All sights in Michigan

Google Sightseeing takes you on tour of the world as seen from satellite, using the free Google Earth program, or Google Maps in your web browser. Each weekday your guides James and Alex present new weird and wonderful sights as suggested by readers.

The editors: James & Alex

Celeb Spotting

Posted by James Turnbull, Saturday, 24th December 2005

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Possibly the greatest basketball player of all time, Michael Jordan’s 29,000-square-foot estate near Chicago features a basketball court (of course) as well as a tennis court and putting green. Loads more info and pictures here.

Bill Gates’ 40,000-square-foot mansion in Washington is a constantly requested sight, but is in fact quite boring to look at from above (apparently it’s mostly underground). Loads more info and pictures here.

Bill Gates\' House

George Foreman’s Texas home is still being constructed in the satellite photo, but he’s so proud of the finished building that he’s put his name on it. The large building on the East side is the 64 car garage.

Muhammad Ali’s Michigan home is currently for sale but for your $3,200,000 you only get a measly 2 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. However, the 81 acre plot does feature a gymnasium, steam room, tennis & basketball courts and full size boxing ring. More pictures on the Real Estate listing.

The Californian coastline mansion with a tear shaped swimming pool is home to Barbara Streisand who famously tried to sue an aerial photography website which featured her house in the middle of 12,000 photos of coastline (she lost the case). Loads more information and the offending photo here.

Thanks: MisterKen, randy phillips, Dennis, Pete, IvyMike, Matt, Ivan, Lois, Mile, Andrew, Heath, greg, Chris Blackwell, Andrey, mark, MC, Thomas van Longerich, Nelson, Slugs On Toast & Wifey!

Big boat crossing railroad tracks

Posted by James Turnbull, Thursday, 27th October 2005

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A large boat coming from lake Michigan passes through a railroad bridge, with a road bridge up ahead. It looks like it’s going to be a squeeze getting the boat through those narrow waterways. I wonder what it’s carrying?

Thanks: Nelson

Bridge Shadow Award

Posted by Alex Turnbull, Monday, 9th May 2005

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And the nominees for this year’s Google Sightseeing ‘Coolest Looking Bridge Shadow’ Award are as follows…

Ironcladlou for the wallet-burning Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in New York, New York.

Verrazano-Narrows Bridge

Punk floyd, Greg Small, Duane Homick, PegO and TZ for the fantastic Ambassador Bridge which links Windsor, Ontario with Detroit, Michigan. (Windsor is on the south and Detroit is on the north side of the river.)

Ambassador Bridge

Steve Hale for the the world’s (second) tallest suspension bridge, the Fred Hartman bridge in Baytown, Texas.

Fred Hartman Bridge

But the winners are… (Drum-roll please!)

Tim, Dave Isaacs and khendron for the 1.6-mile-long Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland!

Francis Scott Key Bridge

Congratulations guys! ;-)

Ford Proving Grounds, Dearborn

Posted by James Turnbull, Tuesday, 26th April 2005

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Giant Ford logo at the Ford Proving Grounds, Dearborn. A little to the east is what appears to be a large black vehicle driving around the track.

Ford

Thanks: Rick

World’s Largest Tyre, Allen Park

Posted by James Turnbull, Thursday, 21st April 2005

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Reader Tim Gregory found the 80 foot tall world’s largest tyre in Michigan. It apparently started life as a giant tyre-shaped ferris wheel at the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair, and was moved to Allen Park, Michigan to be a roadside attraction in 1966. According to this page at roadsideamerica.com it was once punctured with the world’s largest nail as a publicity stunt.

World\'s Largest Tyre