Forty Mile Point Lighthouse
Peace and calm reign on this shipwreck strewn shore
Pilothouse from the freighter Calcite
Kitchen inside 40 Mile Point Lighthouse
Circular staircase up to the light
The Joseph S Fay in drydock before the
shipwreck.
Remains of the wooden freighter
Joseph S. Fay.
Rogers City Michigan
An RV Park lines the East Tawas beach
Party Time!
Hydroplane boat races in Bay City
Coming in for a pit stop
Trailers and support crews for the race boats
A raceboat is launched after some quick repairs
The race is started from the dock in waves.
Up close and personal
The German immigrant town of
Frankenmuth
The Bavarian Inn served 20 million dinners in 100
years
Lake Huron, Michigan
Late June, 2009 - We left the chilly northern reaches of Michigan's
Upper Peninsula and the Soo Locks to travel down the Lake Huron
coast on the eastern shores of Michigan. Lake Huron is the second
largest of the great lakes, and it didn't take us long to find a beautiful
spot: Forty Mile Point Lighthouse. Built in 1896, it was one of a chain
of lighthouses that guided the many merchant ships through these
difficult waters.
Originally named La Mer Douce (the sweet, or freshwater, sea) by
French explorers, the sweet sea of Lake Huron has displayed a mean
streak when it comes to deadly storms. As of 2006, 1,200 shipwrecks
had been recorded in these waters.
Looking out on the placid turquoise waters, fringed with tall,
swaying grasses, it was hard to imagine such violent storms and
frightening wrecks. The water was very shallow in front of the
lighthouse. Looking closely, we could see fish jumping in the
shallows between the rocks.
Forty Mile Point Lighthouse park features the pilothouse from the
freighter Calcite. You can climb around it and peek in the windows
at the huge ship's wheel.
There is also a flat
bottomed skiff similar to
the ones that are built by
students at the Great
Lakes Boat Building
School.
We wandered up to the
lighthouse and admired
another bunch of lilacs
yet again. Just can't get
enough of these flowers!
Inside we found the kitchen was set up as it would have been when the lighthouse
keepers lived here and tended the light: simple, rustic living. Down in the basement
was a fun display of old washing machines.
We climbed up the circular steel
staircase to the cramped space
that houses the French-built
Fresnel lens, and looked out at
the peaceful view. A guide
came up after us and told us
the most amazing story of the
wreck of the freighter Fay in
October, 1905.
At the time, the Fay was a 34-
year-old and rather battered
wooden ship. She was towing a
wooden barge, the Rhodes, that night,
southbound along the coast. The
winds unexpectedly built to hurricane force and shifted
onshore, pushing the Fay towards land. As the
captain turned the ship towards safer, deeper water,
the tow line snapped taut, and the barge suddenly
ripped the back end off the ship and floated free. The
ship's captain desperately turned the remains of the
sinking ship back towards shore, and miraculously the
pilot house was swept up onto the
beach intact with all but two
officers safe inside (one man even
slept through the whole ordeal).
Despite all the drama that night,
including the drowning of the first
mate who was on deck when the
back end of the Fay was torn off,
the 40 Mile Point Lighthouse
keeper noted the shipwreck with
just a brief one-line entry in his
logbook.
The rest of the Fay landed on the beach a short distance from the lighthouse. 130 feet of its starboard side is still embedded in the
sand, the heavy wooden planks and steel spikes that held it together still plainly visible. We walked around it in wonder. 27
wooden ships and 50 lives were lost in that one storm. 104 years and many other vicious storms have passed since then.
The lake is lower now than in past years. Old photos show waves lapping over the hull as it sat
in shallow water. I don't know whether lapping waves or hot sun, wind and snow erode wooden
shipwreck remains faster, but I'm sure in another 100 years very little will be left of this hull on
the beach.
Continuing down the coast, we
stopped at Rogers City where we
found yet another lovely waterfront
city park. There are so many
wonderful public parks in Michigan
where you can enjoy the lakes.
Many miles further south we discovered East Tawas
where there was a fantastic RV park that hugged the
shoreline.
A string of RVs was backed up to the beach, and
there was a party atmosphere in the air.
The folks who got the prime spots along the beach
had set themselves up for a season's stay, building
elaborate stairways and decks off their RVs. Beach
umbrellas, bikes and happy visiting grandkids were
the theme of this RV park.
We continued south to Bay City, situated on Saginaw
Bay in the nook of Lake Huron that forms the base of
Michigan's thumb. During my stay in this state I
learned that when talking about Michigan geography
everyone whips out their left hand and points to the
spot they are referring to.
