So last Thursday night, I told my husband that I was craving the U.P. to which he replied, "Let's go!" I love my husband! Anyhow, on Friday we drove as far as Manistique. On Saturday morning, we walked across the street to the boardwalk and enjoyed a beautiful morning walk to the pier light. From there we headed over to St. Ignace because Jon really wanted Emmaline to see the Mystery Spot! He has fond childhood memories! As long as we were there, we stopped and viewed the bridge (because we didn't see it enough in July, lol). Of course, this time the weather was waaay better--upper 70's and sun versus 50's and rain in July!

After St. Ignace, we drove up to the Soo to catch a freighter going through the locks. Once we enjoyed a nice lunch overlooking the St. Mary's River, we drove over to the Crisp Point area because that is one of my favorite lights. I say area because this time I was a little stupid. In the past, we always used the directions from the website and followed the handy-dandy signs. This time, I got cocky and decided to use our GPS. I figured that since it has been so helpful in geocaching, it should be great for this too! Well, while it did take us to within a mile of the coordinates, the "roads" it selected turned out to be ATV trails. Now, we do have a Dodge, so it is "Ram tough," but it couldn't cross the river or squeeze down the final narrow trails! We got very muddy, and once we put it in four-wheel drive and were safely on the way out, I put on Brad Paisley's "Mud on the Tires" on my mp3 player! Oh, and when I read the directions on the website later that night, they said that others had reported that GPS units do not always get you to Crisp Point. No kidding!

Once we completed that adventure, we checked into our hotel in Paradise, which was right on the water. Emmaline and I went swimming on the beach--it was wonderful! That evening, Jon and I sat on our balcony and looked at the stars over Lake Superior, saw the lights of the Canadian windmills blinking in the distance, and much to our delight, enjoyed the blinking of the Isle Parisienne Lighthouse in the distance!

On Sunday morning, we enjoyed breakfast on our balcony while watching eight loons on the lake, a freighter in the distance, and viewing Whitefish Point through the binoculars. We then headed to the Point and collected rocks while enjoying another favorite lighthouse. Of course, the mp3 player was cued up to a little Gordon Lightfoot for that leg!

From there we went to Tahquamenon Falls--I never tire of its beauty. Then, using the directions this time, we went to Crisp Point and ate pizza in the shadow of the lighthouse. They build a beautiful new bathroom building since the last time we were there--red brick with a red metal roof. Almost looks original! : ) While there we picked up a quick geocache and played in the sand. It was a gorgeous day to be there!

Unfortunately, we then had to make the five hour trip home. For a spontaneous weekend, we had a wonderful time!

St. Ignace--Mackinac Bridge overlook

Paul R. Tregurtha in the Soo Locks

We got a little mud on the tires on our false Crisp Point run!

A seagull in the foreground, freighter in the background

Love Whitefish Point!

Tahquamenon Falls is always amazing!

Crisp Point--definitely worth the adventure to get here!

The Great Lighthouse and Boat Tour, 2009

Northern Michigan

To view the pictures from this trip, please visit my web albums: Album 1 Album 2

There are A LOT of pictures! They are not labeled, but if you have any questions, feel free to e-mail me.

