the Adirondacks where a "pond" can be several square miles in area!)
Very true and people don't realize how unique the Great Lakes are.
Here's what I'm not seeing discussed: The Great Lakes system is unique in ALL THE WORLD. There are dozens of major ocean coastlines around the world, but there is only one Great Lakes system - it is the largest, most geographically extensive system of large freshwater shoreline on the planet. There are larger freshwater lakes (such as Baikal and also some lakes within Canada) but not an entire inland freshwater "sea" like this.
I think people in America take freshwater lakes for granted... go to a country like India which has virtually no real lakes of any size, for example. America is the only country on earth where something that would be called a "lake" anywhere else is often called a "pond" (as in the Adirondacks where a "pond" can be several square miles in area!)
The OP raises a pretty good question.
Jerome, your from Upstate I think. We have both Lake and Ocean beaches in this state. How would you (or maybe CK if he pops in) compare Lake Ontario beaches to Long Island beaches, or maybe Cape Cod or the Jersey shore?
I am also wondering why I hear about Lake Ontario but never Lake Erie?
Jerome, your from Upstate I think. We have both Lake and Ocean beaches in this state. How would you (or maybe CK if he pops in) compare Lake Ontario beaches to Long Island beaches, or maybe Cape Cod or the Jersey shore?
I am also wondering why I hear about Lake Ontario but never Lake Erie?
From what I know, i'd say that Lake Ontario beaches are less populated and tend to be know for their campgrounds whereas Cape Cod(my only experience of the other areas mentioned), seems to have way more people and is known to more people. We also have plenty of other lake beaches on smaller lakes up here. So, that could be why Lake Ontario beaches don't get too crowded. Then, you have places like Plattsburgh, which has a free city beach on Lake Champlain for city residents. So, there are plenty of options.
BTW-Sylvan Beach on Oneida Lake would be similar to a Seaside Heights on the Jersey Shore.
Here's what I'm not seeing discussed: The Great Lakes system is unique in ALL THE WORLD. There are dozens of major ocean coastlines around the world, but there is only one Great Lakes system - it is the largest, most geographically extensive system of large freshwater shoreline on the planet. There are larger freshwater lakes (such as Baikal and also some lakes within Canada) but not an entire inland freshwater "sea" like this.
Rift Valley Lakes of East Africa say hi!
The two systems are very different, but the Rift Valley Lakes are incredible in many ways. For one, they include non-freshwater lakes with no river outlets, and are split across a few different river systems (instead, they all occupy a common tectonic feature). The variety of climates and landscapes is unrivaled--there are places with mountains that rise thousands of feet, straight our of the lake.
A head-to-head comparison would actually be really interesting. They are of comparable water volumes, I think (the Great Lakes have larger surface areas).
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