We arrived in Bay City on the day of
the hydroplane boat races. You could
hear the buzz of their engines long
before spotting them on the river.
The racecourse was a simple oval,
and the whole town turned out for the
event.
We got a great view from the bridge
overlooking the river at one end, and
got a good look at these crazy craft as they
periodically left the race to come into
the dock for a pit stop.
We walked among the trailers and pit
crews and watched one boat come get
launched back onto the racecourse
after some quickie repairs.
The boats were lined up along
the docks and sent off in
waves.
What fun to be right there on the dock
when this boat pulled over and the
driver crawled out of the cockpit.
Our last stop in Michigan was
Frankenmuth, a town settled by
German immigrants in 1845 and
redecorated to celebrate this German
heritage in the 1950's.
Touristy, but fun anyways, we got a kick out of walking
around.
A plaque informed us that the Bavarian Inn is one of
the ten largest restaurants in the US and served some 20 million
meals over the century from 1988 to 1998.
The huge restaurants on both sides of the street proudly
advertised their famous chicken dinners.
After some more family gatherings, we headed back to the airport
and jetted back to resume our normal lives in our trailer. We
hopped back in the Luvnest in Valencia, California and made a
beeline for San Diego, arriving just in time for their huge Mission
Bay July 4th bash. After a few days there we decided it was time
to start our summer travels for real. We crossed the scorching
California and Nevada deserts and made it to the cool, green mountains and glittering streams outside Ketchum, Idaho.
Roosevelt Lake, AZ – Desert Oasis
Roosevelt Lake, Arizona
April 5-18, 2009 - We left Chanute, Kansas in a blast of cold headwinds.
Those miserable winds pummeled us all the way across Oklahoma, Texas
and New Mexico. We were totally windblown by the time we arrived in
Arizona, and we were utterly fed up with fighting it every time we set foot
outside the trailer. Our usual mileage of 10 mpg while towing dropped as
low as 7.7 through parts of Oklahoma, and for the entire trip across
country our average was a dismal 8.5.
The truck and
trailer looked
like heck when
we got to
Arizona, and
we did too. So
it was with great excitement that I
opened our door and looked out
at the lake on our second
morning and felt not just warm
sun on my skin but the sweetest
of gentle breezes on my face.
This is one of those areas that is
a little jewel on our planet.
Coming into Windy Hill Recreation
Area there is a fantastic curvy
road, and I spent several happy
hours on two different days
running up and down the road
getting pictures of RVs as they
drove past.
Roosevelt Lake was dammed in 1911, and at the time was the largest
man-made lake in the world. We had lived in Phoenix, next door to this
little piece of heaven, for years, yet we had never been there. I couldn't
believe how beautiful it was. If we had known about it, we would have
camped there every spring and fall weekend in our popup tent trailer.
The lake is open to boaters of all kinds, and a marina sits next to the
visitors center. There are lots of houseboats at the marina. What a fun
place to roost for a while.
We had ridden our bikes on just about every road in the area with
various organized bike rides over the years, but the one spectacular
road that runs alongside the lake was a whole new discovery for us.
Everything
seemed to be
in bloom when
we arrived, and
the high winds
had blown
every bit of dust
and pollution to
kingdom come,
so the air was
crisp and clear.
The lake was
full to
overflowing,
and the views
in every
direction were
filled with the
promise of
spring.
We were blessed with a full moon
during our stay, and a group of birds
swooped back and forth in front of
the moon as it rose one evening.
The entire lake is smack in the
middle of Tonto National Forest, so
there is virtually no development
anywhere other than the slightly
developed campgrounds and an
Indian cliff dwelling site nearby. I
was amazed by how many
campgrounds there are, and how
many campsites within each
campground. The USFS has closed
several campgrounds and closed
many loops within the open
campgrounds, probably because
they just don't get enough
business to make it worthwhile to
maintain it all.
The campgrounds are set along little peninsulas, and many campsites
have a waterfront view. Whoever designed the campgrounds along this
lake did an outstanding job. There is boondocking too, but the
campgrounds are so spacious and pretty that we opted for a waterfront
site at the end of a peninsula instead.
Throughout our visit the cameras just kept clicking. In every direction
we turned there seemed to be another lovely shot. Friends of ours
were camped nearby, and each evening the discussion always seemed
to wander back to the various photos all of us had taken during the day.
One evening I
came back from a
bike ride to hear
an excited
discussion around
the campfire
about a clump of
clover and a bee.
This little bee had
unknowingly
become a
supermodel for the afternoon, and we
had fun comparing all the different
photos of him.