Day 1 July 4, 2009 We were all so excited to leave today. Emmaline hasn’t been on the Badger since she was 11 months old. We enjoyed the warmth of the sun as we relaxed on deck. Emmaline played in the playroom a bit. We also ate on board. As we came into Ludington, we could see Big Sable in the distance and, of course, the wonderful sand dunes. We then traveled across the state to Bay City. Our hotel was really nice. After we got checked in, we went looking for a good place to watch the fireworks. This was the last night of their four-day Fireworks Festival. It apparently is huge. We didn’t want to get caught up in that, so we found a back road. The fireworks were amazing—45 minutes long! Poor Emmaline was so tired. She got to bed at 11:30 EDT. Day 2 July 5, 2009 We booked a sailing on the Appledore to see the Saginaw River Lighthouse. It was so much fun to be on a schooner! We first sailed down the Saginaw River and under two draw bridges. We were able to view the lighthouse across the river—very desolate. Out on Saginaw Bay, they hoisted the sails. There was very little wind, but it still was neat. We were able to go down below and see the accommodations—very neat. After the sail we biked along the Saginaw River and out on to the Rail Trail. Once we got away from the river, the trail was pretty much just a sidewalk through a not-so-nice part of town. But once we got back by the river, we stopped and had ice cream and played in a park. Then, while Jon put the bikes up, Emmaline and I walked out on the very big and long pier walk. Day 3 July 6, 2009 We had a great day of lighthousing! When we left Bay City, it was warm and sunny. By the time we got to the Alpena light, it was cloudy, cold and windy (like 57 degrees). Our first stop was the Tawas Point Lighthouse. It was beautifully restored and we were able to climb the tower for a beautiful view of the bay and the ever-changing sand spit. Emmaline even played in the park a bit. East Tawas looked like a great town with a wonderful bike trail that went all the way out to the state park. We wished we could have stayed there instead of Bay City. From there we went to Sturgeon point where we weren’t able to climb the tower, but we got some nice family pictures and Emmaline’s six-year portrait. From there we discovered the Alpena Pier Light by walking along the pretty river walk. And finally on to Presque Isle. The Old light was so quaint—stone stairs and a cottage that was refurbished using timbers from a shipwreck. Then we went to the New light. It was closed, but really tall! We also saw the range lights, which are just like the ones in Bailey’s Harbor, WI. Finally, we arrived in Mackinaw City and saw both of the Mackinaw ice breakers near each other. Day 4 July 7, 2009 This morning we woke up to a cloudy and cold morning overlooking the Mackinac Bridge and the Straits. We started off with a swim and then went down to the Shepler’s dock for our Eastbound lighthouse cruise. As we did last year, we had Terry Pepper and Capt. Bill Shepler (who did his “drunken” entrance again). We also had Dick Moehl, the president of GLLKA. We went under the bridge and then between the Round Island Lighthouse and the Round Island Passage Light. We got very close. Then we went out to Spectacle Reef, which is part of the extended tour we were on –the first time they went out there. From Spectacle, we went to the Poe Reef Light. This light had the 2nd Order Fresnel that used to be at Matinicus Rock where Abby Burgess had been keeper. We also had the chance to see the Fourteen Foot Shoal light enroute to Cheboygan. In Cheboygan we saw the lights we saw last year—the crib light as well as the range light. What was really fun was seeing the new Mackinaw ice breaker as we went down the river. We reminisced about seeing it launched in Marinette four years ago. The whole cruise was a lot of fun. The waves were a rollin’ and we kep getting hit with big sprays of water! I was soaked! After the cruise, we went back to the room to, us, fix my hair. Then we headed to McGulpin Point, which used to be a private residence and was very recently turned over the Emmet County. GLLKA is restoring it and just had a replica lantern room and lens made, raised, and installed. There was a special lighting ceremony on May 30. When we got there, Dick Moehl just happened to be there, so we got a tour! We also found the nearby geocache. After McGulpin, we went to dinner at Legs Inn for their yummy Polish food and great décor. We had a great table with a view of the lake. That evening we had ice cream at Petoskey Stone to try and warm up (the high was only in the 50’s). Then we went down by the bridge and lighthouse for pictures and a beautiful sunset. Then we headed to Mackinaw Crossings for the laser light show. Day 5 July 8, 2009 Today was a long day of driving through a lot of pretty harbor towns. First we went to Petoskey to find the pier light, but all we found were workers fixing the breakwater. Apparently, they took the light down to fix the wall! Then it was on to Charlevoix to find the pier light. It is at the mouth of the river with a park on the beach. Emmaline and I looked for stones. I found a Petoskey stone! These are stones found only in northern Michigan on the Lake Michigan side. Coral was fossilized in them forming hexagonal sunburst patterns. I assumed I wouldn’t find one (like the agates on Lake Superior), but I did! After Charlevoix, we went to the tip of the Leelanau Peninsula to see the Grand Traverse Lighthouse and deliver Daniel Williamson’s research paper and children’s book that he wrote on this light. The lighthouse is nicely restored and offered beautiful views of the surrounding islands from the tower. After that, we drove up Old Mission Peninsula to see the cute Old Mission Lighthouse at the tip. While there we found a geocache. Then back to the hotel for fun swimming! Day 6 July 9, 2009 WE boarded the Mishe Mokwa at 10:00 A.M. and went out to South Manitou Island. The entire 1 ½ hour trip was beautiful! We had Sleeping Bear Dunes on one side and eventually had North Manitou Island on the other. Enroute we passed the North Manitou Shoal Light and eventually the South Manitou Lighthouse came into view. Once on the island, we had our lunch and then hiked to the lighthouse. We were able to climb the 100-foot tower. At the top we had an exquisite view of the North Manitou Island and the mainland. The water was turquoise blue. I don’t think any lighthouses I’ve climbed could touch this view. After the tour we played on the beach for 1 ½ hours. If I’d had my suit, I would have gone in! Very peaceful and beautiful. At 2:00 we took an open-vehicle tour around the island and saw old farms, the cemetery, and an inland lake. It was really beautiful. At the end of the day Emmaline said, “I don’t think this day could get any better.” I agree! Day 7 July 10, 2009 We started the day out by driving south of the national lakeshore to Frankfort to see the pier light. It was a very pretty walk on the breakwater with the dunes behind us. We even took some time to play in the park on the beach. From there we drove to Point Betsie. I have wanted to see this light for a long time. After taking a number and waiting forever to climb to the tower, we finally had our chance. From there we went to Empire and saw the Manning Memorial Light. It’s not a real light, but rather on e that a man had built. After eating lunch there, Emmaline played in the park. Once this stop was over, we drove the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive where we were able to go out on boardwalks and platforms to see the amazing dunes against Lake Michigan’s background. We even saw the mother bear dune and the baby bears (the Manitou islands). The wind was very strong! Later Emmaline and I climbed a big dune. Our last stop was the maritime museum where we toured the life saving station. Very neat! Day 8 July 11, 2009 Today was our last day. We started the morning by driving up the Leelanau to a farmers’ market to get cherries. We got some yummy ones! Then we drove down to Manistee to walk out to the pier light. Then we drove down to Ludington State Park where we biked among the sand dunes to get to Big Sable Point. The last time we were there was when Emmaline was 11 months old. We hiked in that time. This time we were able to climb the tower. It is 112 feet tall and quite magnificent! From there we drove down to Little Sable, but we were five minutes too late, so they wouldn’t let us climb the tower. That was the only reason we went—we’d already seen it. So we drove back up to Ludington and played in the park by the marina with the Badger behind us. When it was time, we boarded the ship and enjoyed a beautiful sunset, freighters in the distance, and lighthouses on the horizon.

