August 28, 2023
Muskegon SP, MI to Holland SP, MI
Day 3
I woke it 6 am but it is still dark at this time of year so lay in the tent until 6:45. A little cool this morning at 52 degrees so a slow start. Had a cold breakfast as we planned to visit a coffee house later. Cameron's finger was still damaged so I had extra work to do this morning packing up his tent and packing his bags. (should have got up earlier).
I had a pretty good nights sleep as the camp was quiet. Apparently I snored as Cameron's tent moved overnight as he tried to get further away from me. So I must have slept well.
Our site was better than last time I was here 2 years ago where we got a very sandy site as there wasn't anything left. Still this site had plenty of sand as well. I bought a roll up mat for the door of the tent and I am liking the arrangement. Less sand in the tent and something to kneel or sit on as I enter and exit.
We finally got away at 8:40 am and made a quick stop at the beach to take some photos. Jackets were on until we reached Muskegon.
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The road turned inland as we cycled around the Muskegon inlet arriving at the crossroads of Muskegon where trails went back north to Montague and Hart (part of the trail we rode yesterday) and south to Muskegon with another branch to Grand Rapids. We continued south stopping in downtown Muskegon.
We arrived right on 10 am when the Muskegon Visitors Center located in the Union Depot opened and picked up 2 stamps for my lighthouse passport for both the Muskegon Pier Lighthouse and the Muskegon Breakwater Lighthouse.
The Union Depot (railroad depot) opened in 1895 and served three different rail road lines with service to Chicago, Grand Rapids and Toledo. Possibly some of the trails run on those old lines today
We asked around for a coffee shop as we needed to wait for the Muskegon Pierhead Lighthouse to open at 1 pm for a visit and were directed to the p. I worked on the journal while Cameron did his school work.
Around 12 noon we packed up and rode through downtown and out to the south entrance to the Muskegon harbor. We set up at a table under a tree for lunch and waited until 1 pm..
We paid our fee and climbed the tower for views from all angles. While the lighthouse wasn't as impressive as the last two we visited, the nice volunteers more than made up for it. While there I obtained 2 more stamps to complete more collection for this lighthouse.
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Muskegon South Pierhead Lighthouse
The first lighthouse at Muskegon was on the south side of the river was a one 1/2 story building with a wooden tower built in 1851. In 1871, a replacement was built and the following year a pierhead light on the south pier.
The present circular metal tower was erected in 1903 near the inner end of the pier using the lens from the 1871 land it was removed.
In 1925 construction started on arrow head breakwaters and the parallel piers were shortened. By 1930 a steel tower had been erected on the outer end of the south pier.
The wooden lighthouse was torn down in the 1970's.
We left the lighthouse at 1:45 pm to ride to Grand Haven, arriving just after 3 pm.
From downtown Grand Haven, we rode along the waterfront and out on to the pier to the lighthouses.
Grand Haven Lighthouse
The first lighthouse at Grand Haven lasted from 1848 till 1852 when storms eroded the area around the lighthouse and it collapsed. In 1855 a replacement lighthouse was built on the bluff above the harbor.
In 1871 a pierhead light was established. During 1904, a metal tower was built near the outer end of the south pier and in 1905, the lens from the old bluff-top lighthouse, which was discontinued, was established in the new pierhead tower. in 1906, pierhead light was moved closer to the shore and a fog signal building was built at the end of the pier. And at that time a lens was mounted on the fog signal building.
In 1922 a ship bow like concrete structure was built at the foot of the fog signal building to protect the building from waves.
1910 saw the tower removed from the bluff light and the building.
The Fresnel lens, used in the 1855 tower and the pierhead tower, is on display in the Tri-Cities Historical Museum’s Train Depot Museum in Grand Haven.
As I had already visited this area on my 2021 trip and had all the lighthouse stamps we stayed long enough to get a couple of photos as we still had miles to get too.
Lake Michigan - East - Short Lighthouse Tour
We left Grand Haven 4 pm. thinking we would find a store to buy a drink. Didn't happen for many miles.
We left Grand Haven at 4 pm travelling on Lake Shore Avenue thinking we would see a convenience store on the way out of town and get a cold drink. There were quite a few cars and houses and we wondered where were all the gas stations? It would be another 14 miles and 5:15pm before we encountered the Port Sheldon Party Store and were finally able to get drinks.
With more miles to go, we took off again following the trail that ran alongside Butternut Drive until we reached the Family Fare Supermarket.
The road north of Holland have many trails that run alongside the streets making easy passage on a bike.
As it was getting late and buying meat for our dinner may not last the hot journey to our campsite at Holland State Park, we bought supplies for the next few days and picked up some fried chicken and fried potatoes for eat right away. We commandeered some seats outside the store and enjoyed our no frills dinner.
After riding more trails parallel to the roads we arrived at Holland State Park at 7:15 pm and got site number 188.
As it was getting close to sunset we quickly erected our tents and then rode our bikes down to Holland Beach to watch the sunset.
Holland Lighthouse is across the harbor channel and this is the only view you can get as access is closed due to private land. There has been talk of opening it up but nothing yet. Such a shame as it is an iconic Michigan landmark blocked by a few landowners.
Holland Harbor Lighthouse
The first known lighthouse at Holland Harbor was a pierhead light built in 1873.
The current structure affectionally known as Big Red was originally the fog signal building that was built just behind the pierhead tower in 1907. in 1936 a square tower was added to the fog signal building and the pierhead light was removed.
The Fresnel lens used in the lighthouse is on display at the Holland Museum.
Our campsite ended up being one of the noisiest of the trip so far. The noise from cicadas in the tress was insane, sounded like 1000s of them above us. Plus we were on the main thoroughfare into the camp so passing cars and trucks late at night rumbled by shining their lights on our tents.
Today's ride: 62 miles (100 km)
Total: 145 miles (233 km)
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