The Z Family

I'm on vacation....

2010-06-11T08:47:00.001-04:00

...want to guess where?? Here's a hint, it's COLD!! More details and a full report (with photos of course) when we get back!

Until next time!

Say What?!?

2009-09-25T00:01:00.011-04:00

I can hardly sustain my emotions....today I am the featured blog at SITS! Welcome Sitstas and Friends! If you haven't heard of SITS before, or would like more information, definitely check it out here!!

SITS is a group of women bloggers dedicated to supporting one another by leaving comments. Lots and lots of comments. Whether you are new to blogging and looking for blogs to read, or a veteran looking to expand your readership, a mommy blogger or a single gal, SITS is for you!

I am so honored to have everyone stop by, it really means so much to me! I couldn't believe it when I got the e-mail,

...I'm not worthy, I'm not worthy....

There are so many awesome moms and ubber cool blogs out there, I absolutely LOVE getting to meet so many great people!

ok, ok, before I chase everyone off-- I'd like to let you know a bit about me and my family before you hop-scotch around our blog. Ok, there I am, the one in the left corner. I know, not a great shot, but I just don't do pictures.

Meet my family. That's my husband (the one holding our daughter) and my parents on a trip to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan last summer. My parents are a very important part of our family. On a few of our return trips to Matt and my favorite locations, we've asked my parents to "tag-a-long". What good is it to see a beautiful place if you can't share it? And these are great memories for my daughter.

I'm a super uncoordinated, always procrastinating wife to Matt and mother to my 3 (almost 4) year old daughter Taylor. We love to travel, eh well, I love to travel! More specific, I love to visit Lighthouses! I've always wanted to write a book about our lighthouse adventures, so it seemed idealistic to start in a blog...from there this is what transpired. We're not the Swiss Family Robinson, more like the Bundy's or Griswold's, but I'll let you decide on your own!

Matt and I have been traveling for many years together. Since we can't just leave our daughter at home, we wanted take her on our adventures too. Now that she's getting older, we can see Taylor love to travels too. I really think she enjoys getting tugged along, besides we do try to do things she can be interested in too. We've started packing more picnic lunches and visiting state parks and playgrounds along the way. The things you see and learn--simply amazing!

Taylor, my little miracle!

I've got a couple posts that I think you all may enjoy, but this was hard to do! I'm not very good at making decisions or trying to decide what everyone may want to see (it's the people pleaser part of me) I don't want to disappoint anyone! So, to get out of this awkward spot I'm going to point you in a direction and let you go!

You can check out any of these to get you started:
Mackinac Island
Sandy Hook--yes it is!

So sit back, have an umbrella drink and kick off your shoes...put those tootsies in the sand! If nothing else you can do what I do--Just look at the pictures!

Until next time...

Yum, yum, yum!

2009-09-02T09:00:00.003-04:00

So, has the suspense been killing you? Hope not, I would really hate to think I had that much hold on my readers ;o)

When we last met, I was going on and on about our first night in Atlantic City. After we checked in and before we went swimming, we checked out the BEST restaurant around for a quick hamburger and fries. I must say it again, THE BEST!!

Warning....viewing the next few photos may cause your arteries clog and mysterious weight to attach to your behind!

If you haven't cheated and looked at the photos yet, I'm talking about 5 Guys.

We are the type that always like to try new things when we are on vacation. You can find the golden arches or little red-headed girl everywhere, but sometimes you are in the mood to try the local cuisine. We actually stumbled on this place while trying to turn around and get over to a gas station. At this time of night we were just hungry and were not in the mood to get all fancied up for a sit-down.

Inside the 5 Guys restaurant of Atlantic City.

Walking in, the place was very clean and organized. The menu board was simple, but not the decision. There were a lot of combinations and choices, but we just couldn't decide. We had to ask for recommendations. The guys (and gal) behind the counter really gave some super suggestions. Now for the wait.

Here's the crew...these guys ROCKED!

While you wait, there are boxes of shelled peanuts for the customers to snack on to get things started off right. We really only had to wait about 5 minutes or so while our order was made. Brown-bagged and ready to go, our order was up! Imagine our delight when we opened up our foil-wrapped sandwiches...

Please, don't drool on your keyboard!
Here's the burger Matt had--what a monster!

And the fresh-cut fries! She literally gave us a grocery sack full of them!

The fries...wow! These were just like the heart-attack fries you get at the fairs and carnivals. I don't know if she made too many or if she thought we needed them but I noticed the woman working just scooping the fries into a brown sack. It seems when she finished filling the cups that she didn't need the rest she dropped, so just our luck :o)

Taylor was a happy camper!

Two thumbs up! We even chatted up with the crew a bit before we headed back to our rooms. 5 Guys...we will be back!!

If you'd like more information about this and other 5 Guys restaurants, please CLICK HERE.

Have a favorite local restaurant? I'd love to hear from ya! Who knows, we may stop by sometime!

Until next time...

Up, up and AWAY!

2009-08-01T08:00:00.006-04:00

When I last left off, we were heading south on the Garden State Parkway towards Long Beach Island. There is only one way in and out, so to get to our next stop, the Barnegat Lighthouse, we had to drive 20 miles past it and back-track on the island to it.

Crossing the causeway was very beautiful. It felt as if we were entering another world. Island life has a feel all it's own; from the laid-back lifestyle and beautiful scenery, it's no wonder that's where everyone wants to be. We passed some very beautiful yet very expensive beach homes along the way.

After traveling about 20 minutes back on the island, we finally made it. The Barnegat Lighthouse, aka Old Barney, was very beautiful poking out from behind the trees. Before we even left home I was determined THIS was going to be the light I climbed. Now, facing my fear head on, I was not quite so sure.

Barnegat Lighthouse "Old Barney" as others know it as.

Pulling into the State Park, Taylor of course had to use the potty. I have been on potty patrol all day, thank goodness this time she asked for daddy to take her. It gave me a few moments to walk around and snap a few shots while they were busy. When they found me near the museum, Taylor was overcome with excitement. No, not for what you may be thinking, but because while she was in the potty a bird decided to land on top of the skylight and peck at the glass. To a 3 year old, this is a HUGE deal! She said she tried and tried to yell at him but he just wouldn't move. Oh my, you gotta love her!

Back together again, we went into the museum. There was loads of information inside. Life-like models showing the old light, old keeper's quarters, as well as diagrams showing how they are desperately trying to save the light due to shore erosion.

Taylor standing by a photo of the Barnegat Light.

As we were leaving the museum, I was talking with an older gentleman who was working at the counter. I told him I was wanting to climb the tower, but was unsure if I could make it. He told me how many times he himself has been to the top and how beautiful the view is and so forth. OK, if he can do it, I can do it. Plus, he said he would give me a certificate when I came back down.

So there he is...I'm going up HOW FAR??

Admission to the lighthouse was a bargain, only $1! Matt and Taylor chickened out and were going to stay at the bottom and look for me at the top. Shaking, I handed the gentleman my dollar and up I started.

How old are these stairs, and HOW MANY??

Starting the climb wasn't too bad. I started off counting all of the steps; 1..2..3...about every 30-31 steps there was a landing at each window. When I got up to about 50 or so I couldn't do it anymore, I was going to drive myself crazy trying to count all the steps to the top. ALL 217 OF THEM!! Giving you a bit of an insight, I've already chickened out on the climb up to the top of Marblehead Lighthouse numerous times (a mere 65' tall compared to the nearly 172' "Old Barney".)

One of the first views from the top.

I was almost ready to give up. My body was really starting to shake with nerves, and it took all I had not to look down, let alone think about it. What in the HECK was I doing??? The climb to the top took about 15 minutes. Finally, there I was at the top. Boy was that ever windy! As soon as I stepped out onto the ledge, a huge gust of wind came and nearly pushed me over. All of a sudden there was a group of smart-a$$ teens that thought it would be hilarious to start pushing each other and clowning around on the very narrow walk. Great. I just moved my way around them (definitely giving dirty looks) and got to a quiet area of the tower.

What a sight!

OK, now I'm here, but how long was I going to stay. The wind was really strong and I did what I set out to do, I made it to the top! Now the challenge was to get back on the ground in one piece. I snapped a few more photos then decided one trip around the top was the most I was going to push myself to do. Circling back to the door, I was on my way back down. To be very honest, I thought I was the slowest one going down. One step at a time, and don't look down!

DON'T LOOK DOWN!!

When I got down to the first landing, I ran into a mother and her two children. They were in the same boat I was, so we decided safety in numbers! We began as a train of slow moving traffic back down the staircase. Every so often we would have some thrill seekers pass us on the stairs which was nowhere near wide enough to do this.

Another view from the top!

The mother was kind enough to keep track of how much further we had to go (since I was not looking!) Sweet sound to my ears, she said we had two more landings to go. By the time I made it to the bottom my shirt was soaked with sweat and my heart was pounding 100 miles a minute. BUT I DID IT!! Now I was so overcome with excitement I wanted my official "I climbed Old Barney" certificate and I was ready for a drink.

I still can't believe I climbed to the top!

Matt and Taylor were waiting for me on the ground, what a sight for sore eyes! We continued to walk around the park, checking out a very nice concreted boardwalk around the inlet. It was getting time to move on, and since Taylor had been very good all day, Matt had a trick up his sleeve for a treat.

On the way to the light, Matt seen a Dairy Queen a few roads up and thought it would be a good stop. A treat for me for overcoming my fears and Taylor for listening very well and having no accidents so far on the whole trip. Taylor and I both got small size slushies mixed with soft serve ice cream. Matt got a medium size pineapple milkshake. Now typically at our DQ, this would've been $4.55 or so for our whole order. You should have seen the sticker shock on Matt's face when the woman asked for $12! You heard me right, $12! When Matt got back to us in the car he commented we better enjoy these to the last drop, because we weren't buying anymore ice cream on this trip!

Here's a bit of advice; if you stop at this Dairy Queen, just hand over your wallet!

OK, so this ice cream must have been made with a golden spoon, but we weren't going to let this bring us down. One more stop before we left Long Beach Island (LBI), a souvenir shop. Taylor's little cousin, Shelby, was going to be turning 7 next week. We wanted to get her and Nana a little gift from our trip. We were in luck. We found a very nice little local shop that had just the right gifts we were looking for. Matt found a pair of swim trunks 60% off and Taylor picked out shells for Nana, Shelby and herself. I thought the shark's tooth in a jar was pretty cool, but opted for the shells for the girls instead. As we were shopping a small storm was passing through. You should have seen everyone scramble to get indoors! Unless I missed something, I didn't think one little dark cloud warranted a full-fledged panic.

We finished up on the island and continued to head south towards Atlantic City. Taylor really wanted to stay on the beach longer, but we really wanted to find a room earlier than the previous night. Looking through my Roomsaver coupons, I found a motel not too far from Atlantic City for only $33 a night! They sounded pretty respectable, and were in a good location in Absecon. Boy were we in for a surprise!

First glance, things don't look too scary. Wait...is this where we're staying the night?

Pulling off the freeway, I spotted the sign right away. As we got closer, Matt noticed the windows were boarded up as well as the symbol painted on the side of the building. The back building looked as if it was recently on fire! The sight was such a shocker we had to turn around so I could get a couple of shots, unless you were there with us, no one was going to believe this was the place we were going to stay!

We laughed it off and moved on. Lucky for us the whole strip was filled with motels all competing for visitors. There were a couple we considered, but finally locked down a room at the Quality Inn. The kicker...the Waffles! (long story...but rest assure, we know how to make waffles!)

Our "Home" for the night as Taylor would call it.

After unloading, we headed to get dinner from a hamburger joint down the street. (More info on that to come!) After dinner we headed back to the room. The outdoor heated pool closed at 8pm, the time...7:55! I told Matt they wouldn't kick us out if we got there in a hurry, so off we ran!

You can see our room in this photo.

Boy that water was HOT! I would guess the water was nearly 95 degrees, we're talking bath water! You could see as we were getting in, a motel owner/worker was waiting around like he wanted to lock the gate, but once we jumped in, he gave up his mission and walked back inside. The pool itself was pretty neat and toddler friendly. The "shallow" end was a very gradual slope from 1.5' to a max depth of 5' in the "deep" end. The pool was perfect for Taylor. For almost a year now she has been taking swim lessons at the Sandusky County YMCA, but mommy always worries. This was the first time she could touch bottom and walk around. All Matt and I had to do was stay in the center where the floor started to drop off to remind her where she had to start swimming. It gave her a chance to build up some confidence (more for mommy's sake) that she could be in the pool and not be "hovered" over.

