For the first thirty minutes, Au Sable Point was heavenly. I walked about the tall lighthouse and attached building to determine the best angle to get both the lighthouse and sunrise. Once established, I set up my tripod and attached the flash in an attempt to control lighting from the front to get a bit more detail on the buildings. Then, I was discovered by the gnats - it became a bit less heavenly. In order to keep the gnats from taking over the pictures, it was necessary to use the self-time and perform a shoo dance to lure them away 'just in time'. Afterwards, I was pleased to learn that I had won the battle having more shots without gnats than with. As the sun rose, I took my photographs from various angles and enjoyed the fresh breeze that kept the gnats at bay. It didn't matter that the museum was not open and having the place to myself was a plus.
I made my way back down the trail and stopped from time to time to listen to the forest or a gently flowing stream. On return to the parking lot, I even spent time filming the Hurricane River and will eventually include a clip in this post. The drive back to town was scenic and wonderful and the two-hour nap even better. The loud alarm woke me just before check-out time. Escanaba, my Dad's boyhood home for many summers, was awaiting.
Escanaba's Sand Point was easily found as I explored Gladstone and Escanaba's side streets paralleling Lake Michigan. Another sunny day, people were out in force enjoying the holiday weekend. At one point, I stopped to photograph a group of boys at the skate board park. They happily agreed to me capturing images of their tricks. The Sand Point Lighthouse admission price (only $3) included access to the extensive grounds and extremely informative museum. After a couple hours, I made my way on the final leg home, hoping that the Menominee Lighthouse would provide an opportunity to capture some form of inconic image. As the rain arrived with thunder and lightning, that opportunity seemed less probable.
Driving into Menominee, I remembered I had been here several years before. The city park, with it's many geese and ducks, was a pleasant place to rest for a time. As I drove up Harbor Drive to access the walkway leading out to the Lighthouse at the end of the breakwater, I came across two trees that had been hit by lightning. As it was pouring rain, I did not exit my car to get the pictures. Instead, I positioned my car appropriately to get various angles. While this lighthouse didn't make it to the featured section, it is worth including in this post's gallery.
All in all, I ended up taking about 1500 pictures and many videos during the four day excursion. In time, I will include further lighthouses in the feature section as the 'Lighthouse Project' continues.
In late July and into early August, I will feature a road trip to the five finger lakes area of New York via Chicago, South Bend, Toledo, Erie, and Syracuse. Be sure to check for updates at Spring Waters (the online sanctuary).