2020 Grand Island Ice Cave Express Priority Stamps
Price range: $32.00 through $260.00
With this new Priority Mail Express stamp, the Postal Service celebrates the winter beauty of the Grand Island Ice Caves in Lake Superior. Located near Munising on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Grand Island is marked by massive sandstone bluffs. Impressive in any season, the bluffs are especially dramatic in winter when lake water seeps into the crevices and caverns, forming magnificent ice curtains and icicles that hang like stalactites from ceilings. The stamp art features a colorful illustration of how one of these ever-changing ice caves might appear from the inside looking out toward the west at sunset. Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamp with original art by Dan Cosgrove
| Format | Sheet |
|---|---|
| Issue Year | 2020 |
| Mail Service | Priority Mail |
| Product Type | New Releases |
| Size | 200 Stamps 50 Sheets ,100 Stamps 25 Sheet ,20 Stamps 5 Sheets |
Description
2020 Grand Island Ice Caves – American Landmarks Series
• Pictures the ice caves found on the banks of Lake Superior during the winter
• Continues the popular American Landmarks Series
Stamp Category: Definitive
Series: American Landmarks
Value: $26.35 Express Mail Rate
First Day of Issue: January 18, 2020
First Day City: Munising, Michigan
Printing Method: Offset, Microprint
Format: Panes of 4
Tagging: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag
History the stamp represents: Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is home to some of the most beautiful sights in the state. Rugged sandstone cliffs along the shoreline of Lake Superior are shaped by groundwater filtering through cracks in the rock. During winter, this water freezes and creates breathtaking displays called ice caves.
There are many areas Lake Superior where ice caves can be found, but some of the most impressive are on Grand Island. To get to these, visitors first have to go to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Then, they have to take a cold and windy mile-long hike across the frozen Lake Superior to get to Grand Island. Since lake ice is unpredictable, visitors must carefully check conditions before attempting the crossing. Sometimes, getting to Grand Island is completely impossible.
When the ice is thick enough to reach Grand Island, the frigid hike to get there is worth it. The ice formations there can be up to 80 feet tall in some places. To get inside a cave, visitors have to have a certain amount of luck. Because of the nature of the freeze-thaw cycle, formations may change from week to week. You have to be there at just the right time to be able to get inside one of the caves, or there may be no entry points into the ice. If you are, you will be treated to stunning blue and white ice walls that you will not find anywhere else.
Reviews
Clear filtersThere are no reviews yet.