The pool or bath, your call.

While we were enjoying the water we couldn't help but notice 3 or 4 mini vans pass with children pointing out the window at us. Well, not us exactly, but they seen us in the pool and were trying to convince their parents they wanted to do the same. Sure enough, within 10 minutes we had 4 families in the water with us. That was until "the big" one came through. A storm rapidly approaching made the sky very dark and distant thunder could be heard. Everyone started to hustle a bit faster when the first flash of lightning lit up the dark clouds. It was time to move. That night I do remember hearing a bit of the storm pass through, but all was well by morning.

I promise to tell you where we ate and what excitement we had, but for now I'm gonna leave you in suspense.

Until next time...

Let's go down to the shore...

2009-07-29T18:00:00.002-04:00

...there's so much to explore, when you find yourself beside the sea!

OK, thanks Moose (gotta love NOGGIN) I'll take it from here!

After a WONDERFUL night sleep at Days Inn, we headed to the Jersey Shore. With the map in tow we found our way with ease. Literally from our motel we were stepping foot on the beach within 5 minutes.

Some very beautiful beach houses line the streets.

We wanted originally to find Bradley Beach, but settled on Avon-on-the-sea because of the "child-friendly" beach with playground that we knew Taylor would want. This was Matt and Taylor's first time to the Atlantic Ocean, so I definitely wanted to get in the water and enjoy it.

The beautiful boardwalk extends for miles along the Jersey Shore.

I didn't get my camera out much, we were too busy playing in the water and building sandcastles, but you can imagine how much fun we were having. I could hardly keep Taylor out of the water. I was getting a bit concerned when the waves started to even unsettle my footing, let alone a 3 year old light weight. The more I waded in the water, the deeper I wanted to get in. According to the reports, the water was a very brisk 69 degrees, but it really didn't feel that cold.

We're heeeerrrree!

After an hour or so, Matt was getting tired of babysitting the stuff, so we switched. I took Taylor to the blanket to build a sandcastle and dry-out for a bit while it was Matt's turn to go swimming. He had a blast! He even found me a sand dollar to bring home. Here I was searching high and low for something, anything and he takes 5 minutes, lol.

The sun, the sand, what a beautiful day!

At the time we couldn't tell, but the sun was really baking us pretty good. The breeze was blowing, the sun peeked in and out of the clouds all day, and we were bobbing in the waves every chance we got. It really was a nice relaxing day. But as you know, all good things must come to an end. We still had more lighthouses to see, and nowhere, once again, to stay the night.

Gathering up our belongings we headed to the boardwalk to the changing rooms. Taylor had sand everywhere! It was even packed in her belly button! After trying to clean as much as I could, we trekked back to the Jeep and headed south.

Taylor "hanging around" the boardwalk.

Just a hop, skip and a jump away from where we were was the Sea Girt Lighthouse in Sea Girt, NJ. This Victorian style lighthouse was tucked away on the corner of two one-way streets. Imagine the frustration trying to follow directions from a GPS that doesn't know the meaning of one-way! Matt and I were nearly ready to chuck the thing out the window when we finally got there.

Sea Girt Lighthouse, finally!

When we finally seen it, Matt told me to jump out and get a couple of pictures while he circled the block again (for the 3rd time) to find a parking spot so we could all get out and maybe stroll in the gift shop. As I finished up a series of photos, I then noticed the sign...Sundays 2-4 pm. Well you guessed it, it's only Thursday afternoon! I could hardly control the hysteria when I pointed out the sign to Matt and he then parked in a parking spot (the same spot he was parked in the 1st and 2nd circle around). This was going to be a GREAT day I could tell!

Maybe we could stay here, lol, I bet this hotel is a bit pricey!

So off we were, continuing south on the Garden State Parkway. We're cruising a respectable 75 MPH or so when all of a sudden...."Mommy, I gotta go potty NOW, I gotta go potty, I gotta go potty..!" So what is a mother to do? I start looking everywhere to find a toilet, and NOW! Matt thankfully pulled off at the next exit. Of all the exits to find, here we are on the worst exit imaginable. Not a restaurant, gas station, business ANYWHERE--it was all residential. I was almost ready to find a nice looking house and see if they could accommodate us when all of a sudden we started seeing medical offices and treatment centers. I told Matt there has to be a hospital nearby, sure enough it was two blocks away! Works for me, hospitals are public places, right?

Well who knew what was coming next would really get my blood boiling. As Matt was pulling up to the main entrance, I hopped out quick to unbuckle Taylor out of her booster seat in the back. A process that takes, what, at the most 7-10 seconds? Anyhow, I notice behind us an older elderly couple pulled in the drive behind us. As I'm pulling Taylor out, the couple start throwing up their hands and cursing at me because I held them up. OK, this is WAR! A word of advice to the world, never, NEVER get between a mother who is taking care of her child, we will fight to the death for our children! So kind, respectful me proceeds to yell back and throw daggers with my looks and gestures telling them in not so many words that they could "SUCK IT" and if 10 seconds is too much to ask for me to safely carry my child across the drive they should have went in the emergency exit or gotten an ambulance. Needless to say they then zoomed off behind me and around Matt once I crossed the crosswalk. So you'd think someone was dying, right? Turns out they were in such a hurry to get to...the last handicap spot that was at the end of the aisle! Now that makes perfect sense...lets put a mother and child in direct danger in a crosswalk, cursing her for taking care of her child, just so we can snag the close parking spot. WHATEVER!

OK, calming back down. I was still charged from my brush-in with the inconsiderate A-holes when I noticed this hospital has a security check-point to go through if you want to pass beyond the main lobby. Of course, the men's restroom is right in the lobby, but the ladies is just past the security. Very thankfully, security must have thought I was convincing enough playing the part of the distraught mother trying to get a toddler to the potty in time (it also helps Taylor is still chanting her battle cry). The nice gentleman gave me a nod when I walked up and we quickly made our way.

When we finished and made it back outside, I asked Matt where the speed-racers parked. He then filled me in on how they got the spot and are still just sitting there. Here they are, not even handicapped, but just using the spot to wait (I'm assuming) for someone to come out of the hospital. LOL.

So now we are heading South again, all emergencies are taken care of, and we should be arriving on Long Beach Island very soon, but that will have to wait!

Until next time...

Sandy Hook, yes it is.

2009-07-26T07:00:00.001-04:00

After leaving the Navesink Lighthouse, we headed across the bridge over to Sandy Hook. The traffic leaving the state park was backed up over a mile, everyone by this time of night was trying to leave. We on the other hand, were trying to get in!

Sandy Hook Lighthouse

We traveled about 3/4 of the way out the peninsula and finally found the light. Wouldn't you know it, the same family we met up in the Highlands were following us to Sandy Hook as well! We couldn't believe the traffic, wonder how long it was going to take us to get out? (keep in mind, we still have no place to stay tonight!)

More of the Sandy Hook light

We stayed a bit and snapped a few photos before we decided to move along and try our luck on one of the beaches. We came across these "battery" is what the sign said. They really peaked our interest. If you'd like to know more information about the Sandy Hook Lighthouse and surrounding area,
please click HERE or click HERE!

battery, I think?

We really struck gold on the tip of Sandy Hook. Wow. It was a long, long trek in some very soft sand. In the words of Taylor, my 3 year old, "Mommy, this is like exercise class!" It was horrid trying to walk through that, but boy was the view worth it! From the beach we got some awesome closer views of the NYC skyline, as well as two more lights, the Romer Shoal Light, and the West Bank Lighthouse.

Romer Shoal Light is only located 2.4 miles due north of the northern tip of Sandy Hook in Lower New York Bay.

West Bank Lighthouse is west of the Romer Shoal Light in the Lower New York Bay.

While enjoying the view, we were surprised by an unexpected visitor that came passing by...

...this HUGE Ocean Liner came cruising by, nearly 100 yards off shore! The wake alone created a tsunami effect that sent us running back from the water's edge.

We gathered some shells, but left this "shell" alone. At this point we didn't know what we had found yet, but we would learn later on the beach in front of us was loads of Horseshoe Crab. As much as Taylor wanted to pick them up, we had no way of transporting that thing.

A female Horseshoe Crab Carcass on the beach.

Time was slipping away, and we had the task of finding a place for our heads for the night, one last shot of the beautiful bay, then off we went.

The calm before the storm.

If you refer back to my post about the Navesink Lighthouse, this lighthouse and surrounding military base is definitely in the same category. It is on my list of places we need to visit again! Maybe if (or when) we visit NYC we can make a stop back here?

So now we're driving into the night. GPS both helps and hurts. No matter if we used it or not, we could not find the motel we were planning on staying at for the night. When the GPS said we arrived, we were in the middle of a mall parking lot. Humm, maybe its under that asphalt?

Plan B, find a different motel. After getting the jerk around by Red Roof Inn* (litterally, the "boy" was a jerk!)we found our haven....Days Inn in Neptune, NJ.

*ok, side note...why publish coupons when you are NOT going to honor them?? I had 3 Red Roof Inn coupons and the "dude" behind the counter didn't know how to use the computer, so he didn't know how to enter the codes in to give us the discount. Come on?? The only code he said he knew was the AAA discount. He was such a tool, I took my coupons and left, thank goodness I did!

Drum roll please....THIS was WAY better than Red Roof Inn!

Days Inn...our #1 pick, look, our room was so cute!

The staff, the price, the location, brand new rooms...all were an A++ here! It was late, almost 9:30 pm, we haven't ate since lunch at noon, and we are DEAD TIRED! The woman behind the counter gave us a super great rate and even pointed us in the direction of our favorite pizza splurge..Papa John's! She even gave me a great map and directions for the following day on short cuts to the best beach!

Papa John's Pizza...the good ole' days.

Hands down, Days Inn in Neptune, NJ. If we're in the area again, we will look you up! I even told the woman we'd see her next year as I took a business card. So the end of the day, all is well that ends well.

Up and at them at 7 am for a super breakfast, and it was free! Off to the beach we go for a relaxing day in the sun, but that's for later!

Until next time...

Jersey, am I seeing double?

2009-07-24T15:00:00.007-04:00

Hi guys! Long time, no see! How's life been treating you? I told you about an upcoming trip a few weeks ago, and now I'm here with some cool photos of our first ever trip to the Jersey shore!

So without further ado...

Our first stop after a LONG 11 hour drive was the Navesink Lighthouse or Twin Lights as it is more commonly known.

Taylor did very well with the long trip.

These lights are definitely on our list of favorite lighthouses that we have visited. The area itself was very breath-taking, and I really wish we would've arrived earlier in the day to be able to properly tour them. I found a really good website with more information, if you'd like to check out the Twin Lights, please click HERE.

The first sight up the VERY steep hill was the north tower. The massive lights look very fortress and somewhat intimidating. Matt said by far these are his favorite. To me they look more for protecting and defense other than guiding, but what do I know? Whatever your feelings, wait til you turn around. Across the harbor from the lights is New York City! NYC is very visible, and depending on the day (it was a bit hazy when we were there) you can see all the way up the Long Island coast!

A look at NYC from the Twin Lights, yup, that's the Empire State Building! You could almost touch it!

We walked around, seen two baby fawns, and helped a family get a group picture of themselves in front of the NYC skyline. I look back now and wish I would've gotten a few more shots. I really think I was too excited to finally be in Jersey that I was rushing myself.

Matt and Taylor standing in front of the Navesink "Twin Lights" Lighthouse.

We also played around a bit, this was the first "extended" time out of the Jeep the whole trip, so we all wanted to stretch our legs.

Taylor sitting on the "Mystery Canon".

The lights were so massive, I could hardly get both towers in one shot! They really do look neat on their own though.

My artsy B & W shot of the South Tower (it's a new feature I found on my camera, lol).

I really loved this lighthouse; the view, the history (what we learned on our own), the lights themselves, I was impressed. If it wasn't so late, we would've stayed longer. Unfortunately though, it was a long travel day and we hadn't yet found a motel to stay for the night. We definitely will stop again, maybe if we ever plan that trip to NYC? Moving on, our next stop was Sandy Hook Lighthouse....but that will have to wait!

Until next time...

We're going on a road trip....

2009-06-29T21:09:00.002-04:00

Yeah, I've been away for a while, summer is really flying by! From work, home, swim lessons it's just been crazy around here!

Good news though, we are about to have a new addition to the family!!

Well before you guys all have a panic attack, we're expecting a pug! Matt's cousin is giving us her two year old pug "Oliver". The only requirement is we drive 10 hours to New Jersey. Not too bad of a trade off if you ask me...so you mean I have to go on an extended weekend vacation to the Jersey coast (where I've never been) and look at lighthouses?? When do we leave??