Mackinac Trip

July 16-20, 2008

Wednesday, July 16

We left at 8:02 (two minutes behind schedule) for our Mackinac Trip. We stopped for a picnic at Rapid River, MI, and looked at the falls. From there we continued on to Munising to go on the Pictured Rocks Boat Tour (that Jon and I couldn't go on during our trip due to fog). It was beautiful and we were able to see the Grand Island East Channel Lighthouse as well as some really pretty rock formations. We even saw some of the spots Jon and I were hiking near during our trip. After the boat tour we drove to Newberry to stay at the Comfort Inn.

Grand Island East Channel Light

Pictured Rocks

Thursday, July 17

This morning we left Newberry and drove to Mackinaw City. It's always neat coming upon the bridge. It is majestic every time you see it. We saw two freighters approaching the Mackinac Bridge as we drove over it. Once in Mackinaw City we boarded the Shepler's Ferry out to the island. We hopped on our bikes and biked around the island. It was hot! We stopped at Arch Rock and climbed all the way up. We also stopped a few times to throw rocks in the water, have a picnic, and take pictures of the bridge, Round Island Lighthouse, and the Round Island Passage Light.

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After our bike ride we went to the Butterfly House and saw some beautiful creatures. They also had some really cool insects. From there we went to Fort Mackinac. In addition to touring the buildings, we had the opportunity to see a canon firing, participate in a children's tour (complete with playing with Victorian toys), learn to march like soldiers, watch a rifle firing demonstration, and witness a court marshal. Even though Emmaline whined and cried during the canon demonstration and rifle firing, if you ask her now what her favorite part of the trip was, that was it! They also had a lot of great displays for children to experience history hands on.

Round Island Passage Light & Round Island Lighthouse

Once we were done on the island, we took the ferry back to Mackinaw City and checked into our hotel--the Baymont Inn--much nicer! We ate our TV dinners and headed down to the pool. After a whole day of "a chance of rain" the skies opened up and poured! We were truly blessed with great weather during the day.

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Friday, July 18

This morning we headed out to Cheboygan to see the crib light and range light. The crib light was in a pretty little harbor area. We walked out to the end of the pier and saw the Fourteen Foot Shoal Light in the distance. Looking back towards shore we could see the range lights. We drove back into town to see those and then went to the Coast Guard Station to see the new Mackinaw Ice Breaker. It wasn't there, however. We found out later that it was escorting the sailboats that were racing from Chicago to Mackinac Island.

Cheboygan Crib Light & Cheboygan Front Range Light

From Cheboygan we went to the south to see the Forty Mile Point Lighthouse. Before getting there we stopped at a wayside to throw rocks in Lake Huron. The Forty Mile Point Light is a duplicate of the Big Bay Point Lighthouse that we stayed in for our anniversary. It was fun to be able to see what it was like as a duplex compared to the opened up B & B. Only half of it was open to tour, but it gave us a sense of what changes had been made to Big Bay. We even got to see "our room" at this lighthouse-the parlor and dining room. We were able to climb the tower-this one is a little shorter than Big Bay, and we weren't able to go out on the balcony. Also on site was the pilot house of the Calcite, a ship that sank in the area. There were also remnants from another shipwreck on the beach. Finally, we were able to go into the old fog building, which is now a pavilion. We spent some time walking on the beach and throwing rocks. After the tour, we tailgated and had lunch.

Forty Mile Point Lighthouse

After lunch we drove back to Mackinaw City and toured the Mackinaw, the first ice breaker that went into service during WWII. It was really neat seeing this ship after the seeing the new one being launched in Marinette three years ago. After the Mackinaw tour we went to the Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse. I was able to take some great pictures of Emmaline with the bridge and the lighthouse in the background. The lighthouse is just beautiful--they call it the "Castle at the Straits." They had some rooms restored and nice exhibits. They had a children's area too. Emmaline wore her lighthouse keeper's hat that we made for a project before the trip. When we climbed the tower, the guide took a picture of us and she had the hat on—very cute!

The Mackinaw, Emmaline's five-year pictures in front of the Mackinac Bridge and the Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse

After the lighthouse, we went to Fort Michilimackinac. Emmaline was getting tired, but she really enjoyed seeing the excavation sites as well as the artifacts that were found. She also had a lot of fun seeing the children's display of British soldiers' living quarters. She, however, did not like the musket firing and refused to go see the canon firing (even though she survived the one on the island).

"Fort's secure!"

When we finished at the fort, we went back to our hotel and ate supper and swam. After swimming we went to Mackinaw Crossings. A guy was making balloon hats and creatures and made Emmaline a hat. Then we got ice cream and watched the laser light show. It was cool. Once it was over we drove down to the lighthouse to see the bridge. We saw some lights across the way, and Jon thought it was the Grand Hotel. Emmaline thought it was a freighter. Next we went to the base of the bridge to try and see the St. Helena light flashing. We couldn't see it, but we did see the "Grand Hotel" going under the bridge. Emmaline was right--it was a freighter!

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Saturday, July 19

This morning we woke up to a very cloudy and foggy morning. We had time before going to the docks for our lighthouse cruise, so we decided to bike on the bike trail that started in Mackinaw. According to the directions the "developed trailhead' was on Shepler Drive. We figured Shepler Drive must be near Shepler's Ferry Docks. We drove down there and didn't see anything, so we drove out of town a ways and still didn't see anything. Finally, we turned toward the lake to see if we could spot it running along the lakeshore--no luck. Then we turned on a side road on the other side of Highway 23, and finally found it crossing the road! There was no place to park, so we started following it back towards town to find the trailhead. We found it alright. It was right on the other side of our hotel! We then biked fifteen miles.

