October 5, 2009

Destination….Hardy! Today is the end of the line for a wonderful journey. There were only two places on our list to visit. The first was Mosser Glass in Cambridge, OH.

Mosser Glass is a small glass company which is family owned. They employ about 30 people, and produce glassware that ranges from figurines to dishes and light lenses. Custom orders also comprise much of their business. Having stopped here last year, we decided to return to look for a piece to add to our collection.

Not far down the road is Fenton Glass which produces a very large quantity of glass. Most everyone has heard of Fenton and seen their products in gift shops and antique stores. They produce many seasonal items. We found a Halloween Ghost (first photo) to keep company with a witch that we found last year.

The rest of our trip through WV and VA was uneventful. As we made that trip we talked about the last 21 days. We traveled 3492 miles, stayed in 12 different cities/towns and met a lot of wonderful people. When we tried to pick a favorite attraction, we realized that it was impossible. So here is a short list of some of our favorites.

The Merry-Go-Rounds – Kids at heart!

Presque Isle Lighthouse – Cheryl’s climb to the stars.

Tower of History – Views of the Soo Locks and Canada

Tahquamenon Falls – One word, beautiful!

Pictured Rocks – Mother Nature’s canvas!

Delaware Copper Mine – Dark and wet.

Seul Choix Lighthouse – One of the best we saw.

The Cherry Republic – YUM!

The Beaches

and Sunsets – So many different looks.

And one we cannot show you…the Milky Way. We saw this while we were staying at the Whitefish Point Crew Quarters. You can only see this if you are in a totally dark place and the sky is completely clear. Nothing can compare to it.

It has been a ball, and we hope you have enjoyed it as much as we have. Until our next adventure…

T&C

One final note to the folks at S-O-R…your expertise, encouragement and “mommy eyes” aided in a speedy recovery so I was able to make this trip. MANY THANKS!! Cheryl

October 4, 2009

We got to sleep a little late today (8:00 a.m.) and we needed it. Our drive yesterday was 340 miles and the day was long.

We drove out to Marblehead this morning to visit the lighthouse and have lunch at Avery’s. Avery’s is one of those small restaurants that you never forget once you have been there. This was our third visit for lunch, and we were not disappointed. Their food is very good; one of my favorites is their chicken and dumpling soup. They make all their soups and deserts. Today’s yummy sweet was blueberry pie. And of course it is always better with ice cream!

Sandusky, OH is a tourist town and weekends in the fall bring large crowds to the nearby Cedar Point. The park features seventeen roller coasters, nine other thrill rides, three carousels, six spinning rides, and numerous other rides. Along with Cedar Point, there are several large indoor water parks. Several motels have mini-parks.

This photo was taken from Marblehead showing several coasters pointing skyward.

Our next stop was at the Merry-Go-Round Museum in Sandusky, OH. Our first visit was in March of 2008 and we decided to stop again. They change part of their exhibit each winter and we wanted to catch up on the changes. The photo is of the entrance to the carousel.

There is nothing like action...here is a short video of the ride.

After leaving the museum we headed across Ohio to Newcomerstown to spend the night.
Our sign of the day was spotted in Marblehead. Next weekend is the last “Hurrah” of the year and everything will close down. This hotdog stand was getting a head start.

Tomorrow we will be heading home. We have had a lot of fun on this trip and part of that fun was sharing our trip with you. We had to burn the “midnight oil” several times to get the blog out on time but it was well worth the work. We will do a final entry after we arrive home. Please check back Tuesday for this final addition.

We truly enjoyed the last three weeks and hope that you did too!
T&C

October 3, 2009

Today we started our long journey home. Leaving Ludington, MI, we headed south along the Lake Michigan coast to Muskegon. From there, we turned southeast passing through Grand Rapids, Lansing, Jackson, and Toledo, OH before arriving at our destination, Sandusky, OH. Most of our trip was through flat, non-descript farming towns with field after field of corn.