Actually, that's a good question. Matt and I've been talking about leaving the week of the 13th. Any advice from my fellow bloggers would be greatly appreciated! I definitely will have pics and stories to post when we get back. Our goal is to see as many lights as possible while we are there. I wish I can find a way to use my navigation a better and put these lights in so we could save on my research.

Thanks guys in advance, and look for our "new" family photo soon!

Until next time...

Happy Easter! Oh, am I late?

2009-04-15T12:24:00.006-04:00

Well, call me a slacker, procrastinator or what have you, but things have just been getting away from me lately. I took on some new responsibilities at work the past couple of weeks, as well as being just plain...lazy! Hope everyone's Easter was grand, I know ours was!

This year, because our family just isn't as large as it use to, we decided to combine my family and my husbands. My mother is so great, she hosted the whole thing. Our parents grew up and attended school together, so they are no strangers, but still, having everyone together instead of running here and there was a blessing. Taylor really enjoyed it too, having Nana and Papa with Grandma and Grandpa...lil' bug was ecstatic.

We started out Easter Day traveling to a local church that was hosting an Easter egg hunt for the kids. Matt and I had gone to Easter vigil the night before at our church just so we could go to this other church Easter morning. Don't write this off as just some ordinary egg hunt though. Here they dropped 5,000 eggs from a helicopter hovering overhead! Now this was exciting!! In a marked field next to the church, they roped off areas for different age groups to gather eggs. At 12:30 exactly, a helicopter flew overhead and hovered over the empty field.

3...2...1...DROP! All of a sudden the pilot started dumping bags and bags of plastic eggs from the helicopter! After he circled a couple more times, he jetted off, waiving to all the children as he passed. Once he was clear, the race was on. The demand was far greater than the supply, and many children were left egg-less. Taylor ended up walking away with 10 or so eggs. I was so proud of my lil' tay, there was a little girl who only chased down 2 eggs, and Taylor without skipping a beat took one of her eggs and placed it into her bag. I walked away with a little smile on my heart, Taylor really is growing up to be a caring little lady.

Starving now, we all headed back to my parents home, where we had left dinner cooking in the oven while we went off on our adventure. I had made 3 loaves of homemade bread that was rising, while the ham and twice baked potatoes coasted in the oven. We definitely had our fill, no one was left hungry. We even had two desserts to choose from; fresh strawberry pie, and carrot cake.

After dinner we headed outside to have a little Easter egg hunt on our own. Taylor and I had colored eggs earlier in the week, just to help out the Easter Bunny. Without her even knowing, he picked them up and hid them in the backyard for her. I almost lost it when she seen the first egg up in the lower branches of the tree. "Mommy, he jumps high, the Easter Bunny jumps really high", "oh look, mommy, he jumps on the fence too!" Oh my bug! She was not cautious with them either! Every egg she added to her pail landed with a "crunch". I cringed every time she dive-bombed the eggs. Well, looks like we're making potato salad or deviled eggs!

My mother-in-law even made Easter baskets for us. Yeah, Matt and I got one too. Mine was filled with the ever-so-popular PEEPS(r) and a chocolate bunny. PEEPS(r) are not very far on my list of candies I use to love as a child, but now...(see previous post!)

I hope everyone enjoyed their Easter, and you got to spend it with the family you love, I know we did!

Until next time...

Life is like a.....

2009-03-31T17:17:00.006-04:00

...roll of NECCO wafers!

LOL..gotcha didn't I?
While going through my cupboard the other day (cleaning out all of the old junk) I found a bag of NECCO wafers stuffed in the back. These things are like tootsie rolls; no matter how old they are, they never seem to go bad!

Taylor was very curious.

Tay: "Mommy, what are those?"
Me: "Their NECCO wafers.
Tay: "can I have one?"
Me: "you won't like them, they taste like medicine."
Tay: "yes I will, I like medicine"
Me: "trust me, they're really bad"
Tay: "then why do you like them mommy?"

Humm....ya know what, she got me. Why do I like them, eh, did I like them? I mean look at them, they're hard, pasty, chalky, medicine flavored flat disks? I dunno, maybe the nostalgic in me bought them? I my grandmother had a large roll in her purse, and my sister and I would pick out the good ones when we visited.

What are the original eight flavors in a Necco Wafer Roll? According to their website (Which you can visit HERE!) the original eight flavors: orange, lemon, lime, clove, chocolate, cinnamon, licorice and wintergreen. If you ask me, the flavors are; orange-yup orange, yellow-i guess lemon, green-lime, light purple-yeah that's clove, brown-powdered tootsie roll, pink-pepto bismol, purple-black licorice or a bad rum ball @ Christmas, green-winter mint, white-cinnamon hearts. Whatever you think it tastes like, its always undermined by the 1/4" dusting of chalk all over it. Whatever you do--DO NOT BITE THEM-- biting them not only could chip a tooth, but it makes that powdery disk a gritty mess in your mouth. Almost like you're chomping on a handful of pebbles in your mouth, yuck!

Ha ha ha...yup, Taylor and I opened them up and had a taste-test before I tossed the whole bag in the trash. Maybe it'll wait another 20 years til I buy them again, who knows?

Yup, threw the whole bag out!

So here's the million-dollar question....Is there something from your childhood that you use to love but now find repulsive or is there something you long for but cannot find anymore?

What do you remember as a child?

Leave me a comment, who knows, maybe I'll give a treat for the best answer?

Until next time....

Helllloooo out there!

2009-03-26T09:37:00.001-04:00

You may be wondering (or you may not!) where I've been the past few days...one word, WORK! Lately we've been really cut back on hours, but not this week! When no one else seems to want to show up for work, they call me in. I've worked 3 different departments this week! I'm actually on my way in right now, but as you can see, a shower can wait, but my blog must live on!!

...Working nine to five...

Hope everyone is enjoying the warmer weather (mostly everyone, right?) and hope in your neck of the woods spring is right around the corner.

I'll be back shortly with new photos, and stories gallore!

Until next time...

Getting Linky With It.

2009-03-22T21:26:00.002-04:00

The R Family Diaries: Optimism Pays: Let's Get Linky With It.

You gotta check out this very "optimistic" give-a-way! If you follow my link there, I get a vote in the contest. If you want to see my entry, CLICK HERE, CLICK HERE, CLICK HERE!!!

Thanks everyone!

Until next time...

Spring is in the air.

2009-03-21T07:00:00.002-04:00

Last weekend the family loaded up in the Jeep to take a little day trip to Sandusky Ohio. We met early that morning to enjoy breakfast at Pond-a-cow (aka. Ponderosa). Funny story, growing up our family used to frequent Ponderosa for any type of family gathering/dinner/holiday and had many, um, experiences. There was one Easter everyone in our family had to rotate in and out of the bathroom after our dining experience. Imagine, a family of four taking numbers to use the only bathroom in the house! Yeah, it took us a long time to go back! My mother would make comments that it was like feeding time at the zoo when she walked in there, stuff yourself til you puke!

Ponderosa (aka. pond-a-cow) a great place NOW for breakfast!

Jumping forward about 20 years, we have grown more to enjoy their new Sunday morning breakfast bar. They really have cleaned up their act. It helps a good friend of ours is also a manager there, so if we EVER have a concern, Cheryl will take care of it! Today's breakfast was filled with pancakes, waffles, french toast and custom-made omelets. Taylor even had a bowl of ice cream to top it all off! After breakfast we headed off to Sandusky. My mom had picked up free tickets to the Kalahari Home and Garden Show saving us a boat-load of mulah($6.00 each savings)!

Kalahari Resort in Sandusky Ohio @ dusk.

Walking into the beautiful conference hall, the smell of fresh blooms filled the air. Patience, we will get there soon enough. If you'd like more information about Kalahari resort and their WONDERFUL water resort, check out their ad on my side bar (then I'll get credit for your click, hehe)or you could CLICK HERE!

Kalahari Resorts...someday we may even stay the night!

We made our way around the halls of the conference hall, picking up an array of freebies; candy, pencils, business cards, magnets etc. The coolest freebie, cash! One of the credit unions booths was even giving away "green bags" cloth grocery bags. Of course I wanted one, but there was a catch. You had to sign up for, wait for it, a drawing! Almost always followed by the annoying telemarketing calls-yuck! Cool part was they had a big basket filled with green plastic Easter eggs that you also got to pick out of after you signed up. Cringing, I did it anyways, and checked the do not call me box very clear. I didn't want to be the only one having all of the fun, so I pushed Taylor towards the basket and told her to pick out an egg. Yay for Tay, my lil bug opened an egg with a dollar bill in it, $1.00 hard cold cash for her piggy bank! You would've thought she won the lottery, she was hooting and hollering like it was a million. My mother, on the other hand, opened one of the MANY dud eggs. Oh well, we all can't be winners!

Aahh..take a deep breath, I've turned on the scent just for you!

Next, we walked into the long awaited "nursery" rooms. These side meeting rooms are filled from top to bottom with beautiful trees and blooming flowers galore. Usual centerpiece is a stone or brick patio, but a really neat addition this year, the water fountain wall. I could hardly keep Taylor's hands out of it.

Taylor playing in the water, surprise, surprise!

We loved walking through here, dreaming, and the fragrance was unbelievable! Taylor wanted mommy to take her picture next to every single flower in the room. I only picked a couple, she literally took dozens! I can't help it though, she is such a camera ham!

Taylor posing...and posing some more!

Overall, it was a very good day. We got to see what everyone was offering in home improvements out there, as well as really get some spring in our system. I didn't mind getting out of the house too. Someday we may stay overnight and check out Kalahari's huge indoor water park, but for now we'll just admire it from a distance.

Until next time...

Signs of Spring....

2009-03-18T07:00:00.002-04:00

Today the skies parted and we had a bit of a dry day. We have been drenched with rain here lately and everything is flooded. So when I had the opportunity to get outside and see what was going on, the doors couldn't hold me in anymore. I really could use some signs of spring to shake these winter blahs. The smell of spring was in the air for the first time, and our first robins started flocking around our neighborhood. I even woke the other morning to a songbird serenade, yes I am ecstatic spring is here!

Buds on my favorite lilac bush and the daffodils have broke ground, spring is almost here!

Taylor and I took a walk around the yard for the first time. It was a little bittersweet though, nice to see the yard, bad to see all of the work that needed done as a result of winter. I picked up a bit of trash that had blown into our fence, and moved a few planters, but today's tour was just to assess the damage, and see the new life popping up.

Soon these planters will be filled with beautiful blooms!

Taylor loved it as well. She really could care less about walking around the yard, her main concern was sifting through the sand and picking rocks out. She has had a passion for rocks ever since our trip to Port Huron. She has this need to pick up rock and pebbles everywhere we go. See my post about Port Huron HERE to see Taylor in action!

Taylor picking out a few pebbles out of the sand.

The breeze was really warm as well. It was nice to just sit there on the deck and take in the warmth. Ahhh...I really can't wait for more signs of spring!

Taylor loves the breeze.

I hope to have more photos as the weather warms! Maybe if the water recedes a bit we can go to one of our favorite parks?

Happy Spring!

Until next time...

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2009-03-17T11:20:00.006-04:00

Top O' the mornin' to ya! Happy St. Patrick's day everyone! While thinking about a festive post for today's occasion, I found an article that really sheds some light on today. It's an interesting read,
From the Rocky Mountain Family Council.

Who Was the Real St. Patrick?

There are many legends and traditions associated with St. Patrick's Day. Who was the real St. Patrick?

St. Patrick was not actually Irish. he was born around 373 A.D. in the British Isles near the modern city of Dumbarton in Scotland. His real name was Maewyn Succat. He took the name of Patrick, or Patricius, meaning "well-born" in Latin, after he became a priest.

During Patrick's boyhood, the Roman empire was near collapse and too weak to defend its holdings in distant lands. Britain became easy prey for raiders, including those who crossed the Irish sea from the land known as Hibernia or Ireland. When Patrick was sixteen, he was seized by raiders and carried off to Ireland.

Most of what is known about St. Patrick comes from his own Confession, written in his old age. In his Confession he wrote about his capture:

As a youth, nay, almost as a boy not able to speak, I was taken captive ... I was like a stone lying in the deep mire; and He that is mighty came and in His mercy lifted me up, and raised me aloft ... And therefore I ought to cry out aloud and so also render something to the Lord for His great benefits here and in eternity -- benefits which the mind of men is unable to appraise.

