Hi Everyone!

Although I'm originally from Wisconsin, I now live in a suburb of the Twin Cities - Lake Elmo. If anyone from River Falls reads this, I used to be Tammy Husby.

I've been collecting lighthouses from Harbour Lights for about 4 years. I just counted the lights in my collection, and I have 49. I probably bought a few of them from some of you. For the past year, I've only been reading the MarketPlace. After returning from a Caribbean Cruise and an extended stay in Puerto Rico last week, I thought I'd see if I could find any information on the lighthouses that I saw in the Caribbean. That's when I started looking around at the other forums. (I just read the post about the 900th member to register. I must have been close.)

I'm also considering visiting some of the lights in the UP of Michigan in the fall. Does anyone know when it would be a good time to go to see the fall colors?

My passion for lighthouses started on my first trip to the San Juan islands about 6 years ago. I now vacation there annually. I've spent many hours by Lime Kiln Lighthouse, waiting for the whales to go by. (If you're interested in whale-watching, this is a great place to see orcas in June and July.) Since then, I plan all my vacations around being able to add a light to my list. My husband isn't passionate about lighthouses like I am. However, he enjoys being outdoors and goes along with whatever I plan.

Besides lighthouses and whales, I'm also interested in bird-watching, gardening, orchids, and snorkeling and Scuba diving.

Tammy

Hi Tammy! Welcome to our group! I live near Madison, Wisconsin. I have visited lighthouses all around Lake Superior and Lake Michigan. I have visted UP lighthouses several times over the last 10 years. If you write to Michigan, you can get their travel brochures that show the best times to see Fall leaf color. They also have special Michigan lighthouse literature. If you go to this web site you can request travel brochures: http://travel.michigan.org/form_publications.asp

UP travel: http://www.uptravel.com/uptravel/

Western Mich UP: http://www.westernup.com/


Suzanne Murphy



[This message has been edited by Suzanne Murphy (edited 03-23-2002).]

Hi Tammy - welcome. As you've just found out above, just ask a question and usually within an hour you'll find answers begin to pour in from nice people like Suzanne.

You were the 901st person, missed #900 by 1. But there aren't any prizes so you didn't miss out on anything.

Now that you've registered, please enjoy the rest of the forums, too.

Hello Tammy,
I live not to far away from you. I live in Chanhassen MN. just outside of Minneapolis. I was just by Lake Elmo on Friday. I went to Stillwater to a Habour Lights dealer Fish & Ships. If you haven't been to this store you really should. Denny and Julie are two of the nicest people. You will love the HL Forums!

TD

Welcome aboard, Tammy!

It already looks like you're off to a great start here at the Collector Forums.

I hope you'll stop by and visit often.

Bob

Welcome, Tammy!

On this list it's ask and ye shall recieve. If you have a question post it and someone will have an answer, most of the time.

Dennis

Hi Tammy and welcome to the best place to get light house information andthe company of great people light housing is a great hobbyand we also have some very good info on photography if you need some.Bill O'Brien

Welcome to the Forums from the great state of Florida. It's great to have you as a member.

Rich

Welcome Tammy! It's great to have you with us.




[This message has been edited by MtnHkr (edited 04-12-2002).]

Hi Tammy. It's good to have you with us. We look forward to hearing more from you and your lighthousing ventures.

Tim - Keeping the flame lit...

Welcome Tammy,

PR is a great place to visit, I lived there for a little over 5 yrs and made some great friends while I was there. Now I hang my boots in BIG ol' Texas. Be sure to check out the other forums, the directors really earn their pay and there is a wealth of information available from everyone here.

Chuck



------------------
bigdragon

I wish to welcome you to these forums Tammy. You already know that this place has many special people who are part of the large family of Harbour Lights collectors. I look forward to reading your future postings.

Ron
(CT Keeper)

Welcome Tammy!

--------Becki

Hi Tammy and welcome to the forums!

Thanks for telling us a little about yourself. I am from Michigan, but don't have much information on lighthousing the U.P. I am making my first lighthousing trip to the U.P. in June and am really looking forward to it.

Again, Welcome to the forums!

-Todd

Tammy,

Welcome to the best forums on the internet. As you probably already know, the people here are the greatest. There is no other place where you can find out so much about lighthouses and Harbour Lights. Glad you have joined in. It is always great to have a new voice here so don't hesitate to impart you wisdom, opinions, ideas, suggestions, questions and thought here at any time.