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When we returned, the sun was just coming out, the fog was lifting, and it was getting hot! We walked down to the boat docks for our lighthouse cruise. Before boarding they took our picture, and we were able to pick it up later for FREE! That doesn't usually happen! Once on board we learned that one of our guides was a woman who had written a book about Great Lakes and the Mackinaw. The other guide was Terry Pepper, a lighthouse historian whose website is my first stop when planning lighthouse trips. Then up the stairs came our stumbling and slurring captain--Bill Shepler himself! He was hilarious! He told everybody that the windmill turbines were not actually there to generate electricity; rather, they were there to blow the hot air back to Wisconsin! We booed him!

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We headed out towards St. Helena (pronounced Helene) Island and on to White Shoal Light. As we were approaching it, we could see two other lights in the distance. All of these lights are crucial to navigating this "corner" for freighters. The Waugoshance Light only sits in four feet of water. It was so neat being in the middle of nowhere and then coming upon these lights. The White Shoal Light was just amazing-it's huge and painted in candy cane stripes. The Gray's Reef Light stunk from all of the cormorants sitting on it, and the Waugoshance Light had a bird cage lantern room like Bailey's Harbor. Apparently the military used to use it for target practice.

White Shoal, Gray's Reef, Waugoshance & St. Helena Island Lights

On our return trip we swung by St. Helena Island. This lighthouse is owned by the Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers' Association (GLKKA), and they do a lot of educational programs. One of them is for teachers. Teachers can go out for one week to live in a working lighthouse (without electricity or running water) and work on the lighthouse and curriculum. I want to do this! This year they went out in a tall ship, and we got to see that anchored offshore. There is a 7th grade teacher who stays out there all summer as the caretaker. She has to call for her supplies to be delivered, and she does everything the old-fashioned way. She does send her laundry in to be washed when a boat comes out, so to pay for that, she makes cute little notebooks on the island to be sold in the GLKKA gift shop. Since we were nearby, we came in as far as we would and she came out in a dinghy to send her notebooks up via a tackle box. We, of course, had to buy one.

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After leaving St. Helena Island, Capt. Bill Shepler sent one of the tour guides back to us to invite Emmaline up to steer the boat! He picked her up and showed her where we were going. Then he let her actually steer it. It was really great. I have pictures of her steering The Hope towards the Mackinac Bridge.

Emmaline & Bill Shepler, steering The Hope

After we got back form the Lighthouse Cruise, we freshened up and then went to Cross Village for dinner. Jon and I ate there eight years ago. It serves Polish cuisine, and the walls, furniture, bar, etc., are all made out of wood, roots, stone, and branches. It's really cool. Outside they have beautiful gardens and dining. They also offer a view of all the lighthouses that we visited plus Skillagalee, one we didn't. A high-powered spotting scope offered good views of the lights. We also saw two freighters navigating through the area.

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After dinner we went back to Mackinaw Crossings to get some ice cream and fudge. While eating our ice cream we heard the concert in the park across the street. We strolled on over there and listened to a high school percussion group from the Flint School of the Performing Arts called "Exclamation." They had marimbas, xylophones, vibes, drums and steel drums. They were awesome! Our last activity of the night was, of course, swimming.

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Sunday, July 20

This morning we packed up and went to Sault Ste. Marie to check out the Soo Locks. There weren't any scheduled to come in for over two hours, and we were disappointed. Since we drove an hour to get there, we decided to go tour the Valley Camp, which is a shipping freighter that is now a museum. It was fascinating to see what these freighters look like inside. I've always wondered, and now I know! There were also a lot of other great exhibits inside, including the two life boats from the Edmund Fitzgerald. In the middle of touring the ship, we saw the ship Algoway that was due into the locks. Since we were able to get back into the museum with our ticket, we went back to the locks to see it go through.

Valley Camp Ship Museum

After that we went back to the museum to finish our tour. When we got there, we saw the next ship coming already. We didn't go back to the locks, but we had our picnic while we watched it go by. We then resumed our tour and enjoyed seeing the crew's quarters.

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We thought we were homeward bound, smooth sailing ahead, and we were until we got to Menominee. We stopped and got subs and then went to eat by the water. When we were done, Jon wanted to see if the windmill pieces were still waiting to be transported. Well, some were, but others were just heading out of town. He followed them for a little while, and then realized we were going to get stuck behind them, so we went a different way out of town. Unfortunately, we met at a different intersection, and the police stopped traffic so they could go through. We were stuck behind them again. We tried several times to take county roads to head them off at the pass, but each time they were just going by as we arrived. Finally, we gave up and followed them until we got to four lanes. Needless to say, we got home late! Regardless, it was an awesome trip!

Big Bay Anniversary Trip

June 13-17, 2008

Friday, June 13, 2008

Today Jon and I left for our 10th Anniversary trip to the UP. Emmaline is staying with Grandma Luella and Papa Tom. We arrived in Big Bay, MI, around 4:00 EDT. We checked into the Big Bay Lighthouse Bed and Breakfast and found our room to be beautiful. Our portion is what used to be the head keeper's parlor and kitchen. We have windows on three sides, one of which looks out on Lake Superior. There is a fireplace in the room to ward off the chilly breezes off of the lake.

As soon as we deposited our things in our room, we went up to the tower. There is a great balcony right below the lantern room. As you can imagine, the view is incredible. We could even see the Keweenaw Peninsula to the west!