After Patrick was captured and taken to Ireland as a slave by an Irish chieftain named Niall, he was sold to another chieftain in northern Ireland. Much of Patrick's time was spend alone on the slopes of Slemish Mountain, tending his master's flocks of sheep. During the long, lonely hours in the fields and hills of Ireland, Patrick found comfort in praying. In his Confession he wrote:

... every day I had to tend sheep, and many times a day I prayed -- the love of God and His fear came to me more and more, and my faith was strengthened. And my spirit was moved so that in a single day I would say as many as a hundred prayers and almost as many in the night, and this even when I was staying in the woods and on the mountains; ... and I felt no harm, and there was no sloth in me -- as now I see, because the spirit within me was fervent.

Six years passed slowly by. Then in a dream, Patrick heard a voice saying, "Thy ship is ready for thee." This was God's way, he felt, of telling him to run away.

That night he fled. Assured God was leading him, Patrick plunged through the bogs and scaled the mountains which separated him from the sea. He escaped Ireland by ship, but God would call him back years later. Patrick had escaped his boyhood enslavement in Ireland only to hear the call of God as a man to return. He was being called on, he felt, to convert the Irish to Christianity. In his Confession Patrick wrote:

I saw a man named Victoricus, coming from Ireland with countless letters. He game me one of them and I read the opening words which were: The voice of the Irish ... I thought at the same moment I heard their voice: 'We beg you, young man, come and walk among us once more.

And I was quite broken in heart, and could read no further, and so I woke up. Thanks be to God, after many years the Lord gave to them according to their cry.

... they call me most unmistakably with words which I heard but could not understand, except that ... He spoke thus: 'He that has laid down His life for thee, it is He that speaketh in thee;' and so I awoke full of joy.

When Patrick began his mission about 430 A.D., Ireland was gripped by paganism, Idolatry prevailed and the Irish knew nothing of Jesus. Patrick decided to go first to the pagan chieftain or king who had enslaved him as a boy. Rather than be put to shame by a former slave, the king set fire to his house and threw himself into the flames.

Patrick then set out for Tara, the seat of the high king of Ireland. When Patrick arrived, Tara was filled with many local kings and druids who were attending the pagan feast of Beltine which coincided with Easter that year. Patrick encamped in the full view of the castle to celebrate the Resurrection of Christ.

On the eve of the festival it was the custom, upon penalty of death, that the high king should light the first bonfire before any others in the land. Patrick, however, had kindled a great fire which gleamed through the darkness. Patrick was summoned before the king. The confrontation which followed is as amazing as Elijah's victory over the prophets of Baal.

Patrick stood and called, May God arise and His enemies be scattered. Darkness fell on the camp. Confused guards began to attack one another. The ground shook and the next day, Easter, a broken king knelt before God's servant. This confrontation between Patrick's God and demonic forces marked the beginning of a thirty-year mission to Ireland.

Patrick traveled the roads and forded the rivers of Ireland for 30 years to see men and women "reborn in God' and come to know the Christ he loved so much. Patrick wrote in his Confession:

We ought to fish well and diligently, as our Lord exhorts. Hence, we spread our nets so that a great multitude and throng might be caught for God.

By the time of his death, Patrick had baptized tens of thousands and established hundreds of churches throughout Ireland. Danger and hardship remained his constant companions. Twice he was imprisoned, but he was not discouraged. He wrote in his Confession:

Daily I expect murder, fraud, or captivity, but I fear none of these things because of the promises of heaven. I have cast myself into the hands of God Almighty who rules everywhere.

Within a century this once pagan land became predominately Christian, possessing such a vigorous faith that Ireland in turn sent missionaries to Scotland, England, Germany and Belgium.

As an old man, Patrick looked back in awe:

Those who never had knowledge of God but worshipped idols ... have now become ... sons of God.

The old saint died in his beloved Ireland on March 17th, 460 A.D. The land that once enslaved him, had now been set free.

Note: One of the most popular legends attributed to Patrick is that he used the shamrock as a visual aid to teach the principle of the Trinity. This story cannot be verified. However, from his writings it is evident the doctrine of the Trinity was central in his teaching.

Now go forth and be merry--wearing green and drinking all the green beer you can!

Just want to add....I've got a friend, Scarry Mommy, who has lost all of her subscribers when she moved her blog...Let's help her out! Go check out her blog and enter her giveaway for a pair of DIAMOND EARRINGS!!! No, that's no typo, DIAMOND EARRINGS!!! Tell her Christyzee sent ya!

Until next time...

Friday Favorites..

2009-03-13T13:43:00.008-04:00

Now this is a tough one...Friday favorites, time at the end of the week to reflect what your high points were for the week. I don't have any cute banners or buttons, this is my first "official" try at this, so let's have a go at it shall we?

#1. Cough medicine! Not just any cough and cold medicine, but the GOOD stuff my Dr. prescribed that really help mommy go to sleep! This week our family was slapped by some upper respiratory nuisance that just won't go away. We all are hacking and barking, so thank goodness I got the good stuff out so at least I got some good rest!

#2. Y.M.C.A. (shameless plug, he he) These guys are my heroes! I really needed a good kick in the butt this week, and boy did they deliver! I had a really good workout week by going to a few group exercise classes at my YMCA. Their instructors ROCK! Thank you for showing no mercy!

#3. The Sun. OK, OK, little cheesy but I'll explain. Cabin fever has been setting in, but this week we had a preview of spring. Although we got a bit too much rain, the sun did pop out and warm things up nicely. It really felt like spring this week!

#4. My Taylor. Last week we went into remission on our potty training (I think one day alone we had 4 accidents within a couple of hours). This week though, baby girl did a 180* and had very, very minimal accidents. Great Job Tator-bug!

#5. Last but not least.... My new blogger friends! Everyone out there that has spent time visiting or those who are follow me...Thank You!!! You are all so special to me, you keep me on my toes! I will try not to let you down!

Enough blabbing, Have a great weekend everyone!

Until next time...

Is this cool or what!

2009-03-12T11:08:00.004-04:00

I am a very unlucky person. Not just that I have no luck, but really if something could go wrong it probably will. But for once, there is a ray of sunshine and a bright spot in my week.

I love to "blog-hop" and visit various blogs from all over and see what every one's corner of the world looks like. Someone told me about this awesome blog called Tranquility... and Turmoil and I was an instant fan.

The other day I noticed her blog update was about a giveaway. Curious, I popped in to see what it was all about. She was giving away two super items; a punch kit with all types of designs, and a 2-CD learn to speak French set. I was ecstatic! I used to take French lessons in High School and even was made to memorize the whole French National Anthem (Boy that was a long time ago)! You know, once you learn something like this, a little bit is always with you. I have recently been wanting to pick it back up again, and have even thought about borrowing programs from our local library. Now I don't have to, I will have my own because.....I WON!

Check out her post HERE!

I just simply cannot believe I WON! Me? Oh my gosh, oh my gosh! To top all of this off, she was also promoting a wonderful group of ladies that have a super blog/comment recognition circle that was kicking off their Spring Fling Giveaways!

Now, not only have I won a great prize, but I found a super group of ladies! I couldn't help it, I really wanted to join their group, and it was so easy!

Check out their website to get involved or for more information HERE!

The whole "blog" experience has now been turned up a notch! I am so excited beyond words!

OK...now I can stop ranting!

Until next time...

Lighthouses and fish...what a day!

2009-03-10T13:42:00.003-04:00

Looking through some more photos I came across one lone little lighthouse, The old Port Clinton Lighthouse in Port Clinton Ohio. We often refer to this city as the "gateway to the islands". From Port Clinton/ Catawba you can catch the two main ferry services over to the Lake Erie Islands and Put-in-bay.

The Jet Express and The Miller Ferry, the easiest way to the islands!

Today's trip we didn't venture over to the islands, we just stayed on the mainland. Today we were searching for the Old Port Clinton Light. Many guides I had referred to placed this light somewhere on the Portage River in a private marina. If anyone has ever visited Port Clinton, you know there are literally dozens upon dozens of private marinas along the Portage River and lakefront. Our first stop was the Yacht club. I must say, even though the light was not hiding here, they were very helpful in pointing us in the right direction. They were so welcoming, we didn't feel the least bit out of place!

With better directions, we weren't too far from the light, or remnants of it. This light long ago was much taller and located on the breakwall at the mouth of the river. Story goes it was moved in the 60's to its present home in Brands marina after years of bickering over the light.

The Old Port Clinton Lighthouse @ Brands Marina on the Portage River.

We captured a couple of photos of our "little" light then voted on where we would go for lunch. There was no argument, Jolly Rogers Seafood Restaurant is the hands down local favorite for fish. A bit pricey, but very good. We usually make a couple of trips for lent (to start the season off right), and another trip during the summer (though the wait is sometimes unbearable).

photo uploading shortly
Jolly Rogers Seafood Restaurant in Port Clinton Ohio.

The end of a great day; another lighthouse visit and full bellies, what else could you ask for! I'll keep looking through my photos, I'm sure there are plenty more to come!

Until next time...

Thought of the Day.

2009-03-07T11:15:00.001-05:00

I came across this story in Chicken Soup for the Soul and wanted to share it with you all. A very good message, one that always bears repeating.

THE STARFISH
(Based on the original, by Loren Eiseley)

A friend of ours was walking down a deserted Mexican beach at sunset. As he walked along, he began to see another man in the distance. As he grew closer, he noticed that the local native kept leaning down, picking something up, and throwing it out into the water. Time and again he kept hurling things out into the ocean. As our friend approached even closer, he noticed that the man was picking up starfish that had been washed up on the beach and, one at a time, he was throwing them back into the water. Our friend was puzzled. He approached the man and said "Good evening, Friend. I was wondering what you are doing."

"I'm throwing these starfish back into the ocean. You see, it's low tide right now and all of these starfish have been washed up onto the shore. If I don't throw them back into the sea, they'll die up here from lack of oxygen."

"I understand," our friend replied, "but there must be thousands of starfish on this beach. You can't possibly get to all of them. There are simply too many. And don't you realize it is probably happening on hundreds of other beaches all up and down the coast. Can't you see that you can't possibly make a difference?"

The local native smiled, bent down, and picked up yet another starfish, and as he threw it back into the sea, he replied,
"Made a difference to that one!"

Even the smallest gesture is rewarding to someone. Have a blessed weekend!

Until next time...

Toledo Ohio, The Glass City.

2009-03-06T11:11:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I came across a couple of photos of another one of my favorite lighthouses, The Toledo Harbor Lighthouse. I have not visited this light up close yet, but I have visited it from shore many times. Depending on the haze, you can view this light from many points at Maumee Bay State Park. To see the ammenities this park has to offer, please click HERE!

Many deer wander around @ Maumee Bay State Park.

Maumee Bay State Park is my favorite "quick getaway" that has something for every mood. For a day trip, you can come to enjoy a nature walk on either of the 2 or 3 mile boardwalks through meadows, marshlands, and forest.

The boardwalk trails @ Maumee Bay State Park.

We love to go in the late afternoon and see how many deer we can spot on our hike. Other options are the pools, the beach, or the resort itself. The dining room has one of the best grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato and basil that we have ever had. Taylor has become quite attached to the playground as well. She knows exactly where it is and which way to go when we arrive.

Taylor not wasting any time getting to the playground @ Maumee Bay State Park.

The Toledo Harbor Lighthouse's Fresnel Lens was moved to Maumee Bay State Park Lodge May 13, 2008 and is located in the main lobby. I found out on the Toledo Harbor Lighthouse Preservation Society website that Jim Woodward moved the lens from the lighthouse in 1995 and moved it again from COSI in 2008. COSI is a hands-on science center that used to be in Toledo, but is still operating in Columbus Ohio. The Fresnel lens was enclosed in glass as required by the Coast Guard July 2, 2008. I was there a week before it was moved there, then again a month or so as well. Unfortunately, I didn't walk inside the lobby until after the glass was placed around it.

Photo uploading soon
The Toledo Harbor Lighthouse Fresnel Lens @ Maumee Bay State Park.

The Toledo Harbor Lighthouse from Maumee Bay State Park.

We have visited this park during the hottest days of summer, and yes, even the frigid winds of winter. My sister, when visiting from Arizona, puts this park on the top of her "must see" places. I honestly cannot say when I preferr to visit, I love to visit here any time of year.

The frozen waters @ Maumee Bay State Park.

I have yet to see the Toledo Harbor light up close yet, but by summer's end I will. They have the Toledo Lighthouse Festival the 11th and 12th of July this year, and have all types of activities planned, including boat rides out to the light. I hope to see Turtle Island Lighthouse (ruins) up close as well. We were even at the festival last year but never knew about the boat rides! We actually went to see the summer fireworks and listen to the music.To see a copy of the event flier, check it out HERE!

