Day 2 Michigan Road Trip: Niagara Falls to Grand Haven, Michigan

For mobile users, use this link to subscribe to follow by email

Today was a ride along Lake Erie. While I-90 was the route, it was a ways from the lake so we only got glimpses of it in the distance.

We did take one small detour around some slow traffic as directed by Google Maps - and we did see this interesting sign. We grew up in Portland (Maine) and Faye's maiden name was Jordan. The short diversion took us by some wonderful farms - a pleasant scene and diversion, if only for a short while, from the interstate. FYI, the detour did not save any time as once back on the Interstate I passed a truck that I have passed a short time before.

Grand Haven is on the west side of Michigan and the east side of Lake Michigan. If that confuses you - as it did me to write it - check out the map.

The southeast portion of Lake Michigan is known for its beaches. Grand Haven has reportedly one of the nicest. The photos below would certainly not give anyone cause to argue.

Notice the "cannon" on the beach.

Now look at it.

And here is a close up - it is dumping dredge sand that a dredge out by the lighthouse in the distance is pumping all the way over to here. Looks like some attempt to increase the size of the beach.

Same location but with some elevation from across the parking lot.

There is a inlet at Grand Haven. We are walking the board walk and pier.

This momument is to those lost while on the pier. What? How?

And here is the caution sign ............

.......... and painful reality that the waves during a storm can wash someone in with deadly consequences.

As you can see the pier is very close to the water and it would be very easy to have waves that wash over the pier. The catwalk structure in its day when the lighthouses were manned was functional and afforded a relatively safe way to move about on the pier with waves washing over it. Today the catwalk only carries electric cables as the lights are automated.

You will notice that there is a light on the structure in the foreground and one in the lighthouse tower some distance beyond. The reason for this is to create a light range to guide vessels straight into the inlet - just line up one light with the other and you know you are headed straight at the entrance.

Back along the boardwalk that continues from the pier.

Being the train guy that I am, it was interesting to see this very large steam locomotive. A very nice example of an icon of the past.

The main portion of Grand Haven fronts the inlet channel. Crowds here are gathering, as did we, for the nightly water fountain light and music display.

An ice cream helped pass the time while waiting for the show to start.

This photos do not do the display justice. It was very well done and a treat to see - if it was 10:10 before it started. Being at the west end of the eastern time zone (here he goes again with more confusing directions), it gets dark very late here.