The Sonoran Desert is one of my
favorite places. It extends from
Arizona into Sonora, Mexico, and is
extremely lush, filled with a wide
variety of flowers, birds and cactus. It
is the only place in the world where
the wise old saguaro cactus chooses
to live, and they rule the landscape
with a myriad of personalities, all
seeming to wave a greeting to their fellow cactus.
The saguaros that have a cluster of arms are often 150 years old or
more. Those cactus grew up in a very different world -- one with a
small river instead of a lake, for starters.
The main road hugs the lake for many miles, and on a few
days we ventured out to Tonto Basin, a small community at
the far north end of the lake. On those morning drives the
hillsides were alive with bright yellow flowers and towering
cactus, looking down at the lake. In the distance we could see
Four Peaks, an aptly named mountain range that makes a distinct
landmark on the horizon when looking east from Phoenix. Here we got
to see its back
side.
A bridge spans
the river just
before the
dam, and every
time you drive
by it begs you
to take a
picture.
On several days we went out in the
kayak and pedaled and paddled
around. The wind resumed its howling
every few days, so we had some
sloppy times on the water with the
spray flying. But there were some
really calm days too. Those were
times of heavenly relaxation and
serenity.
The lake is an interesting habitat because it is in the
middle of the richest Sonoran Desert land, but
because the body of water is so large, ducks, grebes and even seagulls set up
housekeeping here too. Whenever we would go out in the kayak we were always
amazed to see hundreds of grebes swimming around. They would alert each other to
our presence with frantic calls, and as we approached, one by one they would dive
underwater. At the same time we could also hear the calls of the Gambel quail from
their perches in the desert scrub along the shore.
The fishermen complained
that the fishing wasn't too
good. That surprised us,
because we saw all kinds of huge fish leaping out of the water as we
paddled. Maybe their noisy powerboats were scaring off their catch.
The cycling in this area is spectacular as well.
There are a lot of organized rides sponsored by
the Arizona bike clubs that travel many of the
roads in this part of the state, however I know of
none that go along the lakeside road (route
188). It would be the perfect location for an
organized ride: stunning scenery, challenging
climbs, screaming descents, and lots of picnic
areas for rest stops.
Roosevelt Lake is a gorgeous place, and we
felt blessed to be able to spend a good bit of
time there.
A little cardinal sang his heart out on one of our last mornings.
He seemed so happy to be alive. Roosevelt Lake makes you feel
that way. Sadly, we eventually had to pack up and go. We drove
the beautiful lakeside road one last time and then turned west
once again to journey on to California.
Glacier National Park, MT – Mountain Goats and Lake Views
The air was still hazy.
Glacier National Park was engulfed in smoke from wildfires
just days before our arrival.
The best way to see it is to let someone else do the driving.
It is a spectacular drive up and over the mountain range.
Boardwalk hike at Logan Pass.
Hidden Lake at the top of Logan Pass
Logan Pass summit views.
A glorious day.
A helicopter and pilot stand by as medics attend to an
unfortunate tourist.
Once the unfortunate tourist is onboard, with all eyes from
the visitors center watching, the helicopter rises up and
disappears beyond the mountains.
A mountain goat lazes about at the summit of
Logan Pass.
National Park animals seem fearless of humans.
She kept her baby close by.
A "stressed" forest lined the slopes of one hillside.
Glacier National Park, Montana
September 3-5, 2007 - Traveling east from northern Idaho, we visited Glacier National Park in
northern Montana. There had been terrible wildfires for most of the summer. Rangers told us
that two weeks before we arrived you couldn't see any views in the park. Luckily the smoke had
cleared somewhat by the time we got there, but the air was still very hazy. We drove from the
west side of the park up to Logan Pass and back down again.
At Logan Pass there is a beautiful
3 mile round trip walk that you
can take to the summit. Some of
it is on a boardwalk that stairsteps
up the hillside and some is a
gravel path. At the summit there
is a gorgeous view of Hidden
Lake.
Before we embarked on our little hike we saw a lot of commotion
in the visitors center. A tourist had a medical problem. We
ventured on with our hike but stopped midway up to watch a
helicopter fly in, pick up the hapless visitor, and fly him off to the
hospital.
At the summit we watched a mountain goat and her baby munching
the grass. They wandered in and about the many tourists,
unperturbed by our presence.
Making our way back down the
mountain road to West Glacier we
spent some time enjoying our luxury
accommodations at the West
Glacier KOA. The hot tub and
swimming pool were just what the
doctor ordered to relax and
ponder the beauties of all we had
seen. Once our internal batteries
were recharged a bit we took to
the road again and followed the
very scenic south and east
through Montana towards