Until next time,

Ooooh....get to the point!

2009-03-04T14:38:00.005-05:00

So what can I say? After I sat down and looked through some of my photos I realized I had a few left over. To be truthful, unless I look at the date stamp on the photo, I really cannot think where these fit in to the rest of the lighthouse adventures. So...here they are in no particular order. Enjoy!

Cedar Point, America's Roller Coast!

If anyone is ever in the Sandusky Ohio area, this is a MUST SEE! Definitely one of the best amusement parks around, Cedar Point has been satisfying thrill seekers for decades! Please check out their website HERE for more information!

Our family decided before our trip to CP we would stop in Huron Ohio and check out the light while we were so close. Huron is literally a hop, skip and jump away from CP, so who could resist a distant shot.

Cedar Point, distant view from Huron Ohio.

The walk out to the Huron Lighthouse wasn't too bad, but I had to go alone. Matt, my husband, couldn't walk due to a foot problem he developed on our trip up to the U.P a week ago (he'd kill me if he knew I was talking about his blisters, lol) It was a very well maintained dock/breakwall that took me out to the light. I could have gone further out by following the trail of people, but with Matt waiting on me, and a 2 year old wanting to get to the park, I had to keep moving.

Huron Lighthouse, Huron Ohio, a bit Art Decco.

While sitting on the wall snapping a couple of shots, the Goodyear Blimp decided it wanted to be included too! I finished up and headed back to the wounded and impatient. Off to Cedar Point!

We had won these tickets to CP from our donation to the United Way. Matt's factory (and my old job too) is a Pacesetter for our community and has promotional give-aways for their employees who payroll deduct to the United Way, it's the least we can do to help out. Anyhow, this was our second trip to CP this summer, so today was for Taylor. Matt and I already got to ride all of the coasters we wanted the first trip.

Taylor enjoying the rides...over and over! *notice what color she always picks!*

Another photo of Taylor on the rides.

Taking a break from the excitement, we went on a relaxing train ride and paddle boat ride. To our surprise, we found a *ahem* lighthouse on the river boat excursion. Who knew?

The lighthouse on the Riverboat Excursion.

Who could resist a water ride on a hot summer day! Obviously our family can't! Taylor and I had stood close to the Snake River Falls bridge to get a little splash to cool off. To give you a bit of insight, there are a couple of places near the bridge to stand and just get a little splash. For the ride goers themselves, after they exit the ride, they cross over the bridge. Timing is just right that as they are crossing the bridge, the next "car" is coming down the falls and creates a huge wall of water. No one stays dry on this ride. So when daddy said he wanted a turn to hold Taylor by the bridge, I didn't think much of it. Well, Matt decided that just getting close to the bridge wasn't good enough, he got ON the bridge. Yup, they are soaked!

Daddy and Taylor standing on Snake River Falls Bridge...SOAKED!

Now mashing our two trips together...

Our first trip this year to Cedar Point was for our Company picnic. They reserve one of the wonderful picnic areas and provide discounted admission tickets as well as a full catered lunch. It's always a hit! This year, we decided to go for a walk after lunch to settle our bellies instead of jumping on the first roller coaster. So our family walked along the Lake Erie coast to see what was on the other side of the peninsula/island. Matt and I already knew the Sandusky Bay Lighthouse at Cedar Point was out this way, so that is where we were headed.

Sandusky Bay Light, replaced with a cylinder style light, marks the entrance to the Sandusky Bay.

Not much to see, so we continued on around the bend...then bam! We found the not-so-know Cedar Point Lighthouse. This is more like it! Tucked away in "Camper World" on the back side of CP is this beauty. Can you imagine, this area used to be the ferry entrance for decades when the ferry shuttles used to run from Cleveland to the park. I could almost feel what the excitement was like to arrive for the first time to the park by boat 100 years ago.

Cedar Point Lighthouse.

But this find wasn't all....imagine my surprise when I gazed across the bay. In the distance was the Marblehead Lighthouse! This is by far my favorite lighthouse. This is the same lighthouse my family has been visiting for years while I was growing up. Now I can add this view to my album of photos.

Marblehead Lighthouse across Sandusky Bay from Cedar Point Amusement Park.

I'll keep looking through my photos, I'm sure I've got more to post!

Until next time!

Last outing of 2008.

2009-03-02T23:28:00.004-05:00

At the time we didn't know it, but this trip would turn out to be our last outing of 2008. Today, we were going up to Detroit to meet my parents for dinner, so why not sneak in a little bit of lighthouse sight-seeing. We wanted to finish up the lights of Lake Erie and the Detroit River that we have been putting off for some time, so this was our chance.

Our first stop was to find the Detroit River Lighthouse. This light proved to be a tricky one. Without any clear cut directions I really don't think we did too bad! According to google, there was a park and "island" that gave you the closest distant view of the light, now we just needed to find it. After driving around what seemed like a landfill and work yard for about 30 minutes, we found the road we were looking for.

Aerial view of the island. *Borrowed from Wikipedia*

After heading in the right direction, we finally found the park. We quickly found out this was a state public hunting area (Pointe Mouille State Game Area). Click HERE to read more about this very unique area. We were hesitant at first to enter, until a couple of guys taking their dogs out for a stroll assured us it was OK to cross to the island. They told us they often walk over to the island, and told us we would be OK if we didn't see any hunters. Best advice, if you see someone with a gun, get out of the way! With it being the time of day that it was, we were sitting OK. There wasn't anyone out on the trails, and only a couple of fishermen were out fishing. So we headed off. We started walking the "short" way around the 5 mile loop. This was a long walk!

Daddy and Taylor out for a stroll.

We continued walking around the bend, until suddenly....there it was! We were so lucky, we even caught two ships passing by the light. This is such a small light compared to the ships. They seem to tower over the lighthouse.

Detroit River Lighthouse with a passing ships.

After we got a couple of distant shots we continued on our walk. Suddenly, we started to hear shots from the other side of the island. They were duck hunting, and we needed to get out! I really don't believe we were in any danger...yet, but we didn't want to stick around and find out. The two guys with their dogs also picked up and started to move them along as well. We were pretty worn out after the hike, so the car ride up to the Grosse Ile Lighthouse was a good reward.

Grosse Ile, Michigan.

There are two ways to get cross onto Grosse Ile, one has a toll (I think it was $4.00 one way), and the other is free. Luck for us, we found the free bridge over. This is a very beautiful and large island on the Detroit river. High-society homes line the streets, and I'll admit we felt a bit out of place. There were cars sitting in the driveways at some of these homes that cost more than our house! While passing through, we seen a lot of deer meandering around and posing in the front yards while residents were out for their late afternoon walks. They really seemed to co-exist without bothering the other. If I had to guess, we probably seen upwards to 15 deer in our short visit.

After we wandered around the island for a while, we found the lighthouse at the north end of the island. We had an issue though, the light is sitting behind personal property with no access. We really didn't want to trespass, so we continued down the lane until we could get a glimpse from the road. At the end of a cul-de-sac we found an open lot that gave a perfect distant view of the light on the other side of the marina. No one was at home (I tried ringing the bell to ask for permission)so I quickly snapped a couple of pictures from their driveway. These would have to work for now.

Grosse Ile Lighthouse

Not as well as I would have hoped, but they serve their purpose for now. I did contact The Grosse Ile Historical Society to verify what days they would have the lighthouse open. They told me they only open the lighthouse one day a year, the Sunday after Labor Day. We were there, they were not! Unfortunately, due to issues of some sort, they were not opening it this year. Oh well, maybe next year!

After viewing the Grosse Ile light, we headed into Detroit to meet my parents for dinner. It was a good day for lighthouse sightseeing. We have now officially ended our lighthouse travels for 2008. Now we need to focus on our maps and travels for 2009.

Until next time....

It's a Detroit thing, everybody.

2009-02-21T13:45:00.004-05:00

Detroit Skyline from Belle Isle Michigan.

The Motor City, home of Motown, the Automobile, even the ice cream float-- what a city of so much diversity! But first, we've got to work our way there from Harsens Island. Continuing on from our last post, we had started the day in Port Huron Michigan, working our way down the St. Clair river to Lake St. Clair and ending on the Detroit River in Detroit.

We had our sights set on making it to the ferry over to Harsens Island to see The St. Clair Flats South Channel Range Lights after leaving Port Huron. Getting hungry we grabbed a pizza and headed over to the ferry docks in Algonac.

Guess what we pizza we haven't had in a while?

For our Jeep it was $7.00, not too shabby for a round trip! But to show you what type of day I was having, I forgot to get cash at an ATM on the mainland. So here we are, counting out CHANGE to go across! You should have seen us scrounging in the coin cup. When we got to the island, we drove to the furthest point you can drive on the island and got a couple of distant photos of the lights.

The St. Clair Flats South Channel Range Lights offshore of Harsens Island.

With the reflection of the sun, the photo isn't as good as I'd wish, maybe next visit we can find someone who wouldn't mind taking us on a boat ride out to get a closer photo? Know anyone?

After stopping at the community park on the island to eat our pizza, we headed back to the mainland to finish up our journey. Next stop, The St. Clair Lake Lighthouse.

Well...there is a light out there, not much else. As we were coming Lake St. Clair Shores and Grosse Point Shores, we found the park I had wrote down from my google map, Lakefront park. Unfortunately, I didn't look into this park any further than it's location. When we arrived, we found the park is a "private" park for residents of this very, very well-to-do community. We were very fortunate that the guard understood what our mission was, and after we surrendered our driver's licenses, she allowed us to drive back and snap a photo or two of the off-shore light out in the middle of the lake.

Lake St. Clair Lake Lighthouse....yeah, its out there!

Ugh, what in the world? We were doing so well, but now it seems like we were striking out getting good shots of these lights. Nonetheless, we continued on to find the Windmill Point Lighthouse. Heading south on E. Jefferson Avenue, we turned into a residential area towards the junction of Lake St. Clair and the Detroit River. You could tell we crossed the tracks (if you know what I mean). We literally went from multi-million dollar homes to run-down apartment buildings and duplexes. All the same, we weren't there to look for a home, just see the lighthouse.

Windmill Point Lighthouse at the mouth of the Detroit River.

One last stop before sunset, we headed over to Belle Isle to see the William Livingstone Memorial Lighthouse. Now this park was interesting! With so much to do, you could hardly believe you were in downtown Detroit. To see more about the "beautiful Island" please visit The Friends of Belle Isle Website.

I got some good shots, but with every passing second it was harder for me to get any shots without camera jitters (it would've helped if Matt had stopped the jeep too).

The William Livingstone Memorial Lighthouse on Belle Isle in Detroit Michigan.

You guessed it, another add to our Need to return list. We're planning another trip this spring/summer sometime when the weather starts to get nice again.

Until next time...

Here we go again!

2009-02-20T15:32:00.007-05:00

With our last visit to Port Huron, we arrived right at dusk, so this time we wanted to come back during the daylight. It was even more beautiful during the day than at night, definitely a good call on our part. Today we were driving up to Port Huron and migrating south along the St. Clair River to Lake St. Clair, ending in Detroit.

Fort Gratiot Lighthouse...during the day.

We loved walking along this beach, there is so many interesting things to look at. The water, it is simply breath-taking! The water is very clear and blue, you are mesmerized by its motion through the rapid current. The beach is not only made of "clean" sand, but pebbles and river rock are washed up as well. We carried home two bags full of interesting rocks and fossils. Taylor wanted to take home every rock she found, another new hobby I guess.

Taylor picking up rocks on the beach at the Fort Gratiot Lighthouse.

While leaving the park I noticed the lighthouse was open for visitors today, but we were trying get Taylor away from the beach and rocks (we literally had to pull her away or she would never leave). Matt and I thought it was best to skip the tour this time and make it less stressful for us.

Taylor taking a moment to pose with the flowers.

Our second stop was the Huron Lightship. They too were open for tours, but the price was a bit steep for the three of us. Usually children under a certain age are free, according to the signage out front this was not the case. The sign stated our 3 year old was $5.00 and adults were $6.00! Instead we opted for some shots of the boat from the outside. None the less, it was an interesting ship with lots of history.

The Huron Lightship permanently docked on the shores of the St. Clair River.

For more information about the Museums of Port Huron, please check out their website HERE!

It was such a beautiful day. We happened to stumble onto an event taking place, the Port Huron Museum's Cemetery Walk at Lakeside Cemetery. It was such a nice day, and the locals were very courteous-- we felt very welcome.