Today we look back at a few things that were not initially included in our blog. The first photo is of Sault Ste Marie, Ontario which was taken from the Tower of History in Sault Ste Marie, MI. The large body of water separating them is the St. Mary’s River. All shipping between Lake Superior and Lake Huron, both up bound and down bound, must pass through the St. Mary’s River.

The second is of the Edison Sault Power Plant in Sault Ste Marie, MI. It was built in 1902, and has 69 turbines that generate 26,000 kilowatts of electricity.

Our third photo is of a lake west of Paradise, MI on MI-123. Michigan has over 11,000 lakes.

The fourth photo is of a snow roller. It was made with two drums, standing about 5 ½ feet tall, and pulled by a team of work horses. The roads were rolled or “panked” to keep them smooth. This method allowed horses to pull a sleigh with much less effort. These rollers were used on the Keweenaw Peninsula from 1880 until about 1930.

Our final photo was taken near Blissfield, MI and is our “sign of the day”. We wish you an early “Happy Halloween”!

Tomorrow we will be going to the Merry-Go-Round Museum in Sandusky, OH. One last hobby horse ride!!

T&C

October 2, 2009

Rain, rain, go away! This is the first day since leaving home that it has rained almost the entire day. It is also the first day that we have not been able to get good pictures because of the rain. We were able to see everything except the Big Sable Point Lighthouse. It requires a 1.4 mile walk each way to get to get there, and we didn’t bring any rain suits. A postcard will have to suffice for this lighthouse.

Our first stop today was in the town of Frankfort, MI which was hit hard by the blowing sand a few days ago. They had to push sand from some of the roads, and off the sidewalks. This second photo is of the Frankfort North Breakwater Light. The tower was erected in 1912.

Next, we headed to Point Betsie, MI to see the Point Betsie Lighthouse. Unfortunately, the property won’t be open until tomorrow. We managed a few pictures through the trees (third photo). Point Betsie was built in 1858, and was large enough to accommodate two keepers. This is one of the largest lighthouse dwellings on the lakes.

By now it was evident that the gods were not with us. It was time to make a decision… forget the planned day and hit the antique shops and malls! It didn’t take long to find a good place to stop, and the day immediately got better. Not only did this mall have some “good stuff”, it had the products from a local winery! Throughout the remainder of the afternoon, we hit two or three more antique shops which ended our day on a pleasant note, with some fun, and tasty, purchases.

Our fourth photo shows a portion of highway. You will notice that it looks very different in one area. Think about all we have talked about on our blog and see if you can figure out what this is and why it is on the highway. The answer is at the bottom of today’s blog.

Our sign for today was spotted near Beulah, MI. Remember this is cherry country.
Tomorrow we will be making our way across Michigan to spend the night in Sandusky, Ohio.

T&C

Answer: The highway has been covered with the same material that they put on the road at stop lights. It is called the “stop bar” and indicates the place to stop at the light. On this highway it is used to protect the road surface from the snowmobiles. Without it, the snowmobiles will wear ruts in the pavement. There are over 6200 miles of snowmobile trails in Michigan, complete with stop signs, route numbers, bridges and road crossings.

October 1, 2009

Last year we spent part of a day at the Cherry Republic in Glen Arbor, MI. Since then, we have been planning a return trip and today we made that trip!

On our way to the Cherry Republic, we stopped by the Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes and drove the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive. This is a beautiful ten mile drive through the sand dunes and native forests of western Michigan. Our main reason for returning to the sand dunes this year was to walk to the top of the 450 feet tall dunes that overlook Lake Michigan (first photo taked from top of 450 feet tall dune). Note the change in the color of the water as it progressively deepens. During a normal year the dunes move inland one foot. This is caused by the wind from the storms that roam the Great Lakes. We noticed that a significant amount of erosion had occurred in several areas.

One area is going through a “blowout”. A blowout occurs when the wind removes the sand from an area and a bowl or hole develops where a raised area used to be. The second photo shows this area. The hill in the middle is slowly disappearing.

