12 Sep - Peninsula Point Light Station and Sex on the Pines! Last Night at Whitefish Hill RV Park

 

This morning we drove east and south from the campground to Peninsula Point Light Station.  Most of the road was a two lane blacktop but the last mile was a one lane gravel path with potholes that could swallow a Mini Cooper! 

Needless to say, it was a bit of a tight squeeze when we met another vehicle on the path!  But they have many small pull-off's carved into the woods and we made the trip.  

We arrived to find a busy place!  There were several vehicles already there parked in the circular driveway.   

The parking area at Peninsula Point.

Peninsula Point Lighthouse (light station) is located at the end of Stonington Peninsula in Delta County on the east side of Little Bay de Noc, MI. Construction started for the lighthouse and attached 1-1/2 story brick keeper's quarters in 1865. Only the lighthouse remains today.  The lighthouse oil lamp burned until 1922, when an automated acetylene light replaced it. If you recall from our Escanaba lighthouse information from yesterday, we mentioned the acetylene light and how the boathouse had been moved to Escanaba.  In 1936, when the Minneapolis shoal lighthouse was put into operation, Peninsula Point light was taken out of service. 

The Civilian Conservation Corps repaired the buildings and constructed picnic grounds, but the light station became a target for vandals and in 1948, when the Forest Service could no longer finance repairs, demolition of the lighthouse was considered. The lighthouse keeper’s quarters burned in 1959, but the brick tower survived. The foundation of the keeper's quarters is visible today.

Doreen and Peninsula Point Lighthouse

Today we were pleased to find the 40 ft tall lighthouse open for climbing!  The view from the top is amazing.  To the south you can actually see Washington Island where we took a ferry ride from Door County peninsula a few years ago.  On the lighthouse grounds we found rest rooms, picnic tables and barbecue grills for picnics. 

Doreen at the entrance to the lighthouse

Ascending the spiral staircase of the lighthouse.  42 steps total!

Inside the top of the lighthouse.  The light and lens have been removed.

Walking the outside of the top of the lighthouse

Looking down onto the lighthouse grounds.

 

Butterfly watchers below

The Minnesota Shoals Lighthouse in the distance.

A walk along the shoreline reveals limestone layers and crystal clear water of Lake Michigan. 

Looking up from the shore south of the lighthouse.

The limestone layers visible from the shore.

Peninsula Point is also a popular spot to enjoy the Monarch Butterfly and bird migration. Today we did not see any birds to speak of, but there were many butterfly watchers with awesome looking camera equipment capturing images and video of the hundreds of Monarch butterflies!

“Just as the Peninsula Point lighthouse guided ships on Lake Michigan, the Stonington Peninsula guides monarch butterflies as they begin their 1,900-mile migration south to their wintering grounds in the Sierra Madre Mountains of Mexico,” reads a sign that greets visitors. In the fall, thousands of monarchs can be seen here, waiting for favorable conditions before they cross Lake Michigan.” It appears we caught a couple Monarchs copulating on the pines before their long journey!  We were within a few feet of them here. Such beautiful insects!

Heading back to the campground, out in the wilds of rural Michigan,  we passed this old Standard Oil gas station with iconic sign out front.  So awesome!  We can only imaging the motor vehicles that stopped by here back in the day!

We stopped for fuel before heading back to the campground.  since we are traveling to our next stop tomorrow, I always try to start with a full tank of fuel.  Back at the campground we did our regular "day before leaving": tasks such as flushing and dumping talks, uploading some fresh water for the trip, stowing hoses, etc.  I also gave the big ol' brown truck a badly needed batch and washed the bugs off the front cap of the Alliance!

She looks pretty sharp for a 2013!  That's how we roll!

Cubs-Giants on the tube this afternoon - Cubs got swept.  Homemade pizza for supper.  Liberty got her final walk in here and on the way back to the coach,  Doreen found a lucky 4-leaf clover!  Hopefully this is an indicator of our luck finishing up this trip!

Tomorrow we pull chocks and head south and east to Antigo WI where we will camp at the City Campground and visit our great Air Force friends Greg and Diane Noskowiak.  Every year we look forward to seeing Greg and Diane, fishing with Greg and regurgitating "war" stories from our time at Loring Air Force Base way up in the northern tip of Maine!  We laugh from the time we arrive until the time we leave.  Folks, it does not get any better than that.

Next report from Antigo WI.

11 Sep - Sandpoint Lighthouse. Escanaba Harbor Crib Light, Menominee North Pier Light

 

This morning before heading out for the day,  we paused a bit to remember the horrific events of 11 Sep 2001 on the occasion of the 20th anniversary.  In addition to the television coverage, our son Division Chief Dan Schellhase led a remembrance event at the Ankeny Iowa Fire Department and it was live streamed so we could watch.  As a retired firefighter and a retired military member, that day is burned into my memory.  Now, being retired and traveling around the United States we really appreciate the freedoms we have and we are so grateful to those who continue to serve and protect those freedoms. 

Our journey today took us down the west side of the Little Bay de Noc on US 2, first to Escanaba. 

There we visited the Sand Point Lighthouse and viewed the Escanaba Harbor Crib Light.  The Sand Point Lighthouse was closed as was the Delta County Historical Society where the stamp for Doreen's passport likely resides.  

Sand Point Lighthouse

The Sand Point Lighthouse was built in 1868 and operated until 1939 when the new Escanaba Harbor Crib Light was put into operation. As the story goes, the newly appointed lightkeeper John Terry, died "of consumption" before the the opening of the light, so his wife Mary Terry served as the keeper until 1886 when she died from a mysterious fire at the lighthouse.