While strolling along the riverfront and in the park, we viewed boats of all sizes cruising up the St. Clair River. None though could compare to this, a large ship heading right for us! We stood and watched as it cleverly maneuvered its way into the river. You could tell they've done this a time or two. I really wish I had purchased the book Know your ships; Guide to boats & boat watching--Great Lakes & St. Lawrence Seaway. Maybe now I'll wait til April when the new 50Th Anniversary Collector's Edition becomes available.

Ship coming into the St. Clair River under the Blue Water Bridge.

Leaving Port Huron, we drove southward following the St. Clair River to the small village of Marine City. I have to admit, I was talking on the phone as we were going through and almost missed this lighthouse completely! As the story goes, I had handwritten the directions in -ahem- order before we left home. I had placed this light at it's original location on Peche Island.

The Peche Island Lighthouse located in Marine City Michigan.

The Peche Island Lighthouse was relocated in 1983 here in Marine City. I had this information before we left, but misplaced it sometime on our trip. Luckily for me, I happened to look over as we were passing the downtown park area. I saw a quick glimpse of the light as we were passing a side street. Matt turned around for me, and while still chatting on the phone I stood in the middle of the road and snapped. If anyone had seen me I must have really looked like a tourist. It wasn't til about an hour later when I found my directions again that I realized this WAS a light on my list. I apologize for not taking this light more serious at that time, and I vow never to let it happen again--lol!

Now were off to Harsens Island!

Stay tuned, there's more to Come...

Cleveland Rocks! Cleveland Rocks! Cleveland Rocks!

2009-02-18T09:43:00.008-05:00

(Hee Hee Hee....couldn't help it!)

Downtown Cleveland Ohio viewed from Voinovich Bicentennial Park.

Leaving Fairport Harbor and heading west, we stopped at the always rocking Cleveland Ohio! While downtown, we seen the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Cleveland Browns Stadium, but our main objective was to see the Cleveland Lighthouses. In downtown Cleveland there are three lights; the Cleveland East Pierhead Light, the Cleveland West Pierhead Light, and the Cleveland East Entrance Light.

Both the Cleveland West and Cleveland East Pierhead Lighhouses.

The weather was very typical Ohio weather. It was nice to start the day, then turned windy and cold as the day went on. Matt and I went to Voinovich Bicentennial Park in downtown Cleveland to see some pretty good views of the city. From here we could see two of the three lighthouses downtown and a beautiful view of the city skyline.

Voinovich Bicentennial Park

A parcel of land perched on the shore of Lake Erie, Voinovich Bicentennial Park provides some of the most spectacular views of the city's skyline and unadulterated looks at the lake. The park was named for former Cleveland mayor and current U.S. senator George Voinovich, the man under which so many of the city and lakefront revitalization efforts were commissioned in the late '80s and early '90s. Located behind the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum and part of North Coast Harbor, the park is the site of many of Cleveland's major events including the Pride Festival, Rock & Boom (July 4 fireworks) and Gravity Games. Voinovich Park also is the home for the Goodtime III, a local cruise line. When it's not attracting hundreds of thousands for marquee events, it's a nice, and often quiet respite for a jog, bike ride or place to simply sit on a bench and enjoy the view. While finding parking can be difficult for some of the bigger events, the park is easily accessible by bus and Rapid. -- Daniel Rivkin

Cleveland West Pierhead Lighthouse from Voinovich Bicentennial Park.

Cleveland East Pierhead Lighthouse from Voinovich Bicentennial Park.

Because the weather wasn't cooperating, we decided on our next trip to Cleveland we would stop by and see the lights again. At least today we became familiarized with the position of these lights, and found some good information about the dinner cruises available for next summer. That would be a nice treat! Today, it was just too bitterly cool and windy to stay out any length of time. For now, we crossed off a couple more lights off of our list.

Now, it's time to go shopping!

Until next time...

On the Road, Again.

2009-02-16T19:54:00.006-05:00

...I can almost hear Willie singing it right now, can you?

After our "Tour de Thumb", we took off a couple of weekends in October. Our daughter, Taylor, was turning 3 and we wanted to have family and friends over for a little celebration.

Taylor turns 3...your my big girl now!

Of course we weren't going to sit around for long, we were checking off lighthouses now at an alarming rate and couldn't wait to get back out again. Autumn is my favorite season; the leaves turning, the crisp air, and that distinct smell...ahhh. I can't help it, I want to be outdoors as much as possible. Put my two absolute favorite things together (lighthouses and autumn) and I'm in heaven!

Taylor was lucky, she got to spend the day with her grandma baking. This trip was a first for mommy and daddy out venturing alone. We wanted to revisit the Fairport Harbor Lights as well as a couple of lights in Cleveland Ohio that we missed the first time.

Taylor baking cookies with her grandma.

After we dropped Taylor off, we were on our way. We got a pretty good jump on the day and by 10 am we were on the Ohio Turnpike. We love having Taylor with us, but the break for the afternoon was also a nice breather. Matt and I talked about taking advantage of our "freedom" and getting some needed Christmas shopping done as well.

Our first stop was at the Headlands Beach State Park in Fairport Harbor/ Mentor on-the-Lake. We had already visited the Old Fairport Harbor Lighthouse a couple of months prior (see the post Road Trip Part Deux!) but it was already dark when we arrived. When we were there that night, the Fairport Harbor Light out on the breakwall was not visible, so we really didn't know what we were in for.

If you'd like more information about the Headlands Beach State Park, please Check out their website HERE.

The Fairport Harbor Lighthouse from the breakwall.

A view of the Old Fairport Harbor Lighthouse across the harbor.

Walking the beach was a nice change of pace for us, this beach was long and unobstructed, we could see exactly where we were headed. At best guess I would say we walked a mile or so out to the light, catching some pretty impressive views. In addition to the Breakwater light, from this vantage point we also caught a view of the Old Fairport Harbor Lighthouse across the harbor.

Fairport Harbor Lighthouse from Headlands Beach State Park.

After Matt and I finished our stroll, we headed across the Grand River to the Old Fairport Harbor Lighthouse. This was a very different lighthouse during the day than it appeared on our last visit. While walking to the light, we meet a couple who were also there visiting. They even took our picture together in front of the lighthouse, something Matt and I rarely do. We showed them the photos we just took from the beach, and they were very impressed. They didn't know they could get that close. We gave them directions and tips on where the best vantage points were to see the same views. Talking with the other couple, we discovered not only have we visited many of the same places, but we also live only about 40 minutes away from each other! What odds, having to travel across the state to meet your neighbor!

Old Fairport Lighthouse.

When we parted, the older gentleman offered the best words of encouragement I've heard in a long time. He said he hoped to see our guide on his coffee table someday. Wow, maybe we can really do it! Our goal is to someday publish a guide book or journal of our adventures. I do hope someday we don't let him down. Matt and I stuck around a little bit longer and took more photos of the Fairport Harbor light. It was really nice meeting others just as obsessed as we are. I hope to meet more light buffs like them out on our journeys.

Fairport Harbor Lighthouse across the Harbor.

Now off to Cleveland, we've got lights to see and shopping to do!

More to come...

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-14T10:26:00.001-05:00

To everyone out in Blogger-land...Happy Valentine's Day! Today I'm taking a break from my usual posts to share with you a few quotes about love to celebrate this "Lovers" holiday.
Looking for a quote, go see my friends at
The Quote Garden!

Feel free to leave a comment, tell me which is your favorite quote, or leave your own!

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To love and be loved is to feel the sun from both sides.
~David Viscott.

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Loving is not just looking at each other, it's looking
in the same direction.
~Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Wind, Sand, and Stars, 1939

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Love, and a cough, cannot be hid.
~George Herbert, Jacula Prudentum, 1651
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You know when you have found your prince because you not only have a smile on your face but in your heart as well.
~Author Unknown
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I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend, I'll be back on Monday!

Coming Home.

2009-02-12T23:46:00.004-05:00

Continuing on from our last post, we were finishing up the "thumb" of Michigan. After we left the Pointe Aux Barques Lighthouse, we continued to travel south on Lakeshore Drive (or route 25) to the town of Harbor Beach. From their very unique (and well built) pier, we viewed the Harbor Beach Lighthouse. As I was walking up to the long pier, I couldn't help but get a picture. It really was a striking view how everything seemed to line up.

The pier @ Harbor Beach.

At the end of the pier, a distant view of the lighthouse could be seen across the harbor. I went alone to the end of the pier, Matt and Taylor were not up to the walk, so they stayed in the car for this one. At the end I met three fishermen trying to nab the catch of the day. They said,"...in the summer time the beach is packed with people lookin' at that thing." I didn't stay long since I was alone, it really isn't much fun looking at a lighthouse without sharing it with someone. The brisk walk back helped my body loosen up again from the days long car ride.

The Harbor Beach Lighthouse from the end of the pier.

When I got back to the car, Taylor was having a normal tantrum. She had enough of the long car ride and wanted to get out and stretch her legs too. We convinced her to wait a few more miles until we got to the Port Sanilac Lighthouse. Maybe there they would have a playground she could jump around on. Playgrounds or ice cream usually helps, either one and she is content for a while longer.

Port Sanilac Lighthouse was hidden at the end of a residential area, and we almost missed it! When we arrived at the light, Matt and Taylor stayed in the parking lot and walked around looking at the trees and leaves (a new hobby she was starting--collecting leaves). I started the walk out onto a heavily overgrown breakwall/trail. It was pretty thick, but not nearly as bad as Ashtabula was (see Road Trip Part Deux! post). I couldn't see exactly where the lighthouse was, so I thought the further I walked out, the easier I would see it along the coast. So when I got out aways I just happened to turn around--voila!--there it was right behind me! Oh, but that's not the best part!

Port Sanilac Lighthouse from the breakwall.

Apparently, we parked right next to the lighthouse and no one noticed! When I returned to the Jeep, Matt asked me if I got any good photos of it and how far down the coast it was. I could hardly contain my laughter while I pointed over to an ivy covered brick building next to the parking lot! At least we both got a good laugh. Here I am thrashing through the jungle when all I had to do was turn and look next to us!

Port Sanilac Lighthouse from the..um..Jeep!

Taylor got her much needed stretch, and mom and dad had a good laugh. We were now refreshed and ready to go...last stop for the day, Port Huron Michigan.

When we arrived in Port Huron there was limiting sunlight. I hurried quickly through the park and over the sand dunes to get a couple photos of the Fort Gratiot Lighthouse as well as the Huron Lightship. My body really got a workout trying to hustle through the soft sand, it was a race against the nature. My legs felt like two ton bricks when I finally made it back to flat land.

Fort Gratiot Lighthouse @ dusk.

Huron Lightship permanently docked in Port Huron @ dusk.

The water, what we could see of it, was very clear, very blue, and very turbulent! Port Huron is the southern most point of Lake Huron, the point where Lake Huron flows into the narrow St. Clair River. The water really gets pushed through this area and its amazing how fast it moves! Because it was now dark, we decided to put this on our list of places to return as well. We talked it over, when we finish the lights of Southeast Michigan, we will start from Port Huron and work our way down the St. Clair River to Lake St. Clair. We really wanted to see Port Huron during the day, guess we'll have to wait now.

Til next time...

Thumbs Up!

2009-02-10T17:36:00.009-05:00

I wanted to take a moment and thank all of our new followers-- welcome everyone to our blog! I hope everyone can come back again and stay a while!

Now, on with our journeys...
This fall our family was given a few extra days of play than originally anticipated. Our family, working with the automotive industry for years, has felt the wrath of our weakened economy. We were hit by intermittent days off and lack of work lay-offs. So, to make our days a little brighter we planned another day trip to visit "the thumb" of Michigan. We left early on a Friday morning heading north to Bay City Michigan. It was another long car drive, but we were packed and ready to go. Boy was this going to be a long day!

Our first stop was the Saginaw River Rear Range Light. I called the day before our trip to inquire about visiting the lighthouse, but my call was never returned. What to do? With only two major highways going north into the thumb, we were going to be in the vicinity of the light anyhow. Matt and I talked it over and decided to see if we could view it from afar. Without any clear cut directions to the light, we had to use our detective skills once again. Unfortunately, there is not much to see, and we did the best we could. Access to the light is only available when the Historical Society is working on restoration. Next time we're up this way I'm going to call further in advance to see if they will be working at the light.

Our view of the Saginaw River Rear Range Light through an old factory yard.