After leaving the sand dunes we headed to Glen Arbor and the Cherry Republic (third photo). Cherries are the thing at the Republic, and samples are plentiful. It is best to arrive hungry and try everything. It’s all good! The restaurant fixes nearly all the food and drink with some form of cherries. Even the hotdogs have cherries in them! Our drinks today were Cherry Root Beer and Cherry Cream Soda, both quite tasty.

Our final stop was the Grand Traverse Lighthouse in Northport, MI (fourth photo). The lighthouse was built in 1858 and operated until 1972. Every lighthouse has something that is unique and Grand Traverse is no exception. This is the first lighthouse we have visited where steps going up into the tower wind counter clockwise. The stairs were also quite narrow leaving us with the feeling that no one of large stature would have been able to reach the lantern room! Grand Traverse has been restored and now operates as a museum.

Our sign of the day was spotted in the restaurant of the Cherry Republic. Think cherries!

Tomorrow we will be traveling down the west coast of Michigan.

T&C

September 30, 2009

This morning when we awakened, the wind had died, the lake was smooth, and the sun was shining. Quite a change from the last couple of days!

When we left Mackinaw City, we headed west to McGulpin Point Lighthouse. The lighthouse lies on the Mackinaw Straight about three miles from Mackinaw City. The lighthouse was built in 1868 and was decommissioned in 1906. It was sold to a private owner in 1913 and remained in private hands for over ninety years. During that time the lantern room was removed and a roof was built over the opening. The property was put up for sale and stayed on the market for several years before it was purchased for $750,000 in the summer of 2008 by Emmet County. Since then, a new lantern room has been installed along with other repairs to the building. A trail has been built to the beach and several trees have been removed between the lighthouse and the beach. The residence part of the house is being returned to its original look and will house a museum dedicated to the lighthouse and the McGulpin family land claim.

Our next stop was the Legs Inn (second photo) in Cross Village, MI for lunch. Legs Inn was built by Polish immigrant Stanley Smolak who settled in Cross Village in 1921. The restaurant offers authentic Polish cuisine, and American dishes. We both had the Pierogi (Polish style dumplings steamed on the grill and filled with your choice of lightly seasoned ground sirloin, potato and Farmer’s cheese, or sauerkraut with mushrooms), and it was delicious.

We finished our meal with their “Old Fashioned Polish Berry Szarlotka” (third photo), …very big and very good!

After leaving the restaurant, we ventured into the Cross Village Rug Works which is opposite Legs. This enterprise was established in 2007 and has 30 Artisans. Wool is sheared from local sheep, cleaned and dyed. Rugs are then woven from the yarn (fourth photo). They can produce commissioned rugs and punch needle tapestry.

Our sign of the day was spotted near Marquette, MI. Too many rocks!

Tonight we are in Traverse City, MI. Tomorrow we will be headed to the Cherry Republic and The Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes. We promise to eat a few cherries for you!

T&C

September 29, 2009

Lake Michigan was quiet in Manistique this morning. The wind had changed direction and the waves were down to about two feet. On the other side of the UP, Lake Superior was still producing waves of twelve to fifteen feet.

Our destination today was Mackinaw City, MI. To get there we had to cross the Mackinac Bridge and we were not looking forward to that. A few miles before we reached the bridge, we stopped at an overlook and took a photo of Lake Michigan (first photo). This overlook is about one hundred feet above the lake and offers a good vantage point for viewing the lake.

As we approached the Mackinac Bridge (second photo), the posted speed for trucks was down to 20 mph, and for cars it was 40 mph. This was necessary due to the high winds and the height of the bridge over the lake (over 200 feet). Trucks also had to travel using their emergency flashers.

Our attraction today was the Mackinaw Lighthouse (third photo). The lighthouse was put into service in 1892. When the bridge was completed in 1957, the lighthouse was decommissioned because the bridge had its own navigation lights and fog horns.

