Chasing Lighthouses

What better way to start the new year than by going on an adventure. Michigan's coasts are filled with lighthouses. So, a friend and I headed out on Friday afternoon for a mini holiday. January is not the greatest time of year to visit the beach but we didn't care about that. We piled on warm clothes and took a trip into the north country where snow is abundant and the Northerners aren't afraid of the weather. 

The first lighthouse that we visited was the Petite Point au Sable Lighthouse at Silver Lake State Park, near Mears, Michigan.  The blue skies accentuated the beauty of this brick lighthouse. 

Following the loss of the schooner called Pride in 1871, the government approved funding for the lighthouse in 1872 and construction began shortly thereafter. The first keeper of the lighthouse was James Davenport of Mackinac Island who lived in the keepers house built next to the lighthouse from 1873-1879. In 1899, the lighthouse was painted white so that it could be seen easily, but in the 1970's it was restored to its original brick.  Later the house was torn down but the lighthouse remained. 

My friend climbed the dune and was able to get a lovely view of the area.  The dunes were covered with snow and they were slick, so I stayed on the beach. 

When she climbed to the top, my friend discovered that the only way down was on her bum, so she slid gracefully to the bottom. 

  

We then traveled south to Grand Haven and happened to see a large boat in the harbor.  I tried very hard to catch up with it but was only able to see if from a distance. It still amazes me that something that large can float. The lighthouse was built in 1839. At night, it is lit up with lights marking the entrance of the Grand River. (It was here that I fell more than I walked along the pier the night before)

  As the day progressed, we decided to stay until sunset. 

I had never seen the sun go down near a large body of water and was anxious to witness the event. The wind was blowing at a surmountable speed and the temperature was felt far below what it actually was. Thirty minutes felt like forever in the wind and our lower extremities felt the cold more than our upper parts. 

The photographers lined up to see the show. Even Mickey Mouse wanted to have a look. (We counted 17 photographers) 

Then slowly the sun faded into the horizon, only to repeat again the next day. 

At the end of our adventure, I realized how special it was that two sets of footprints in the sand are much better than one, no matter where you are or what you are doing. "Experience is much better than the material things one can buy on adventures." She told me. Except when one needs hiking boots in order to be able to walk. The experience was priceless. 

Lighthouse

Lighthouses don't run all  over an island looking for boats to save; they just stand there shining. 

Anne Lamott

Life outside of the cornfields

A friend and I decided to go on a mini holiday to Michigan and I am so glad that we did. Last Saturday was rainy, but we went on our outing anyway.  My friend said, "I am English, if you wait until the weather is fine then you would never go anywhere."  What a great attitude.  I never let weather bother me too much when I want to do something anyway. We started our journey in Holland, Michigan and made our way to "Big Red" the not so big light house. 

Then on to Douglas and saw a mini light house on the water. With two tug boats parked beside it. 

I imagined fishermen riding the waves, throwing out their nets, and eventually pulling in their catch of the day. 

The air was crisp with intense blue skies and wind that made your hair swirl, but I was not deterred by the gale. I was in another world far from the cornfields that I lived. 

Last fall, South Haven was cold and overcast by the time we reached this light house. This time the view was stunning and lots of locals came to view the glorious Lake Michigan that seemed to go on forever because we are having unseasonably warm weather at the moment. 

We saw a beach that looked so inviting and we bemoaned the fact that we didn't have time to burrow ourselves in somewhere for hours to enjoy the view. The waves crashed onto the shore like it was the ocean. Where I live there is nothing like this, which stirred up feelings of discontent.  If I lived closer, I would be here all of the time watching this view regularly. 

We climbed into the car and drove to Saugatuck one last time. Lovers sat on a bench and watched passersby while they sat close together. 

Our last stop was a water mill that had seen better days.  We saw it when we first came, hoping that we would remember the location on the way home. This time we were lucky. This rustic broken down place was still beautiful and I tried to imagine it when it was in working order.  

Then we got in the car and headed home. No more stops, no more light houses, or lakes that look like an ocean, only memories of what transpired that wonderful weekend. And remembering that ...

back home.

Michigan City for a few hours

I needed to make some artistic pictures for class. (My teacher says that we make pictures not take them.) My final was on Tuesday and I needed five pictures. The weekends are all the free time that I have. So, I decided to take a little trip by myself to Michigan City.  I had only been there one other time and it was last year during the same season. The temperature was in the low 70's but rain was predicted by the weatherman. I decided to go anyway. I needed to be alone and think.   

I listened to Moroccan music as my little Fiat bug took me down the highway. It rained heavily a few times and I nearly turned my car around. But I was persistent and am glad that I didn't give in to the weather.  It was overcast when I arrived but no rain in sight.  The wind was blowing hard and after a short while my ears started to get cold; I turned up the collar on my jacket and enjoyed the sunlight that burst through the clouds for a short time. 

The view of Lake Michigan is like looking at the ocean for me. Where I live in Indiana is called the flat lands and it is heavily laden with cornfields. One needs a change of scenery when things seem a little monotonous, especially me. 

An hour later the sun came out and I was thrilled to see the beach as it really is. The intense blue sky and the water seemed to go on forever was thrilling to behold. There were men in the water wind surfing. Sometimes they would jump up with the waves while holding onto their sails.  

This day was the last burst of warmth before the dreadful winter comes and we are forced to stay inside longing to be set free again in the spring.  I have had a wonderful summer for the first time in many years and was busy enjoying new places and experiences.  I am hoping that my borders will expand even further and travel far from home.  

Pure Michigan

I live in the flat lands, surrounded by cornfields. Just a couple of  hours drive from where I live is heaven.

Where there are pristine beaches and lighthouses to guide a weary boatman. Trees are so numerous that the color is dazzling to the eyes in autumn. This sounds like a commercial, but that is what I experienced yesterday while on a "Vacation Day" in Michigan.  Oh yes, I am silly, but I had a glorious time. Visions of children playing on the beach in summer raced across my mind. The calming sound of the waves rolling in to shore soothed me.  A friend and I went to three cities and saw three different lighthouses. This was the first time I have seen one.  It was amazing to me.

As the day progressed the clouds crowded the sky until the blue was no longer visible. A haze settled over the the water. What seemed vibrant began to take on a sepia tone. 

But the beauty remained.  In the summer, I plan to return, not laden with heavy coats and bags, but free like a bird who sits for awhile until another spot looks enticing and then moves on.