After this disappointment, we had our sites set on traveling the coast up to the Port Austin Reef Lighthouse. Driving up the coast was very beautiful. The bright blue waters were a gorgeous backdrop for all of the beautiful cottages along the bay. With the light being offshore, it is viewable for miles along the coast. At every clearing we would peer out to see if we had a good shot yet. We lucked out when we came across a park just outside of Port Austin. Here we could walk out a long boardwalk/pier that took you offshore approximately 1/4 mile. From this we got a few pretty decent distance shots.

Port Austin Reef Lighthouse from a distance.

Taylor really didn't care for the catwalk, especially because she could see through it. So to keep her moving and make it not so scary for her, she got a ride from daddy.

Taylor & Daddy--the best seat in the house!

On our walk out we met a very nice couple constructing some sort of rock formation. They told us they had been working on this for a couple of hours or so, and were contemplating every move fearing it may topple. They didn't mind that we stopped and admired it for a while with them.

Here is their creation--almost 5 feet tall!

We had to let Taylor get some of her energy out from our long car ride, so a stop at the playground was mandatory. She played on the jungle gym and swings while mommy and daddy enjoyed the view. But as the saying goes...all good things must come to an end! So we hopped back in the jeep and headed off to our next stop, the Pointe Aux Barques Lighthouse.

The Pointe Aux Barques Lighthouse is off the beaten path between the villages of Port Hope and Port Huron Michigan. Located in Lighthouse County Park, the light isn't the only attraction we encountered. There were deer were everywhere! We really needed to stay focused on our driving so a deer didn't wander out on the road. Taylor had a blast watching all of the deer standing right outside her window!

Three deer wandering around the park area.

The lighthouse itself was very picturesque. I wish I wasn't rushed. I'd love to have spent more time here and maybe take in a tour as well. (the tours were done for the day by the time we got there--what luck!)

The Pointe Aux Barques Lighthouse.

Matt and I agreed with so many deer we didn't want to travel too much at dark. If we had seen this many deer now, imagine those same deer traveling at night. So we wanted to continue on before dark. We had four more lighthouses on our agenda for the day, and the daylight hours were slipping away.

The Pointe Aux Barques Lighthouse from different angles.

So we continued on...

More to come...

Road Trip Part Deux!

2009-02-06T23:35:00.005-05:00

Making our way home from Erie Pennsylvania, we wanted to stop at a couple of lighthouses east of Cleveland Ohio. If you've ever traveled in Ohio during the summer you know construction is inevitable. Well, today was no exception. While trying to locate the Ashtabula Lighthouse we made a few too many turns and ended up getting lost! The Ashtabula light is not pictured in the guide books we usually carry, so we wanted to see why everyone says it's hard to photograph--we now know why. But for today the detours were hurting us...if you're keeping score it's construction 1, our family 0.

Construction always makes things harder.

It was getting late, and we've been circling for an hour trying to follow the detours with no luck. Before we left on our road trip I tried making our own directions on map quest, but our printer was on the fritz. So I wrote a few directions down hoping they would work, ha ha ha. Maybe in a perfect world without orange barrels and torn down bridges? After the detours were getting us nowhere, we decided to follow our intuition. If you keep the water in your sight long enough you will eventually find a lighthouse. Just when we were about to throw in the towel, there it was!

Ashtabula Lighthouse from the Great Lakes Marine and U.S. Coast Guard Memorial Museum.

As I'm sure any light buff will tell you, this view was just unacceptable and I wanted to get closer! So we headed down Lake Avenue which dead-ends into the Walnut Beach Park. We could really see the large attraction at this park was fishing. Everyone there was carrying fishing gear and poles. But today we had another agenda.

One problem, the lighthouse couldn't be seen anywhere. From this view point, the coastline makes a large curve obscuring the lighthouse behind an overgrown grassy marsh. Through that grass there was a trail that went in the direction of the light, so we went for it. We soon found out it was so overgrown with tall grass and weeds we had to walk single file down the trail. If you know me, I gotta keep going!

So with Taylor riding piggy-backed we started to hike the grassy lane. The deeper we got the less developed the path, the taller the grass. By the time we decided to turn around we were walking in 8' tall grass with no trail and spongy ground. Another couple ahead of us were also trying to walk out to the light. When we caught up to them, they had got separated and his wife was panicking in the grass. Everyone had enough and we all turned around. It was like a bad maze we couldn't find our way out.

When we finally got back to the Jeep, my husband decided he would walk out the uneven breakwall and get a photo for me. The breakwall was VERY uneven and with my clumsiness I would've fallen into the lake! Besides, how do you take a 2 year old out on the rocks? So it was settled, I would stay with Taylor while he walked out. We played games and colored for what seemed like an hour until Matt came out into the clearing. I was worse than a kid at Christmas, I couldn't wait to see what his pictures looked like!

Matt's photo of the Ashtabula Lighthouse

Matt didn't return alone though, he walked back with a local fisherman he met out on the breakwall. The older gentleman was telling us stories about the beach when he was a young boy, walking out to the lighthouse and how everything has changed over the years. He also told us how the walk was very treacherous and ever year it is getting worse. Matt said he almost lost his balance a couple of times on the uneven walk, so I was really happy I stayed in the car.

At this point in the day we didn't know how many more lighthouses we would be able to see before sunset. We decided to continue west towards Fairport Harbor Ohio. Maybe if things would have gone differently throughout the day we may have made it, but it was dark when we finally arrived.

Fairport Harbor Lighthouse at dark.

The village was hopping when we got there. Boy were we surprised to find that they were hosting their annual PerchFest festival. Because it was already dark, and we had a long drive home yet, we put this quiet village on our list of places to return. At this point we are still a decent 3 hours away from home. Making the most of our night visit, I used the night mode on my camera. Not too bad, grainy in my opinion though.

Fairport Harbor Lighthouse using Night vision mode

Below is an excerpt from their website describing the festival.

Lake County PerchFest(TM)
The Lake County PerchFest(TM) is Ohio's largest perch fish fry/festival. The PerchFest is held at a scenic 25 acre Lake Erie beach park, Lake Metroparks Fairport Harbor Lakefront Park. The Lake County PerchFest features live entertainment, additional food and crafts vendors.

A perch fishing tournament with a $1000 first prize attracts hundreds of fishing contestants. A karaoke contest with a $500 in prizes also attracts both contestants and a full tent of visitors. Improved affordable Lake Erie yellow Perch fish fry meals are the main attraction, selling 2,200 pounds of perch and 9,000 meals in 30 hours. The fish vendor uses Lake Erie Yellow perch with a special breading machine on site and fries the fish in canola oil. Walleye fish fries are also included, plus shrimp baskets and steamed clams.

Tours of the Fairport Marine Museum/Lighthouse is also part of the PerchFest plus youth activities . Youth activities include a youth fishing tank, plus other performers. More vendors, both arts and crafts and non-fish food vendors, also are part of the PerchFest(TM). The PerchFest received national publicity with a six minute segment on the Travel Channel program, "Taste of America.".

The Lake County Perch Fest is hosted by the Lake County Visitors Bureau.

Fairport Harbor Lakefront Park is about 40 miles east of downtown Cleveland off Route 2. Dates are Sep 11-13, 2009. Visitors from as far away as Seattle attend.

If you'd like more information about the festival, please visit their website.
http://www.perchfest.net/

End of another day, and a few lights crossed off our list.
More to come!

Road Trip!

2009-02-04T21:57:00.007-05:00

With summer coming to a close, we were determined to visit all of the lighthouses on the Lake Erie coast. To do this we really needed to get our maps out and start driving. Matt and I derived a plan to start at the furthest point we felt we could travel in one day and come home. This way, wherever we left off we would be close to home.
Traveling with a two year old is never easy, let alone 3-4 hour car rides to try to entertain her through. She did rather well, we carried a lot of crayons and coloring books!

Taylor's travel tools

For today's trip we talked about heading towards Erie Pennsylvania to see the Erie Land Lighthouse, the Presque Isle Lighthouse, and the Presque Isle Pierhead Light. Up to this point, this was the furthest we had gone for a day trip. Our plan was to drive the first 4 hours all at once and stop at the lights on the return trip.
We had planned this trip 2 weeks in advance, so why be surprised when Saturday came we awoke to a gloomy, rainy morning. So what do you do? This was the only weekend available for the remainder of the month where Matt and I both had a day off together. We went for it! The closer we drove to Cleveland Ohio the lighter the skies got as well. When we finally arrived in Erie, the showers had slowed to a mist. So, we decided to have lunch first and see how the weather looked when we finished.

Hummm...guess where we ate?

After lunch, the sun started to peek thru. It was really turning out to be a nice day. Our first stop was the Erie Land Lighthouse. I'd love to meet the person responsible for the directional signs to this lighthouse! Yeah we found it, but what in the world? We felt like the mouse chasing the cheese! We spent way too much time zig-zaging through city side streets, one block at a time. It took us 30 min. to travel 5 miles! Needless to say I made our own directions from here out! I found a far better way to leave.

Erie Land Lighthouse

From this point, we headed to the causeway that took us over to the Presque Isle State Park. Well into September now, summer has "unofficially" ended on Labor day. We were a bit bummed, many of the beaches in the state park were now closed for the season. Note to self: remember sandals to walk the beach, and our bikes to ride all over the peninsula! We definitely are looking into coming back again and staying for a weekend next time.

Presque Isle Lighthouse

The Presque Isle Lighthouse was a very nice lighthouse tucked away on the beach. The day was really turning out to be nicer than we anticipated, so we opted to walk along the sand to admire the beauty for a while. We couldn't get much closer to the light unfortunately, the Presque Isle Lighthouse is currently used as a residence for park personnel. This was good though, we were able to walk the grounds of the home though.

The U.S. Brig NIAGARA sailing across the bay.

We had no idea the USS Niagara was going to be out sailing today, did we pick a good day or what? It really put you in the mind of what things were like back then. I wish we had gone back to the museum on the mainland and gotten closer pictures and information. As things would turn out though we were running out of daylight and really needed to keep moving.

Erie North Pierhead Light

Our last stop on the isle was at the Erie North Pierhead Light. We walked out onto the pier and watched the local fishermen enjoying their late summer catch. There was a lot of activity out on the water. Sail boat after sail boat came back into the harbor-- seems everyone was trying for one last outing before the breezes turned cooler.

We did stop and seen the Perry's Monument also on the isle. In full circle, this is the same perry in history that we have learned about for years at put-in-bay. The monument itself is much smaller than the Perry's Monument at Put-in-Bay, but what a striking resemblance. I may show side by side photo's later.

The sun is now getting lower in the sky, and we're not even into Ohio yet. We better get moving if we want to see anymore lighthouses before sunset! With that we end our Pennsylvania visit and start heading westward. Definitely on our list of places to return!

Want to see more? Check out their website below for more information about Presque Isle State Park.
http://www.goerie.com/presqueisle

More to come...

Labor Day Excursion.

2009-01-31T11:54:00.017-05:00

After leaving Vermillion, we traveled east on U.S. Highway 6 towards the city of Lorain, Ohio. The sun was sinking lower in the sky, and sunset was within a couple of hours. Once we arrived in Lorain we found Lakeview park along Lake Erie fairly easily. The park in itself was perfect. It was full of all the amenities you could every want for a summer family getaway.
Check out their website below for a full description as well as some site history.
http://www.loraincountymetroparks.com/index.html
(Be sure to go to the parks link on the left and choose Lakeview park)

Both the Lorain East Breakwall light and Lorain Lighthouses are visible offshore from this beach.

Lorain Lighthouse

After we walked along the beach for a while, we stopped at an interesting find. They had the playground right on the beach! Taylor loved it! When we took a break from playing we continued walking around the 20+ acre grounds.
Taylor also found the large water fountain in the center of the park. We knew we were in trouble when she kept getting closer and closer to the wall. It was a warm day, why not?

Taylor getting sprayed by the water fountain

She kinda looks like a wet puppy, and yeah, we had to lead her away too!

Another attraction to the park was the beautiful rose garden. The Historic Lakeview Park Rose Garden is full of more than 250 rose bushes with countless varieties. We almost missed the sunset because we were so taken by the garden.

beautiful roses throughout

The perfect ending to a perfect day. The sunset over the lake was breathtaking. Unfortunately for me, when it was time to start snapping photos, the sun sank into the lake like a weight was tied to it.

the last sliver of visible sun- sinking into the lake

Until the next adventure...

Now we're hooked!