We tried to get a good photo of the bridge after dark (fourth photo) but the wind is still blowing about 20 mph. The camera moved a little during the timed photo.

Our sign of the day was spotted in Gulliver, MI.

Tomorrow we will be heading to Traverse City, MI. This means we will soon be visiting The Cherry Republic…more things to taste and smell!
T&C

September 28, 2009

The sky was dark this morning so we decided to change our plans for the day. We headed east to the Seul Choix Point Lighthouse. Seul Choix is pronounced Sis-Shwa and translates to “Only Choice”. The harbor at Seul Choix was the only choice for the early travelers seeking refuge from the storms on Lake Michigan.

The Seul Choix Lighthouse was built in 1895 (photo one). The keeper’s house (two story part) has seven rooms and one bath.

The one story part on the left side was the assistant keeper’s dwelling and only contained four rooms. The trim around the interior doors is solid copper (photo two). This is the only part of the house that contains copper trim. It is also the only lighthouse known to have this type of trim. Even after research, it is still a mystery as to why the trim was fashioned in this manner.

The tower is seventy-nine feet nine inches tall. You have to climb ninety-six steps to reach the top. The third photo is of Cheryl coming through the last hatch before reaching the top. Seul Choix is the only lighthouse that we have encountered that has had more than one hatch. This one has two, with one being on the level just below the top level.

In order to be able to withstand the storms of the lakes, the lighthouses are built with very thick walls. Some reach a thickness of four feet or more. The fourth photo shows a window near the top of the lighthouse. At this point, the wall thickness measures between 32 and 36 inches.

This was a very impressive lighthouse due to the painstaking restoration, and the interior which is in “like new” condition. The historical society’s next project is to paint the tower and house. Currently there are no state grants available and the group must work off donations. The project is also aided by lots of community involvement.

Remember the lighthouse with the wave breaking over it? This is what it looks like when the lake is calm (photo five). The Calumet area of the Keweenaw Peninsula that we left on Sunday morning is getting 15 foot waves on Lake Superior this afternoon. Winds are expected to reach 50-55 mph. There were pictures on TV this afternoon of surfers on the beaches! Wish we had been there to see them.

Our sign of the day is another statue. We caught this “couple” walking along US 2 just east of Manistique.

Tomorrow we will be headed towards the Mackinaw Bridge (all five miles of it). Let’s hope the wind has died! Cheryl and I do not have any water wings!!

T&C

September 27, 2009

We loaded up this morning and headed south, leaving the Keweenaw Peninsula behind. For some reason we had more to bring back across the lift bridge than upon our arrival. We also brought a lot of memories back…beautiful scenery, friendly people and the taste of good food. We backtracked our route for 90 miles (back to Marquette, MI) and headed south on US41. Crossing the UP from Marquette to Manistique is much like driving in South Carolina towards Myrtle Beach. The roads are flat and straight, and compared to the north shores with its beautiful scenery, very boring.

I did get a couple of good barn photos (photo one) for a friend, but the rest of the trip didn’t turn up much to photograph until we reached Lake Michigan.

Our first view of Lake Michigan was west of Manistique. The wind was blowing about 15-20 mph and there were a few waves running 2-3 feet (photo two). Check out the geese, and a few mallards.

By the time we got to Manistique, the wind had increased to 25-30 mph. Waves coming to shore had increased to 4-6 feet (photo three). There were a lot of people out taking pictures of the waves.

The fourth photo is of the Manistique East Breakwater Lighthouse. Waves were smashing into, and crashing over the breakwater wall. The lighthouse stands about 50 feet tall from the water to the top.

Monday’s weather calls for higher winds and some rain; it may be interesting in the morning!

Our sign of the day turned out to be a statue of the day.We have been hoping to spot a moose for two years and today we finally did…he certainly is a Big Boy!

Tomorrow we will be touring the Seul Choix Point Lighthouse and visiting a Ghost Town. If you would like to adopt a ghost, please let us know and we will try to make the necessary arrangements for you. We could bring him/her back with us!

T&C