Big Bay Point Lighthouse

We then headed inside for lighthouse history and orientation to the grounds. Linda, the keeper, talked about the murder that took place in the Lumberjack Tavern back in the 50's and the ensuing movie that was filmed in Big Bay and Marquette. I actually read the book last week, and we watched the movie last night--Anatomy of a Murder. So, of course, after the history, we went into Big Bay and ate at the Tavern. It had a lot of newspaper articles about the actual murder as well as the movie. It was a great meal with a fun atmosphere--a good choice. Granted, there was only one other dining choice in Big Bay, but a good choice nonetheless.

After dinner, we went for a hike along the lake and went down to a rocky beach to skip stones. Aside from the zillion flies that kept landing on us, it was great. Fortunately, the flies didn't really bite. Then we came back and played cribbage in our room, overlooking the lake. After Jon beat me, we went up to the tower to exchange anniversary gifts. I gave him a DVD slideshow of our 10 years together. He gave me some things that were made out of aluminum and told me they were earrings. He said we just needed to get some hooks put on. I wasn't quite sure how to respond because they were huge and not very earring-like. We went back down to the library to watch the DVD, and he told me to go back to our room and see if there was something on the mantle for me. I brought the small box back and opened it. Inside was a Journey Diamond pendant to celebrate our journey through life so far. It is gorgeous! Then he told me that the "earrings" were just spare aluminum parts that he had made for Gulf Stream! Since aluminum is the traditional gift for 10 years, he thought it would be funny!

After we watched the video, we went up to the tower to see the sunset. As soon as we got up there, we saw a bear! Then we witnessed an incredible sunset. Next we went in the sauna, which is right below the tower (it used to be the keeper's work room). From there we went into the living room (the exact mirror of our room-the lighthouse was originally a duplex). There we read some of the history and looked at the many books they had. Before heading to bed (everyone else had retired already), we headed to the tower again. No stars but still very cool. We could also go up into the lantern room to see the light (not a cool one--it is actually an active aid to navigation). So far so good on this Friday the 13^th in a haunted lighthouse!

Sunset at Big Bay

Saturday, June 14, 2008

This morning we didn't have Emmaline singing in the next room, so we slept in! Then we went and had a delicious breakfast of eeble skeebers (puffed blueberry pancakes), zucchini muffins, fruit, and sausages. After breakfast we drove to Marquette. We biked from downtown to Presque Isle where we walked out on the pier to see the light. Also, while on the lakeside trail, we saw the Charles M. Beeghley unloading at the ore dock. We had seen this ship last year in the Soo.

On the way back we stopped at the Maritime Museum. The 3^rd order Fresnel lens from the Big Bay Lighthouse is there. We also got to tour the Marquette Harbor Lighthouse. It needs a lot of work, and fortunately it is going to be turned over to a private owner or historical society in five years.

Presque Isle Pier Light

Marquette Harbor Light

Big Bay Fresnel Lens

After our bike ride, we walked along Washington and Front Streets and saw what they look like when there's no snow and no sled dogs! We had dinner at a pizza place--yummy! This evening we walked the grounds, sat by the windows and read lighthouse history, played some games, watched the sunset, looked at the stars and moon and just had a relaxing time at the lighthouse. We also watched a video about haunted lighthouses, one of which is this one. I'll have to admit, it made it just a little spooky to climb the tower to look at the stars!

Big Bay at night

Sunday, June 15, 2008

This morning I awoke to the smell of lilacs wafting through my window. We then went and had a delicious egg breakfast and heard some good stories from Jeff, the other innkeeper. After breakfast we went to the top of the tower one last time. Then, since I just didn't want to leave, we played checkers in our room. I, of course, lost. After one last walk of the grounds, we took off to find some area waterfalls. The directions were terrible, so after missing the first three on the list, we found one that wasn't that great (Reamy Waterfalls). We decided this wasn't the greatest plan, so we scratched it and headed on to Munising.

Once in Munising, we entered the Pictured Rocks National lakeshore to find real waterfalls and do some hiking. And boy, did we do some hiking! It was beautiful and buggy and fun and tiring. The waterfalls were large and beautiful. We saw a lot of wildflowers and lush vegetation along the hiking trails. We saw some truly spectacular wilderness. We finally got back to Munising around 9:30 EDT. We hadn't really eaten since breakfast, save for a few snack crackers. Our A&W meal tasted soooo good! We finally checked into the hotel, and much to our surprise, we had a lake view room with a walk-out patio! We were supposed to have a hillside view.

Our Adventures in Pictured Rocks

Stop 1: Miner's Falls [1.2 miles]

Stop 2: Miner's Castle overlook

Stop 3: Mosquito Falls [3 miles]

Very difficult trail and, yes, lots of mosquitoes!

Chapel Falls [3 miles]

Stop 4: Hurricane River Campground [3 miles] We camped here four years ago. We hiked along the beach to see shipwrecks and ended at the Au Sable Lighthouse. We hiked back on the mosquito-infested trail.

Stop 5: Sable Falls-a nice short walk-measured in feet!

We enjoyed a beer on the tailgate when we were all through hiking.

Stop 6: Grand Marais Pier Lights

The last time we saw these lights, they were encrusted in ice!

Au Sable Lighthouse

Reflection of Au Sable in assistant keeper's house window

Monday, June 16, 2008

Today we drove to Crisp Point. This was a favorite spot that we visited when we camped up here in 2004. Back then we arrived at the lighthouse to gale force winds that made Emmaline giggle. This time after driving the 37 miles of dirt road, we arrived to a beautiful sight--gorgeous blue waters and the sun shining on the lighthouse. We walked the beach and boardwalk and admired the beauty. But then we left because it was COLD! I think it was around 48 degrees!

