45th Anniversary (Part IV) ...

One of the little known facts I heard while visiting Traverse City was that Michigan has the most number of lighthouses of any state in the Union.  I would have guessed maybe Maine or Florida, but then again I would have been wrong.  So, armed with this knowledge, off we went, driving up the coast, expecting to run into a lighthouse every few miles or so.  That makes two times in one day that I was wrong.  It took a while to drive the winding roads to even get near the coast, let alone get back into the woods or marshes to actually see one.  But it was pretty enjoyable none the less.

Before we got to our first lighthouse, however, we came across an interesting little village called "Fishtown" which looked just like you would expect it to look, commercial fishermen, fish on ice, unique looking fishing boats, some shanty-looking type houses, a real nice restaurant, and lots of tourists.

They even had some artisans who were carving things and selling their wares in small shops.  I'm not sure what their specialty was, but they sure made some interesting weathervanes.

Following this stopover, we were off to the first of the lighthouses we had planned to visit (unfortunately this was also the only one we got to -- ran out of days.). 

We found out from the locals that this is a pretty famous lighthouse as it marked the entrance to the Grand Traverse Bay for ships in the old days.  Once they passed this one, they were pretty much out of the rough waters and into the safety of the Bay.  Located on the grounds were two other interesting things, a "Fog House" (below) and an interesting flower box (right).  It seems a Coast Guardsman or lighthouse attendant must have had a lot of time on his hands.

When we got back to the hotel that night, we sat out by a beachfire, its light flickering, its sparks flying away on their short-lived journeys.  And I thought to myself, I wonder if some small creature or a weary fisherman still out working his sport might mistake our campfire for a lighthouse of sorts.

It is said that light gives freely of itself, filling all available space.  It does not expect anything in return; nor does it ask whether you are friend or foe.  It simply gives of itself and is not thereby diminished.  

Hooah