2009-01-30T12:29:00.013-05:00

Now that we are home from our vacation, we find ourselves planning our next "road trip". As it turns out, labor day was perfect. We didn't have much to do with family or friends, so we decided to do something the three of us would enjoy together.
Armed with a small cooler, our guide book, and a camera we headed to the lakefront. We drove toward small town of Vermillion, Ohio. This light was a bit difficult at first to find (actually, instead of stopping and asking where the park was located we drove around aimlessly). After circling up and down US Highway 6 a couple of times we agreed to just pull into the downtown area. Sure enough, at the bottom of a small hill at the end of Main Street was The Inland Seas Maritime Museum. Of course, the museum is open daily from 10am to 5pm, so when we stroll in at 5:15 they are already closed! Well, looks like we'll have to make another trip.
We still made the most of our visit and walked around the grounds.

Vermillion Lighthouse

Taylor really enjoyed getting her feet wet on the beach. We strolled along a while, collecting shells and rocks and even found a playground nearby. Matt and I watched her climb on the jungle gym while we took in the late summer breeze off the lake. We could hardly pull her away, but we had more to see.

Taylor on the beach

With sunset approaching, we made it back to our Jeep, and headed east to Lorain.

More to come...

Our daughter.

2009-01-29T11:11:00.008-05:00

Taylor, our pride and joy, has brought so much to our lives. I thought today I'd share a few of her travel pictures. She really enjoys going places. Even if at this age she doesn't fully comprehend where we've been, she still loves going!

Today my husband had his shirt on from the Soo locks when Taylor walked up to him and said, "that's from Michigan right daddy? We're not in Michigan right now. We went there to see the boats." This from a three year old!

Her other favorite line is that we went one day and seen that big lighthouse by the tall grass. I don't know which one she is referring to, but it seems to come up a lot when we talk about places we've been.

More to come!
Blessings...

I hate being sick!

2009-01-29T10:53:00.007-05:00

Sorry I've been off a couple of days, I've been bitten by the flu bug. Today is the first day that I can sit up longer than a half hour. Even with the flu shot this has been rough. I think every joint and muscle in my body aches! I hope to re-join society soon, but for now the computer will have to do.
I guess on the upside, we have been snowed in from a pretty nasty winter storm. We accumulated another 10" of snow, with another 2-4" tonight into tomorrow. So I guess if you're stuck inside, might as well be sick.
Blessings...

Mackinac Island

2009-01-25T16:01:00.020-05:00

The Grand Hotel--only $900 per night!

Beautiful gardens, crystal blue waters, warm summer breeze, creamy fudge...oh yeah, and watch out for the "road apples"! These are just a few memories that come to me while I sit here and drift back to the island.
Mackinac Island (pronounced mack-in-aw) was perfect!

We woke in the morning to catch an early ferry over to the island from St. Ignace U.P. Michigan. Well, we had good intentions of catching the 8am ferry that would take us under the "Mighty Mac"...but as usual we were getting off to a slow start. So the 8am ferry turned into the 10am ferry, and it was a photo finish!
As we were pulling into the parking lot, the last horn blew to load the ferry! Imagine four adults and a 2yr old dashing across the lot (We must have looked like O.J. hurdling obstacles in the airport). They did hold the ferry a moment so we could purchase tickets and board- whew!
The ferry ride was breathtaking. What a sight of the Mackinac Bridge.

It is a bit hard to see here, but the Mackinac Bridge is just above the picket fence.

The water, so clear! I've never see water so crystal clear and blue before. You could see all the way to the bottom! We then passed the Round Island Lighthouse and the Round Island Passage Light on our way to the island. I wish I would have gotten better shots, but I think I was too taken by the picturesque sites around me.

Yummy fudge- if you've every been to the Mackinac area you know what I'm talking about! The whole island is ONE HUGE FUDGE FACTORY! Every third shop on the island is a fudge or candy shop that gives FREE samples! Our tour guide told us if you stopped and had a sample at every fudge shop you would have eaten over a pound of fudge! Now there's a challenge I'm willing to take!

Oh, and watch out for "road apples"! There are only 3 motor vehicles permitted on the entire island; an ambulance, a firetruck, and a police vehicle. Every other mode of transportation on the island is either man-powered or horse-powered (and I mean the hairy-hay fed type, lol). Even the street sweepers are horse drawn.

The island if full gorgeous gardens filled with blooming flowers. I could sit and sway in the breeze all day!
Our day on the island was very relaxing. I definitely will be back again sometime! I felt so at-home up north, I wish I could stay longer!

Taylor playing in the sun!

More to come!

Quote of the day.

2009-01-24T11:52:00.006-05:00

I stumbled across this while walking through a few blogs this morning. I thought it beared repeating.

Every morning in Africa, a gazelle awakens. He has only one thought on his mind: To be able to run faster than the fastest lion. If he cannot, then he will be eaten.

Every morning in Africa a lion awakens. He has only one thought on his mind: To be able to run faster than the slowest gazelle. If he cannot, he will die of hunger.

Whether you choose to be a gazelle or a lion is of no consequence. It is enough to know that with the rising of the sun, you must run. And you must run faster than you did yesterday or you will die.
This is the race of life.

Soo Locks @ Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan

2009-01-22T18:06:00.011-05:00

Intriguing...That is one description that comes to mind about the locks the first time I saw them. Our family watched for hours as ships would come in and pass through. My mind couldn't help but wonder, where were they going, where had they been, and what an adventure they must be having.

Daddy and Taylor--She needed a mid-day snooze.

While at the Locks Museum we learned about not only the lock themselves, but how this to many crew was their "home away from home". In the small amount of time they spent passing through, a crewmen could get a haircut, check out a library book, pick up and send out post mail, etc. Of course, it was only a matter of minutes it seems it took for them to pass, but I imagine if you were agile enough you could get done what you needed. The tour guide was explaining that this was more evident in the earlier years, and now many of these resources are seldom used.

While here we also enjoyed a pasty across the street at a small diner. Pasty (pronounced pass-tee) for those who may not know, are a must-have local favorite when visiting the U.P. Much like salt-water taffy when on the coast, you gotta have at least one pasty when up north. Pasties I would say, are in the pot pie family. The easiest way for me to describe them is; imagine a gravy-less, stuffed full pot pie without the bowl. Yummy!

More to come!

Upper Penninsula, Michigan

2009-01-20T16:17:00.017-05:00

Whitefish Point Lighthouse

Before I continue, I wanted to take a moment to thank our visitors and fans for stopping by..I truely enjoy the company. Thank you!

Our vacation to the U.P. was a very action-packed four day excursion. After we visited the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum, we traveled into the forest to the Tahquamenon Falls State Park. There we hiked the trails to the upper and lower falls.

(excerpt from brochure)

The Upper Falls is one of the largest waterfalls east of the Mississippi. It has a drop of nearly 50 feet and is more than 200 feet across. A maximum flow of more than 50,000 gallons of water per second has been recorded cascading over its precipice.
The Tahquamenon rises from springs north of McMillan and drains an area of more than 820 square miles. From its source, it meanders 94 miles before emptying into Whitefish Bay. The amber color of the water is not rust nor is it muddiness. It is caused by tannin leached from the Cedar, Spruce and Hemlock in the swamps drained by the river. The extremely soft water churned by the action of the falls causes the extensive amounts of foam which has been the trademark of the Tahquamenon since the days of the voyageurs.

I have to admit that I cannot pronounce the name of these falls, but due to the tint of the water, they have been given the nickname "tea falls". The hike was beautiful, the mosquitos could carry you away, but overall we all enjoyed our time.

My husband and I invited my parents to travel with us on this trip, so we didn't make it to as many lighthouses as we had hoped. For being a short trip we really had it packed full of activities.

We headed back to the "Mainland" that night only to find that Madonna was at the Traverse City Film Festival and every hotel within a hundred mile radius was booked. It looked very grim for us finding shelter for the night. My husband and I felt like Mary and Joseph- weery and desperate for somewhere to lay our heads. We checked every hotel and motel at numerous exits, picking up other room seekers at every stop. Finally, after hours of knocking on doors we found a small mom and pop motel (under 20 rooms) that had two room vacant. The small convoy we'd been traveling with continued on into the night, I wonder how far it took them to find rooms? Could you imagine four um.. full-sized adults and a toddler trying to sleep in our jeep? Oh I really don't care to imagine.
More to come.....

Shipwrecks and Lights.

2009-01-16T11:48:00.011-05:00

After I finished my lengthy post the other day I thought, well maybe I could show a few more pictures of our vacation. So starting with this post, I am going to start with some of our vacation pictures.

This is a picture of the Lens that sits center stage inside the museum.

Here is a bell recovered from one of the shipwrecks.

This is Whitefish Point Lighthouse.
I will be adding more as time allows. I thought this would be a good way to let others view our pictures of our adventures.
Blessings...

The start of it all.

2009-01-14T12:51:00.010-05:00

I've always loved lighthouses. From a very small age my parents took our family to a nearby lighthouse during the summer, but it wasn't too long ago that it became much more. Back then it was just that...a lighthouse. Something beautiful to go see on a Sunday afternoon if we were up by the lake. In the past few years my husband and I had become more frequent visitors to that very lighthouse, even taking our newborn daughter. To be honest, she has been places her mother has not, twice! She has climbed the tower with her grandparents (something her mother and father have not done yet). It wasn't until a more recent trip we've taken to Whitefish Point (Paradise, U.P. Michigan) that my love for lighthouses flourished into an obsession.
I've looked at lighthouses as landmarks for years as a place go and see, but that trip changed my perspective. There is alot more than the beauty of the structure, there is the purpose.
Whitefish Point is also the home of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum. Rich with history, the museum houses pictures, stories and artifacts of ships and crew that have met their fate on the great lakes. The famed Edmund Fitzgerald is nestled approx. 17 miles offshore from here. After seeing the most heart-wrenching documentary of "The Big Fitz" we then toured the light keeper's quarters and walked the beachfront which seemed to stretch for miles. Over and over the call from the ship stuck with me. If they could see the light, they would be safe. The lighthouse that night meant home, safe and nurturing like a mother. There was no light that night, the storm had made the lighthouse dim. With this the lighthouse became so much more to me. Not just on that night, a sorrowful November 10th, but on many nights everywhere they are looked to for hope. With this seed began a conquest.
As the months flew by I began researching shipwrecks and lighthouses. The two for me merged into an obsession for learning and seeing all that I could.
I know realistically we may never see ALL of the lighthouses, but it is a goal we are determined to shoot for.
This is just the beginning......

Some Ideas

2009-01-10T21:31:00.012-05:00

So I was showing my husband what I've been up to lately with the blog when he asked "So why don't you have any pictures up like him?"
Him being James, our first follower, whos own blog has inspired me to start a blog of our own capturing our adventures. (Thanks james by the way--yay!)
We don't have many shots, and looking back I really don't think my pictures are anything sepectacular. So I sit here and sigh. Some day I do really hope to gather our experiences into a journal or guide.
Then our daughter climbs up next to me and we start reflecting together. "Mommy I remember that lighthouse." or "Mommy remember that one lighthouse by the tall grass?" Then it hit me. I may not have top-of-the-line equipment or gallery quality shots, but the shots I've got we've gotten together. We have the whole day trip together; the walks, the food and even the playgrounds we've visited. Memories my daughter will carry with her forever.
So, not as depressed as before, I am starting some of our photos off with a picture of our daughter taylor strolling along a beach looking for a lighthouse this summer.
Never let down your dreams!
Blessings.....

What's this???

2009-01-08T23:55:00.005-05:00

Well, the best description I can give you....A NEW TOY!! Matt and I have gotten ourselves a Garmin NUMI GPS unit for christmas to "help" our travels this year. Eh, we'll see. I hope once I figure out the tricks it will save me hours of prep and mapping time. I've found a couple of websites that has POI's set up already for light buffs but I haven't taken the time to sit and figure out how to make them work for me yet.
I'm pretty excited though, it can help with other places to see and things to do when we are away from home.
So that was a couple of tasks I had for myself to get done today; unlock maps and charge the GPS as well as get ahold of tech support to find out how these files and such need to be set up.
Just briefly, countdown 6 days til the close of the 2008 shipping season. Soo Locks are icing over more and more each day as traffic there has slowed to a crawl. I've added the camera link of the locks to my blog as well.
Blessings.

Welcome!

2009-01-06T13:39:00.005-05:00

Welcome to our blog! This is the first of (I hope) many writings sharing our family's lighthouse travels. We are excited to finally get this going, a project that has been long in the works. My family and I have been visiting lighthouses for a few years now, but have never thought of making it more than a hobby. Now it's an obsession! In the next few months I will be working on updating this blog, as well as plotting and planning our next season of scouting. Any suggestions or referrals are always welcome! Thanks for stopping by, and be sure to bookmark this blog to catch all of the updates!