Last night in the UP

June 19 – Last night we agreed to cut one lighthouse stop from the list today as it would put us in camp later than we’d like and it makes for such a long day.  It was clear and beautiful out and we could go back to shorter pants today!

Peninsular Point

View of our walk

We zig-zagged our way down to Peninsular Point Light.  We called to ask if there was parking there for RV’s and they guy didn’t quite understand.  He said there were 2 spaces.  So off we go on nice road though a couple of little villages and just as the road went from paved to gravel we saw a horseshoe drive on the left that said RV’s and it was paved.  Well, it really wasn’t spaces just a lot so we parked and walked the 7 tenths of a mile to the

The bird

point.  Along the way we saw 2 separate camping spots that we figured were what the guy was talking about. No way would we take the RV in there!  The road was narrow and tree lined and domed but the lighthouse was awesome!  It was square!  I went to the top for a spectacular view!  The lighthouse was completed in 1865.  The last keeper was there for 33 years when it was closed in 1925.  He remained responsible for the site until 1931.  On the way back we saw a guy going fishing (from one of the RV sites) and I snapped a photo of I think, a crane, in mid-flight!  We decided to go ahead and have lunch and we had our leftover sandwiches from yesterday.  I thought I’d never finish mine!  Kam called and we caught up while I ate and I still had sandwich to finish!

Glad we got our exercise for the day!  It wasn’t a bad walk, just unexpected!

Sand Point at an angle

Bill discovered a Wal-mart on the road we were taking to our next stop, so we parked there and left the RV.  Then we drove through the City of Escanaba to the marina area.  There we took a tour of the Sand Point Lighthouse with keeper quarters.  We learned some interesting things there, like using a bone dish!  Fish was cooked whole and you had a special fish-shaped dish for each person to put their fish bones on.  The lighthouse was built in 1867 and had a 4 room downstairs in the keeper house and 3 rooms upstairs.  The grounds also has a Coast Guard Memorial in the Boathouse, and a Museum.  It’s adjacent to beautiful park and the marina.

Off the shore is the Escanaba Harbor Light built in 1925.  It’s a

Escanaba Harbor Light

pretty light!  The lights were needed due the shipping of iron ore from Escanaba. We had a nice young man giving the tour and information and he seemed to have a real interest in lighthouses.  I had taken a photo of a light I could see

Minneapolis Shoal Light

from Peninsular Point and he was able to identify it for me, Minneapolis Shoal Light.

Back at Wal-mart we went in for a few things.  Bill put a new hose and a battery charger in his cart and left it outside the door of the McDonald’s in Wal-mart and when he came out the cart was gone!  He went back with another cart to get the items again and there was not another charger.  He asked at customer service if the cart was brought there, but no.  So we went to the Self-Check and the clerk there and Bill realized at the same time that his stuff was in a cart at the guy’s station.  He said he doesn’t leave any carts sitting around and Bill said he looked all over for it.  He grabbed the charger and we checked out, put our stuff away and I followed Bill the 15 miles to our campground for tonight, Delta County Fuller Campground.

It’s a county park RIGHT on Lake Michigan!  WE ARE PARKED ON THE SHORE OF LAKE

On the shore of Lake Michigan

MICHIGAN ON THE BEACH!  Awesome!  It’s water and electric, but no big deal.  The people are super nice.  They must not see many big motorthomes here as we’ve had lots

Romantic fire on the beach

of people comment on our RV.  Two guys came over and we all chatted and one left and came back with a load of fire wood for us.  Bill told him we were only here for the night and he said no problem.  He’d come back for what was left tomorrow!  How nice is that?  So once they left we felt obligated to have a fire.  Bill had taken his shower so after we got the fire going and sat gazing at the skies over the lake and checking out the half moon, I came in to get my shower so I could then do a load of RV washing rags.

It’s an hour earlier here so today is a longer day????