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