Sounds like you have some fantastic vacations. I have always wanted to get out to Lime Kiln and see the Orcas. On my next trip to the northwest I have to do it.

Again welcome and please don't be shy post often and help continue the best site on the internet.

Dale

Dale

Thanks to all of you for a great welcome!

Suzanne, I'm checking out the UP links you provided me now. Thanks much!

TD from the Chanhassen area - If you happen to read this post, would you let me know where Fish and Ships is located. Someone recently gave me a gift certificate from that store. There's no address. I recently moved into a new house and just took a vacation. So, I haven't put any effort into looking yet. Just thought I'd see if you have an address since you mentioned it.

Tammy

Welcome, Tammy.

If you have not yet been to the HL page, you should visit HarbourLights.com , a wonderful page full of information about Harbour Lights. From the main page (in the upper right hand corner) is a box marked "Find a Dealer" where you can pick a state and see a list of all dealers. From the Minnesota list I found this about Fish & Ships .

Explore the HL page - you will find all sorts of info about HL, the many lights produced, and all sorts of other stuff.

Dave

Welcome Tammy!

My favorite lighthouse comes from the great state of Minnesota! (Split Rock) From what I have seen, it is a beautiful state, but I don't know if I could stand the winters! Don't be shy and jump on in, it's a friendly bunch in here!

Tammy,
The address in the Harbour Lights Web Page is not the store location. The store is located in downtown Stillwater, across the street from the Starbuck's 317 South Main. The number that you can call is 651-462-2997 and ask for Denny or Julie. If you have any more questions I would be happy to help you out.

TD

[This message has been edited by TD (edited 03-25-2002).]

[This message has been edited by TD (edited 03-25-2002).]
[This message has been edited by TD (edited 03-25-2002).]

TD,

Unless they just changed the info in the dealer locator, that is the address and phone number HL lists for Fish & Ships.

Dave

Dave,
The address is where HL's ships to, not the store location. I called Fish & Ships to verify and Denny told me he needs to call HL to correct. The address I gave Tammy is the store location in Stillwater.
TD

Tammy-

Glad to have you join the Group!!!

Happy Lighthousing


Harry

TD, Thanks for the directions to Fish & Ships! I stopped by the store tonight. Unfortunately it was 7:30 pm, and the store was closed. We couldn't find the hours posted anywhere on the store. But I'm eager to go back...hopefully tomorrow. Looks like the biggest selections of HL lights I've seen so far in Minnesota.

Dave, Thanks for the reminder about the dealers on the main page. I looked at the list when I first discovered this site last year, and I checked out a few of the dealers. I hadn't looked at it since then.

Hi Tammy,
Thanks for you kind words on my welcome forum post.

In answer to your question about fall colors in the UP - generally the last two weeks of Sept and the 1st week of Oct are prime. But, it all depends on the weather. At any rate, it's a beautiful area and the lighthouse(ing) is great.

If I might offer a few suggestions from my experiences:

There are two lighthouses in the Western UP that are Bed & Breakfasts. Sand Hills near Ahmeek, and Big Bay Point. You can visit the grounds of Sand Hills without being a quest, but Big Bay is totally private, and does not offer tours any longer. I would recommend Big Bay - Jeff and Linda are gracious hosts, the grounds are fantastic, and the tower is open 24/7 to guests. Their web site is: www.lighthousebandb.com.

To reach Big Bay, you must go through Marquette, it has a great maritime museum across the street from the lighthouse with 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Order Fresnels on display.

In the Keweenaw, Eagle Harbor light is open and has a muesem, Copper Harbor light is open and wonderfully restored - you must take a boat trip across the harbor to reach it. Also the Mendota light is privately owned, but you can get a nice view of it, and the owner can be contacted at: www.mendotalighthouse.com

If you travel futher east: near Munising, Au Sable Point is open to the public, and Grand Island East can be seen from the Pictured Rocks Boat tour.

If your time allows you to go the the eastern UP - Whitefish Point is a must see. Beautifully restored, with period furniture and lighthouse service artifacts, a great museum with another large fresnel, and a new nautical gift ship (complete with Harbour Lights section). Point Iroquis (the newest Michigan H/L) is also open as a museum.