Then we drove to Whitefish Point. We had just been there last winter, but we hadn't been in the Shipwreck Museum for eight years. We toured all of the buildings and grounds. It was funny walking out onto the deck because last winter the snow was up to the top of the railings, and I was walking out onto the frozen ice cliffs. Now the water was open and turquoise. Before we left, we discovered a boardwalk that went up through the dunes behind the complex. It offered beautiful views of the lake and a really great vista of the entire lighthouse grounds.

Crisp Point Light

Whitefish Point Lighthouse

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Today we were supposed to take the Pictured Rocks Boat Tour to see the rock formations and the Grand Island East Channel Light. Unfortunately, when we opened our curtains in the morning, it was raining and foggy. We couldn't even see Grand Island. They canceled the boat tour, leaving us disappointed. We are going to try to do the tour as part of our Mackinac Trip with Emmaline. All in all we had a fabulous trip. We sure did miss Emmaline though! The boat tour being canceled just got us to the cottage earlier to pick her up.

Trip to the U.P.

February 22-24, 2008

We had a nice little winter lighthouse trip in February. We took Emmaline up to Sault Ste. Marie for the Agawa Canyon Snow Train. Of course had to take a few lighthouses in! On Friday, February 22, we stopped by the Point Iroquois Lighthouse. We had seen it last summer, but winter always makes lighthouses particularly beautiful. I got some nice pictures of the light and the surroundings--everything had that pretty pink and blue winter look to it. Later, when I looked at the pictures on my computer, two shots of the light tower showed an interesting apparition in front if it. Any stories of this lighthouse being haunted?

On Sunday we drove up to Whitefish Point. Emmaline had never seen that lighthouse, and we hadn't been there for eight years. We walked out on the boardwalk to get a better view. The snow was up to the railings! I headed out even farther onto the ice. When I got to the edge and looked down, it was quite impressive! I backed up just a little--I had no intention of falling over that "ice cliff" into Lake Superior. The view of the lighthouse from the water was worth the treacherous climb out there, though.

We also stopped at Tahquamenon Falls on our way home. Again, we had seen them before--in the fall--but winter did magical things to the falls. The hike to the lower falls showed off some impressive snow totals, but the hike to the upper falls was more enjoyable due to less whining from the four year old!

Georgian Bay/Pointe au Baril Trip

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Sunday, June 17, 2007

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We left the cottage today and headed up to Sault Ste. Marie, MI. It was a long drive, dotted with, “I have to go potty really bad!” and of course, “Are we there yet?” Before we actually got to the city, we went to Brimley to see the Point Iroquois Lighthouse. It was quite impressive. We climbed the tour, and for Emmaline’s effort of counting all 72 steps, she received a Smokey the Bear Frisbee from the live-in caretakers (they closed up their home for a one-year commitment at the lighthouse). We enjoyed walking on the boardwalk, looking at the lighthouse from the lakeside. We were also able to see the Gros Cap Reef Light offshore.

Point Iroquois Lighthouse, Gros Cap Reef Light

We then headed into SSM and checked into the Holiday Inn, which overlooks the St. Mary’s River. We had a corner suite with windows that afforded us great views of ships both coming and going to the locks all night long. After eating supper in our room, we went down to the locks. Emmaline was fascinated with the huge freighters and changing water levels in the locks. In fact, using her kiddie 35mm camera, she shot lots of pictures, which much to our surprise, turned out fairly well! We also saw the Frying Pan Island Light, which is now in front of the Sault Ste. Marie Coast Guard Station. Once we were done at the locks, we enjoyed the pool and celebrated Father’s Day.

Frying Pan Island Light

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Monday, June 18, 2007

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This morning we went back down to the locks. After watching a ship go through, we headed over the International Bridge and saw it from above. About an hour east of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, we came upon the North Channel of Lake Huron. There we sought out the Shoal Island Lighthouse, which was across the channel from St. Joseph Island. It was a cute little light and offered us our first glimpse of the beautiful blue of Lake Huron and the rocky islands and shorelines characteristic of this area. After leaving St. Joseph Island, we stopped on the bridge back to the mainland to take pictures of the Wilson Channel Range Lights. Again, it was just a beautiful sight of those two red and white Georgian Bay-style lights across that blue, blue water. The final lighthouse that we had to see was the McKay Island Lighthouse. This lighthouse can be rented as a cottage, and we had considered it, but it wasn’t in quite the right location. After seeing the beautiful area, I wish we had just done it anyway. We could have driven over the bridge onto the island, but we didn’t want to intrude on anybody renting the lighthouse. Instead, we had to settle for a shot of it across the water. It was difficult to find, but the binoculars helped us locate it.

Shoal Island Lighthouse, Wilson Channel Range Lights, McKay Island Lighthouse

Our next stop was a gas station where we tailgated. There were all sorts of waysides before that, but Jon figured that if we waited for the next one it would be far away. He was wrong. There were any number of beautiful waysides just a bit down the highway. I made sure to point them all out. Then, a million miles later, we finally made it to Sudbury. No, we weren’t staying there, but we did have to see the Big Nickel. I had seen this when I was 18 and since I don’t think we’ll ever be up to Sudbury again, I wanted Emmaline to see it too. It was pretty cool to see, and there was a park there, which was desperately needed by a little girl in our truck. In retrospect, we should have stayed in Sudbury, but according to Mapquest, North Bay and Sudbury were equidistant from all of our destinations. They weren’t. Oh well, what’s an extra hour here or there? A LOT! Anyhow, we finally arrived in North Bay and checked into our motel. It was pretty decent. We had a suite, which is always nice when traveling with a child, although for as tired as we were, we could have just all gone to sleep at the same time!

