Ok experts. Can you see this light using a regular car or do you really need a 4 wheel drive?

Regular car works fine, Fran, UNLESS it's just after a rain storm or in snow.

Boy are you Fast. I am trying to work out a plan with Grace for the Wild 2006 Boat Ride. Doing extra lights Fri-Sun

Yes, John, any chance you are putting a bus tour together? Dave? We'd love to have company. Anyone interested? We hope to arrive Thursday evening and start out early Friday a.m.

About half way down the thread you will see images of the road back to Crisp Point...

Road to Crisp Point

Thanks for pointing us to this thread, Paul. I had wondered about the falls and roads 123 and 500. This is exactly the information I was looking for. If you have some time, would you email us with more pointers on the most efficient way to do this trip - Marquette heading east and doubling back to end up in Houghton? Your pictures are really beautiful!!
(How long do you think it took you to walk to Au Sable?)

Au Sable is probably a 25 minute walk. It's a mile and a half one-way. It really depends on how much you stop and take pictures on the way, as there are a lot of shipwrecks along the shoreline.

Sounds better and better; thanks, Jen!

Fran and Grace...it is definately worth the trip to Crisp Point.

These pictures were taken after the 2005 HL Reunion.

Lorie, that first shot is selling material...I LOVE IT!!

What an incredible shot, Lorie!! It is breathtaking! I noticed that the door is open. Is it possible to go in? What shape are the stairs in? Fran and I probably won't be able to arrive in Marquette until late Friday night. We can head to Paradise or Newberry right away and start looking at lights Saturday morning starting with Whitefish Point. We need to end up in Houghton Sunday evening so we can start the WILD Cruise Monday a.m. We have a tentative plan but would really appreciate whatever suggestions you all have. Please email me - gmoorehewett@yahoo.com. Once we get it all together, we will post our itinerary. Maybe others would care to join us. Thanks!!

Crisp Point has a great web site with really nice driving directions.

http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Trails/7568/?20053

Mike

Grace when we arrived at Crisp Point in the afternoon, the door was open to the lighthouse but we couldn't find anyone there. All 6 of us climbed the tower. It felt safe to go up there. The view looking out over Lake Superior is spectacular from the top of the tower.

We all thought we were going to get rained on when we arrived at Crisp Point. The dark clouds were heavy in the sky when all of the sudden the sun popped out and lit the lighthouse up perfectly for that first picture. Both pictures were taken within 15 minutes of each other.

BTW...thanks for the nice compliment Jen & Grace.

The path to Crisp Point is pretty much that - an 18 mile path from the paved highway to the light. It is worth the visit (if the major black flies aren't around), but be prepared for the drive. Much of the path is washboard at best and it will be a rough ride. We would refer to them as "non maintained county roads" and they live up to that.

The hard to believe part is that this is an improvement over what used to be . . .

Great shots, Lorie.

You have got to love the deer flies of the UP. Smack'em hard enough to leave a bruise on your body, and they fly away....

We have the same flies at the East Point Light. I was afraid one time one of them would get a good grip and land me on to of the Lantern Room. :rolleyes:

Lori, great pictures...

Lori,
Both pics are great, and the first one is really awesome!

Mike, thanks, that's a great website; I have printed the driving directions. Since we will be going up to Whitefish, too, this is perfect. Lorie and Dave, thanks for the additional information. This is all very helpful. I will be arriving in Marquette Thursday night and Fran will arrive Friday noonish. We hope to head on out at that time, driving east to the Au Sable area. We hope to overnight in Paradise. It would seem to me that we can make the stop at the Munising area as well, right? Anything else we should absolutely see on the way to Paradise? We already have plans for Sat. and Sun. but will add them here and ask for your input as we go. Anyone else interested in doing this?

Do not plan on traveling fast in the UP. The main roads aren't bad, but there are few straight lines from light to light. As we have pointed out, Crisp Point is 18 miles down a very crummy road - it will probably take you at least 30 minutes each way, presuming you are comfortable driving at 35 mph... Au Sable is a mile and a half walk in the sand, each way. The road (term used loosely) to get to it is another challenging one.

If you plan to stay at a motel in Paradise on a summer weekend, plan on getting a reservation earlier rather than later.

Thanks, Dave. I've been using my Michigan maps and checking out the roads. I am a little skeptical that we can do everything we would like to do and will definitely keep your advice in mind. My biggest concerns have been Au Sable and Crisp Point. We thought that, on Saturday, we would see Whitefish, Crisp, and Iroquois, then cut down to Seul Choix and Manistique, then head back to Marquette - doable for Saturday?

If you are going to Crisp Point, you may also want to print out all the photos of the turns that you need to make. It really helps when you are out in the middle of no where to see what the turn actually looks like. Its a long way on a dirt road and there is no cellphone coverage in most of the area. When Pam and I went last time we ran into a couple in a truck with two flat tires. Someone took them to a phone and they had already been waiting 3 hours for a tow truck. It can be quite the adventure.

Also, the dirt road between Munising and AuSable is not a very good road either. It is very slow going with not much scenic to look at. You should not drive on dirt roads in the U.P. unless you know what you are in for and have an appropriate vehicle. There are different grades of unpaved roads in the U.P.

I recommend stopping to see Upper Tahquamenon Falls. It is well worth seeing and photographing. The lower falls can be bypassed.

You read my mind, Suzanne. I really wanted to know about the Falls. I don't want to keep Fran from seeing something she wants to see because I've gone off on a tangent. Paul's pictures are so beautiful, so, if they are not far out of the way, I definitely want to stop. The suggestion about the photos is super. I will go back to the website and print them.

The wagon road to Crisp Point was marked pretty well last summer. What wasn't marked well was the way out. Suzanne's suggestion to print out directions with turns is a good one.

There are a number of waterfalls in the UP, and many are not that far off the path. As I recall, there is one not too far from the visitor center at the east end of the park, in Grand Marais (there is also a lighthouse and a nice little museum in an old CG station next to the light).

If you do not have the Penrose Michigan lighthouse book, get it. They also have one of Michigan waterfalls I believe.

I printed out the directions for crisp light with all the turns. I have an 80 page folder with maps and directons. We are going for the big adventure to see it all. If we can't we will do our best. I am bringing a baseball bat for the flies. I want lighthouse pictures, pins and awsome views the whole shebang .

Dave, I bought the Penrose book when you recommended it for the bus tour; it has been a terrific guide. By the time we are through, hopefully, I will have seen most of the lights in the book.

Maybe you can borrow Michael Jackson's veil?

Funny I can't afford anyting he has.

You guys were asking about Au Sable - take a look at my trip out there in October of 2004.

Au Sable Lighthouse

Grace, if you hope to overnight in Paradise on a weekend in the summer, PLEASE make advanced reservations! There are only a couple hotels there and they fill up QUICKLY due to the close proximity to Tahquamenon. Also, I disagree with Suzanne - the Lower Falls are very, very pretty, just not as large as Upper. If time permits, you can go into the State Park and for a couple of dollars, rent a rowboat and cross to the little island that takes you right up next to the Lower Falls.

Yes, the lower falls are pretty, but if you are short of time like so many are when trying to view lighthouses in a short period of time, they can be skipped in favor of the upper falls. It takes lots of time to row over, etc. (Plus, if you aren't good at rowing a boat, it can take even more time, especially if one falls in the water while trying to dock the boat.)

There are lots of waterfalls in the UP and if you only have time for one, I'd pick the Upper Falls.