Dropping south to the Lake Michigan shore, Seul Choix Point, has yet another museum. And of course Old Mackinac Point is a classic right under the Mackinaw Bridge where Lakes Michigan and Huron meet.

One final note, I have found Wes Oleszewski's book, Great Lakes Lighthouses to be a great tour tool. I has a small description and photo of each lighthouse with directions on how to get there.

Enjoy your first trip to Michigan, and feel free to contact me if you want anymore info.

Regards,
Roger

Roger,

Thanks for your suggestions and information! We're planning to leave for the UP on Sept 26. I can't get away any sooner because of a commitment at work.

Because of your email, I started to plan the trip now, and I'm glad I did. Big Bay is almost booked late in September. But it looks like we may be able to stay there for 1 night. I've also contacted the owner of Mendota Light. I don't know if we'll get there or not. But he already responded and seems like a nice guy.

Besides Big Bay, we're planning to see Au Sable Point, Whitefish Point, Seul Choix Point and Old Mackinac Point. We'll see if we have time for more.

I really appreciate your help. I'm going to check into getting the book you suggested, too.

Thanks again!!

Tammy

Tammy,

Probably the best books you can use in lighthousing the Great Lakes are the series by Penrose. There are 3 books: Eastern GL (Lakes Erie and Ontario, except Michigan lights), Western GL (Lakes Michigan, Superior and Huron except Michigan lights) and Michigan.

Each is about $15 and is well worth the price. Penrose starts at one corner of the territory and sequentially works around the area, giving a brief history, general information, a picture, directions, and a map for each light you can view. The books are done in B&W to keep the cost down.

Look in the travel section of most bookstores for books about lighthouses. If they do not carry the Penrose books they can probably order them, or you could use one of the on-line book-stores.

Dave

Tammy,

Late September should be a great time for fall colors and crisp fall weather. So glad you were able to book a room at Big Bay. They do fill up very quickly, but it will be worth the effort. We had an absolutly wonderful time there.

Sounds like you have a fantastic trip planned, hope it meets all your expectations. Be sure to fill us in on how it goes.

Roger

Tammy,
I have been to Big Bay twice and it is a great light to stay at. I also have been to Sand Hills and I thought this was a beautiful light in a wonderful setting. The black flies can be brutal the end of June and into July at Big Bay. Glad to see you made it to Stillwater.

Hi TD,

Fish 'n' Ships was great! I think I met Denny and Julie--though I never asked their names. They were very friendly...no pressure...and they seemed to really enjoy talking about lighthouses! I bought two HL lights and plan to do business with them again!!

Thanks for the directions. They mentioned they've corrected the address on the HL website.

Hi Tammy
Welcome from Washington state; last summer we rented a small boat and saw the lighthouses of the San Juans; let me know when you plan to come out this year and perhaps we can get together. Have you been to the Mukilteo Light Station? Would be happy to give you a personal tour if interested.
Darlene

If you're gonna see these lights, there are a few more that are easy drive-bys and worth seeing.

Easy to find between Big Bay and Au Sable as you'll probably go through their towns: Marquette Harbor and Munising Range Lights.

Between Seul Choix and Old Mackinac you'll drive through Manistique and see one of my favorite's - the Manistique East breakwater. If you get to Seul Choix you're not that far from Escanaba and Sand Point.

If you have a chance, stay on the UP side of the Mighty Mac bridge and take the boat trip to Mackinaw Island - you'll see Round Island on the way.

Lottsa great lighthousing in the UP. Fall is the best time to go! A good listing can be found here .

__
/im

PS - welcome to the forums!

[This message has been edited by JTimothyA (edited 04-18-2002).]

Hi Darlene,

I have only seen Mukilteo Light Station from the outside! I love this lighthouse. Unfortunately it has been closed for tours when we've been in the area. Because we take our car on the ferry in Anacortes, we try to avoid traveling on the weekends.

We have made our plans for our annual June vacation to San Juan Island. We'll be arriving in Seattle around 10 am and driving to Anacortes on Wednesday, June 19. Last time I checked the summer ferry schedule wasn't available on-line yet. So, I don't know what time we have to be there. We'll be driving back on Monday, June 24 and heading for the coast to possibly see Cape Disappointment and North Head. We don't haven't made any lodging arrangements yet for the 24th. So, we could be very flexible that day.