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Tuesday, June 19, 2007

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In celebration of our 9th anniversary, we headed down to Pointe au Baril today. What better way to celebrate our marriage and our family than to visit little Emmaline’s namesake, Emmaline Madigan. Our Emmaline was so excited to meet Emmaline. She doesn’t quite remember the first visit at eleven months old! It poured rain nearly the entire drive there. But just like last time, it cleared up when we arrived. I love it when God plays weatherman! When we knocked on the door, Emmaline came running out and scooped up little Emmaline in a huge hug! We then got in her boat and headed out to the lighthouse. The entire ride is so beautiful and picturesque. Our Emmaline kept shyly looking over at Emmaline Madigan while she sang “Emmaline.” When the lighthouse finally came into view, little Emmaline got a huge smile on her face.

Pointe au Baril Lighthouse

The first thing we did was climb the tower. Emmaline thought it was pretty neat. Then we showed her the rest of the lighthouse. After the inside tour, we went outside and took lots of pictures. Our Emmaline kept going back inside. She was really fascinated by this lighthouse that is so much a part of her story. Emmaline Madigan even has a scrapbook of Emmaline at the lighthouse so she can share the story of how our Emmaline got her name. We ate a delicious lunch and had Emmaline’s famous butter tarts. Emmaline Madigan then gave our Emmaline a birthday present—a butterfly wand, a pink lei, a musical book, and a Pointe au Baril T-shirt. Then Emmaline shared a really special video with us. It’s called Our Pointe au Baril, and is a beautiful compilation of stories and home videos of those who have called Pointe au Baril home, or vacationed there for generations. Of course there was a segment on Emmaline Madigan, and they even shot footage of her playing her violin up in the tower. The Tanglefoot song was used in the video, and I was brought to tears as I sat between the two Emmalines who were singing the song together. Earlier while we were watching a different part of the video, little Emmaline was getting bored, so Emmaline Madigan took her outside to blow bubbles. What a precious site!

Emmaline enjoying the tower, Tara and the 2 Emmalines, The Van Dyke family

While we hated for the visit to end, we knew it had to. Maybe we’ll get back there again. Once we left Pointe au Baril behind, we went north and got on a never-ending road to Killarney. Fortunately, this road was beautiful and we saw a lot of beaver huts and dams, and were thrilled to see a bear along side the road. A bit further down, we saw two cubs on the other side. Being from Wisconsin, we know there’s a bear presence, and I have seen them before, but somehow being in the Canadian wilderness, this was especially neat. Heck, even the deer was fun to see (and we never see those at home)! Our only regret is that we didn’t see a moose after all of the moose crossing signs. Anyhow, this road finally did end, and I was prepared to see an average little wooden lighthouse. The lighthouse was pretty average, but the setting was spectacular. It was up high on a rocky outcropping. The sun was shining and the water was sparkling. We climbed up to the lighthouse and felt the wind blow through our hair. I even had a butterfly land on my shoulder, and Emmaline found a turtle. It seems like the best lighthouses are at the end of the longest roads—sounds a lot like life. This became one of the highlights of the trip.

Killarney East Lighthouse

Our original plan was to go back to North Bay and have dinner at a restaurant for our anniversary. We did. Jon and I had Value Meals, Emmaline had a Happy Meal with a penguin toy, and we played in Playland after dinner. Laugh, but it was a step up from three years ago when we played cribbage in a hotel bathroom while Emmaline fell asleep in the room (that’s why we get suites now).

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Wednesday, June 20, 2007

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Today we drove to Manitoulin Island. Miraculously, we arrived in the afternoon and didn’t drive all day. The drive from Espanola across the bridge to Little Current was beautiful. The La Cloche Mountains offer beautiful scenery, and interestingly enough, they used to be as tall as the Rocky Mountains before the glaciers came through. The Little Current Bridge is an old railroad bridge that has been turned into a one-lane wooden bridge. It opens up every hour on the hour to let boat traffic through. Once we arrived at the house we were renting in Providence Bay, we were thrilled. While the house’s décor was dated, it was so neat, and clean, and homey. It even had an attached garage for the new truck—we don’t even have an attached one at home! After unpacking, I sat on the deck and read. While reading, Blair Sullivan, who owns the house stopped by to welcome us. He and his wife Lillian are probably in their upper 70’s and own four rental properties in Providence Bay. I think he told us his entire life story before he left, but we really enjoyed meeting and talking with him. Later we played ball and Frisbee in the large backyard, grilled out, and watched a lot of monarchs in the butterfly garden in the front of the house. After supper we went down to Lake Huron, which we can see from our house, and walked the boardwalk. Unfortunately, it was cold and windy, and it started to rain. But we were so grateful to not be driving during the evening that we just used umbrellas and enjoyed the fresh air. After Emmaline went to bed, it stopped raining, so I read on the deck and then went back down to the shore and collected driftwood.

Providence Bay Light

Thursday, June 21, 2007

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This morning we ate and then left for South Baymouth to take a round trip cruise on the Chi-Cheemaun car ferry. It went right past the Cove Island Lighthouse—a beautiful Imperial Tower. We enjoyed spending time on the ship, although it was pretty rough. I was feeling a bit seasick. Lake Huron is so beautiful with its turquoise water. It was fun going back to Tobermory on the Bruce Peninsula. We had enjoyed our time there three years ago.