In 1985 the Delta County Historical Society restored the lighthouse and manages it today,

Also on the premise is the Squaw Point Boathouse.  It was originally built on Squaw Point on the eastern shore of Little Bay de Noc in 1897.  In 1914 Squaw Point was furnished with an acetylene lantern, the lighthouse was left unmanned so the motorboat and boathouse were moved to Sand Point.  Tending to the Squaw Point acetylene "Sunvalve" light was now the responsibility of the Sand Point keeper, which entailed a trip across the bay each week in the boat.  

Squaw Point Boathouse

The track uses to route the boat in and out of the boathouse

A look through the window at the boats

Just off shore is the Escanaba Harbor Crib Light.  It is visible from the Sand Point Lighthouse, but better viewing is further down the street past the Escanaba Water Plant.  As mentioned above, it was built in 1938 and replaced the Sand Point Lighthouse the following year.  It continues to guide mariners today.

Further down US 2 is the town of Menominee MI.  On the way we passed an inland lighthouse.  This lighthouse is not operational and draws visitors to a local restaurant.  If you followed our blog last year it might look familiar as we pulled into the parking lot there for a pit stop in route to Antigo!

As we entered Menominee we made our way to the Menominee North Pier Lighthouse.  The lighthouse is barely visible behind the tower, below.

This lighthouse is now located quite a ways out on a concrete pier.  It was originally built in 1877 to support increased river traffic with the discovery of iron ore in the area.  It was a two story cast iron tower and cost about $7500.  It's red light amplified by a fifth order Fresnel lens was visible for over 12 miles.  

The original 1877 lighthouse location

The lighthouse was relocated here in 1881 when the pier was extended

In 1886 the pier was again lengthened and the lighthouse was again moved to it's present location.  The lens was changed and in 1897 a fog signal building was constructed. 

 In 1927 the entire tower was disassembled, brought ashore and the wooden pier was replaced with a concrete pier.  The wooden fog signal building was eliminated and the lighthouse reassembled in it's present location at the end of the new pier.  In 1972 the light was automated.  In 2008 the City of Menominee took possession of the lighthouse from the Coast Guard. 

In 2016 it was recognized the lighthouse was in severely bad repair and neared collapse.  A local businessman donated $350,000 and it was completely renovated.  

A great picture of the lighthouse during renovation.  Painting operations were contained inside this tent.

So we approached the lighthouse and took a few pictures.  It was locked up so we could not enter it and we were preparing to depart when one of the local volunteers showed up and opened it for us and another couple.  Doreen got her passport stamped and we were able to see the inside and climb it!

Doreen heading inside

A wide angle view of the inside

The volunteer stamping Doreen's passport

Up we go!

The last part of the climb is up a steep ladder.

Inside the top of the lighthouse

The LED beacon that shines brightly from the pier

About an hour drive back to the campground with a stop by Walmart to restock provisions.  Pork chops on the grill for supper and we were switching between the Iowa-Iowa State football game and the Cubs-Giants blowout!

Tomorrow we will head down the east side of Little Bay de Noc to see Peninsula Point Lighthouse.

10 Sep - Arrived at Whitefish Hill RV Park, Rapid River MI + Stats

 

This morning we pulled chocks at St Ignace and headed west on US 2 about 123 miles to Rapid River MI and the Whitefish Hill RV Park for the next three days (blue dot on the map below).  This is stop #32 on our trip.  That leaves only two more stops before we are home.  

Rapid River MI is located at the north end of Little Bay de Noc, a bay extending up from Lake Michigan.  It is also at the edge of the Hiawatha National Forest.  There are a couple lighthouses we plan to visit in the two more remaining days we are here.  The Peninsula Point Lighthouse is southeast of us on the east side of the bay.  The Sand Point Lighthouse is located in Escanaba on the west side of the bay, and the Escanaba Harbor Crib Light is offshore from the Sand Point Lighthouse (same stop).  

The Whitefish Hill RV Park is very small - just seven transient RV spots.  All of the other spots are fulltime residents in either RV trailers or house trailers.  We basically had the pick of the spots when we arrived just after noon today.  

So we got all set up and took a break this afternoon.  The Cubs were playing the Giants and we worked in a nap in there too!  Liberty likes the park.  We had a couple walks exploring the place. 

Right behind us is a train tracks and a train passed by twice. Lets hope it does not run at night.

For dinner we had the pasties (pronounced "pass-tee's") that we bought at St Ignace.  An Upper Peninsula staple!  They remind me of a pot pie and are relatively dry but the gravy helps. 

Tomorrow we will head to one of the two lighthouse sites, yet to be determined.

Trip Stats:  

This is campground number 32 of 35!

# States Traveled Through So Far This Trip: 19 (IA, MO, IL, KY, TN, GA, FL, GA, SC, NC, VA, MD, DC, DE, PA, WV, OH, IN, MI)

Baseball Parks Visited So Far This Trip:  7 (Atlanta Braves, Tampa Bay Rays, Miami Marlins, Washington Nationals, Baltimore Orioles, Columbus Clippers, Indianapolis Indians)

Lighthouses visited:  43

Lighthouses climbed:  10

Point to point travel miles:  5101 miles

  - Avg point to point travel miles:  163 miles

Vicinity miles:  6867 miles 

  - Avg vicinity miles:  237 miles

Total miles driven:  11968 miles

Total point to point driving time:  112 hrs 26 minutes

Total diesel fuel purchased: 961.191 gals

Total diesel fuel cost:  $2964.91

Average diesel fuel cost/gal:  $3.084

Max diesel fuel cost:  $3.499 (East Pearl PA)

Min diesel fuel cost:  $2.799 (Townsend TN)

Avg MPG:  12.46 miles/gal

# Nights at end of this stay:  185 (Includes Griffs)

Lodging cost:  $8140.68 (includes Griffs)

 - Avg lodging cost/night:  $44.00/night