The Jones Family Junction

Lighthouse Weekend, Ludington Harbor

David and I left the State Park and headed down to Ludington Harbor. On our way, we noticed this freighter way out on the lake, heading into Ludington! Yay!

We decided that we wanted to see the freighter more than the little Ludington harbor light, so we parked and watched this beautiful ship come into the channel.

The Saginaw was launched May 9, 1953! Hey--that's the year of my birth! It is 639 feet!

We had so much fun watching it maneuver into the channel.

We grew up watching the ships come in and out of the Detroit River, through Lake St. Clair, up the St. Clair River to Port Huron and through to Lake Huron. David and I LOVE the big ships! What a treat this was for us!

Ludington Harbor Light (below) is a very unique little light, isn't it? I wanted to get closer to it, but David and I were running out of time ... another day I will definitely come and get some better pictures I hope!

Lighthouse Weekend, Big Point Sable

Big Point Sable is actually my favorite lighthouse in West Michigan. When I say "favorite", I mean I think it is the prettiest and the setting is the most beautiful. In truth, Grand Haven is my favorite LOCATION and I love the pier so much. But there is just something SO GORGEOUS about Big Point Sable.

There is NO public road to the lighthouse. No cars are actually allowed on this dune path, unless you are a volunteer who works out at the gift shop and leads tours, etc. To get out here to the big point, a person must hike either the dune path, or take the beach. I have done both actually--but with the beach SO eroded, it is quite difficult to take that way unless you don't mind getting waist-deep in water!

David and I hiked the dune path, all 1.8 miles of it. I unwisely wore flip-flops (good grief!! What was I thinking?) and so my feet were a tiny bit blistered by the time we arrived out at the lighthouse.

My brother had never been to this lighthouse. I was so glad to hike out here with him and enjoy this beautiful place together.

We were told at the front desk of the gift shop that it was completely FREE to walk to the top of the light but that it would cost us $5 to come down!

It is actually easier to climb UP than it is to descend (in my experience, at least).

105 stairs gets you all the way to the very tippy top ... and look at the view!

The little fog station is such a nice addition to this site. Five years ago, the last time I was here, they had only begun constructing it.

This is a bird's eye view of the light keeper's dwelling ...

And beautiful Lake Michigan stretching out for miles and miles ...

Looking south from the top ...

Looking north ...

I love this picture of David. It says so much about him. He has a happy heart and always has had a happy heart. He is FUN to be with, always. He knows how to have a great time and he is good at loving people. He has a wonderful smile, doesn't he? I love him so much.

Look at this picture of the shipwrecks on Lake Michigan !!!

When we were finished with our climb, we walked the beach for a little while.

We saw a LOT of monarchs flitting around ...

I love this view of the lighthouse with the beach grass, dunes, the lake behind ... oh, and there is David too!

What a perfectly beautiful day to visit this great lighthouse!

Lighthouse Weekend, Little Point Sable

August 26: My dear brother flew up from Tampa Bay to spend the weekend with me--NOT because it was Lighthouse Weekend (although the timing was perfect, wasn't it?) but to comfort me in a time of emotional duress. We decided that Saturday we would take advantage of the fact that it was officially Lighthouse Weekend up in the Ludington area and visit THREE lighthouses!

This is not the greatest picture of David and I, but
we don't often get into pictures together, so I'll take this one as it is!

We drove to Light Point Sable first thing in the morning, arriving there before the lighthouse was officially open to climb. But we were okay with that because we knew we would climb another very tall lighthouse later in the morning. We decided to walk around and explore the dunes and beach at this location for a little while.

The erosion of this beach is phenomenal. A few years ago, I could walk for a very long distance, both north and south--but not last year or this year. Lake Michigan is very high. The cottages on this stretch of Lake Michigan have lost their lakefront completely and have just dunes with a drop-off into the lake!

It's a beautiful spot, though--a very emotional and wonderful and magical place for some of my favorite cousins, who grew up vacationing here every summer--so their memories are precious and many all along this beach.