South Baymouth Range Lights, Cove Island Lighthouse

When we arrived back at the house, we saw that Lillian had brought a small patio chair by for Emmaline, so we sat on the deck for a while. We also played in the backyard. After supper we went down to the boardwalk and enjoyed the warm, sunny evening. Emmaline played in the park and the sand. We also put our feet in the water. For once she didn’t run away from the cold water. Then I started wading in the water, and pretty soon a wave go my shorts wet, so I just went all the way in! Now I’ve swum in three Great Lakes!

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After putting on dry clothes, we drove to Simcoe Point, the westernmost point of Providence Bay, to visit the Sullivans. They are so nice and welcoming. We found out all about their lives, including the fact that he is a former teacher and principal and she was a school nurse. She paid me a pretty special compliment. She asked if I was a stay-at-home mom. I said that I was, and then told her that I would be returning to teaching in the fall. She said she suspected that I might be a teacher. I think when people can identify you as a stay-at-home mom and a teacher, you must be right for the jobs!

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Friday, June 22, 2007

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We headed out to see the Manitoulin lights this morning. The first light we saw was the Manitowaning Light. We stopped down by the marina to look at an old and ship and then headed up the hill to see the lighthouse overlooking the water. It was really pretty with lake Huron sparkling behind. Next we went to Kagawong. There we stopped at the Bridal Veil Falls and hiked along the river. Once done, we went into town and saw the light up on the hill by the beautiful harbor. There was even an old little light on the pier.

Manitowaning Lighthouse, Kagawong Pier Light, Kagawong Lighthouse

After Kagawong we went to Gore Bay to see the Janet Head Lighthouse. It is a private residence so we could only look at it from the road. After driving back into town, we walked along the boardwalk. Gore Bay was really beautiful. Our final destination was Meldrum Bay—the westernmost point of Manitoulin Island. Once we reached the town, we still had a really long drive down a gravel road to get to the Mississagi Strait Lighthouse. Once we got there, we were again reminded of how isolated some of these lighthouses are. The lighthouse has been turned into a museum by the Meldrum Bay Historical Society. It really has that lived-in feeling. Emmaline was quite interested in this lighthouse. She wanted to keep going back in to see all the rooms. I think it reminded her of the Pointe au Baril Lighthouse.

Janet Head Lighthouse, Mississagi Strait Lighthouse

After enjoying the lighthouse and grounds, we drove back out to Meldrum Bay and ate at the Meldrum Bay Inn (the only restaurant in town). It is a bed and breakfast and they serve meals inside the house’s dining room as well as on the wrap-around-porch. Delicious food, great atmosphere, and wonderful hospitality—very homey. This evening, Emmaline wanted to go swimming. It wasn’t nearly as warm as last night, but she wanted to. We ventured into Lake Huron a little bit, but then decided to go swimming in the Mindemoya River that flows into the lake. It’s much warmer and she had a ball swimming around in the deep parts. After drying off and putting on warmer clothes, we went back to the beach to watch the sun set and play in the sand and playground. After Emmaline went to bed, I sat on the deck and looked through a flower book that some long-time guests of the Sullivans wrote with the aid of Blair’s dad.

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Saturday, June 23, 2007

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Unfortunately today we had to leave Manitoulin Island behind. But before we did, we enjoyed breakfast on the deck and then walked on the boardwalk of Providence Bay one more time. On our way over the Little Current Bridge, I looked to the right because that is the general direction of Strawberry Island. On Strawberry Island is another lighthouse, similar in style to Janet Head. The books all say it is accessible only by boat, and none says that it can be viewed from land. Well, I happened to see something white out on an island, and as we got over the bridge, I could clearly see that it was the lighthouse. Using binoculars I got a good view of the Strawberry Island Lighthouse, and I was able to photograph it and check it off the list. It was a fun little bonus.

Strawberry Island Lighthouse

We drove for a while and then stopped and enjoyed a picnic (at a wayside!) near a river and some waterfalls. We finally got back to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, but could not head into the United States yet. We had one light yet to see, which was “approximately 55 miles north of Sault Ste. Marie.” With those vague directions, we headed north along the shores of Lake Superior. The vistas were beautiful—sparkling water and mountainous areas—however we were tired and sick of driving. Fifty-five miles came and went, and by the time we reached the 60-mile mark we decided to turn around. We hated to drive that far without finding a light, especially if it was just up the road a bit, but we had to draw the line somewhere. The directions said that it had been moved to a restaurant that was now closed, so we didn’t even know if it was still standing. Heading south, at the 55-mile mark, I spotted the light off to the right. It turns out we couldn’t see it coming from the other way, and the restaurant was hardly recognizable as such. The light was a sad reminder of the state of many lighthouses, but we were happy to at least have seen it.

Coppermine Point Lighthouse

Now we could head back to the States and our hotel! That evening we again went down to the locks to watch some ships and enjoyed the pool at the hotel.

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Sunday, June 24, 2007

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This morning we surprised Emmaline with a Soo Locks boat tour. She enjoyed watching the ships so much and was fascinated by the locks that we thought she would enjoy going through the locks. We were right (although when faced with the choice of watching the water rise versus eating peanut butter crackers, the crackers won!). Once the tour was over, we headed for home. It was a long drive—it’s amazing how many potty breaks a four-year old needs! We finally arrived home in the early evening with a lot of great memories.