May 25th, 2018
We had fun and games this morning as we left Indiana Dunes State Park, NOT!!!
We got everything packed up and ready to go. We needed to stop at the dump station to empty our tanks, as we hadn't had a sewer connection at the site. As we were driving there, we realized we hadn't taken the tag from the car to put into the box at the exit so that they would know we had left.
No problem, I would get it while Bryan was dumping the tanks. That's when we discovered we didn't have the spare set of keys that we use to get into the car after we have hitched it up to the motorhome. We have to leave a key in the ignition and we like to lock the car doors, hence the spare set of keys.
I knew that I had both sets of keys when I moved the car behind the motorhome to hitch her up but we couldn't see if they were still in the car or not. Bryan couldn't remember seeing them when he checked the car before locking the doors. Normally I would give the spare set to him, or leave them on the driver seat for him. I retraced our steps looking carefully for the keys in case they had been dropped. I couldn't see them. I asked at the gate in case they had been handed in, but they hadn't. There was only one thing to do and that was go to our next campground and call our breakdown service to come out and unlock the car and hope that the keys were in there!!!!
Fortunately we only had a short drive of 56 miles today, we crossed the state line. Hello Michigan.
An hour later we were at
Eden Springs Park & Campground, Benton Harbor, Michigan. It was also fortunate that we had a pull through site here, which meant we could pull into our spot with the car still attached. We did that and then called the breakdown service who sent someone out. They arrived about 90 minutes later and we got the door opened very quickly. The spare keys were in there, in the drink holder where I had left them. PHEW!!!!!!
Today was obviously going to be one of those days though, as we struggled to get a satellite signal and then found out that our sewer hookup was underneath the motorhome, so we had to move the motorhome over. We had hooked up to the one by the water & electric hookups, but Bryan realized that there was only one there for two sites and had to ask where we should connect to. What a shambles. Eventually, we got settled in.
May 26th, 2018
Today was a lighthouse day. Here is a
LINK to a map showing the lighthouses in Michigan and if you click on them it will tell you the history of that lighthouse. We hope to go to a lot of these as we travel around the coast in July and August.
The first ones were
St. Joseph North Pier Lights. These were only 5 miles from the campground. We parked the car, which cost $10 a day. There was no option for hourly rates, so we had no choice. We walked up to an observation deck by the car park and got our first view of the lighthouses.
Then we walked down to the pier so we could walk out to the lights.
The pier was quite long. It had the trestle overhead walkway like the previous one we had seen a few days ago.
There were more fishermen out today, probably because it was a Saturday and Memorial Day weekend.
It was a lovely day and I made sure that I had my wide brimmed sunhat on and my sunscreen. After I had the cancerous spot cut out from my upper lip last August, they made sure to tell me to wear the hat and sunscreen. I do try and remember, although I slipped up one day when it was cloudy and forgot, and did get a little too much sun. So, now I try and put it on whenever we go out. When I was younger I did get burnt a few times, and so I started using a sun bed to try and get a tan before I went on holidays abroad. It did help prevent me burning back then, but I believe that could be how the cancer started. So, everyone - Don't forget your sunscreen and hat and no sunbeds!!!!
When we went around the first lighthouse I was surprised to see the second one as I didn't realize it was there. Even though, when I look at these pictures, you can see it in the first one we took at the observation point. I guess it didn't register with me then. It was a nice surprise. There were a lot more fishermen back here.
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| Looking back toward land |
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| Marker on the other jetty showing the channel between the lighthouses and there |
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| Liked the name "Tootsea Roll" after the Tootsie Roll candy. |
The channel was quite busy and we saw a lot of different boats going in and out.
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| This is "'And You, Seas' Sculpture by Richard Hunt. Art brought to the beach through a partnership with Krasl Art Center in St. Joseph." |
The walkway down to the coastguard station and bridge.
Loved the houses along here.
The one below would be great, single story, great views. No room for the motorhome though, so will have to pass. Ha!!Ha!!
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Coastguard station on left, rotating train bridge straight ahead
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As we approached the Coast Guard Station, two dogs came barking up to the fence, announcing our arrival. They were followed by two young Coast Guards. We chatted to them for a few minutes, well I chatted. They lived in town but had weekend duty so had to stay here. Not a bad place to have to be, if you have to work the weekend.
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| Coast Guard Station |
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| Rotating Train Bridge |
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| The bridge rotates and meets up with the other section when needed |
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| Statue through a tree |
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| Pathway between two of the houses, showing the river and the park opposite |
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| Lilac |
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| Iris |
Looking back toward the lighthouses from the pathway outside the houses.
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| Love this picture |
What a lovely place and beautiful weather.
We had one more lighthouse to see further north on the coast. We arrived in South Haven and it was very crowded, the streets were narrow and cars parked everywhere. There was paid parking and probably on a weekday it would have been ok. There wasn't anywhere to park, and we really didn't want to have to pay another exorbitant parking fee anyway. We just drove along the front and I took pictures with the car window down!!!
The three pictures below are the closest we got to
South Haven South Pier Lighthouse
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| Look at all the people on the pier!!! Definitely NOT our type of thing. We're getting old!! |
and that's why we usually don't go out on weekends!!! Crowds, crowds, crowds!!! Now we're retired we don't usually need to!!!
We drove home happy though, as the first half of the day was wonderful and more than made up for the disappointment of the second half.
Till the next time, take care.