If either of those dates work for you, we would love to meet you and tour the lighthouse. If the lighthouse is only open on weekends, I'll definitely keep this in mind for next year and will contact you before we make our travel arrangements.

Thanks so much for the offer!!!

Tammy

Hi Tim,

Thanks for the tips and the website. I just looked at it briefly, and it looks like a great site.

There are so many lighthouses in the UP that it's overwhelming... I hope I can see all the ones that you suggested. But this will be my 3rd vacation in 2002 and I don't yet how long we can be there. We've made reservations at Big Bay on Sept 26. That's the only definite plan so far.

What I am having trouble doing is figuring out how many we'll be able to see in on day and how long it will take to get from one to the next. I tried using Mapquest... Someone else suggested a website that I ordered a map from. I'm hoping that will help. I also ordered a book.

I've been pleased with all the suggestions I've gotten from the other members. The UP must be a popular place for lighthouse lovers.

Thanks again!

Tammy

Tammy,

Get the Penrose Book A Traveler's Guide to 116 Michigan Lighthouses I mentioned earlier!

I think you could do Point Iriqouis, Whitefish, drop down into Mackinaw, Seul Choix and Manistique in one day. You need to realize the path from Munising to Grand Marais (no way can it be called a road) is very slow going, probably about 25-35 mph on a good day. Plus, it is a 1.5 mile walk each way to Au Sable. (Not trying to talk you out of it as I really enjoyed our visit to Au Sable - it just is a little more challenging than some lights.) In Grand Marais there is a little pier light, but more importantly there is a nice museum in the Park Service office building that is worth a visit. If you have never seen one, they have a great example of one of the beach carts used by the Life Saving Service.

Dave

I suggest that if you want to go to Au Sable that you NOT take the dirt road between Munising and Grand Marais. Instead take the main roads (28 and 77) to Grand Marais and than drive west on the dirt road to the campground parking lot where you start the hike to Au Sable. Then drive back to Grand Marais. Otherwise you will waste a great deal of time driving slowly on a dirt road without seeing much but trees for miles.

I suggest you also stop at the Log Slide Overlook. You can see Au Sable from there and the view is very nice. You can also hike to Au Sable from the Log Slide, but the hike is longer from this point than if you start at the campground parking lot.

Oh yes, make sure to take bug spray, the black flies can get very bad.

Suzanne Murphy

[This message has been edited by Suzanne Murphy (edited 04-19-2002).]

Another great source for the UP is
Hunts Guide to Michigans Upper Peninsula by Mary and Don Hunt. It is filled with descriptions, maps, pictures, sites to see, and things to do in the UP. It is a great resource and it does include lighthouses. There are also many wonderful waterfalls in the UP and the National Pictured Rocks Lakeshore is also a great attraction. You can also see Grand Island East Channel Light from shore. Miners Castle is also a very nice stop to make.

Another good source is the annual Lake Superior Travel Guide. It is available on newstands and at many of the state travel centers.

Suzanne Murphy

Hi Tammy,
Welcome to the forums. Hope you enjoy participating. You asked over on the lighthouse forum if I'd ever photographed Split Rock. Unfortunately, I haven't but it is most certainly on my list!

With regard to fall color in Michigan's UP, the best time is usually between the last week of September through the middle of October with the peak generally during that first week of October. At any rate, if I'm going to the UP to photograph, that's always when I try to make the trip.

Hope you get to check out the Point Bonita thread on the photography forum. I'll be adding more photos to it as well as several others soon as I get more of my slides from that trip scanned. There are also some threads on the photography forum for the lights in Wisconsin heading north from Manitowoc. Unfortunately the photos on there are on a website that now blocks links to that site so I'll have to redo the photos when I get a chance. Some photos of the Door County lights are coming soon too.

Gary
aka lighthouse_photo

Welcome, Tammy! lots of great suggestions on UP lighthousing. We did a 7 day trip 2 years ago July, our first trip dedicated to lighthousing. A very favorite of ours was(is) Crisp Point, just around the corner from Whitefish, but a little more challenging to get to, very remote but in the middle of a good renovation project. Worth the effort! very peaceful, we had it all to ourselves. Penrose book gives good directions.

Bud

Welcome from Oregon!