Thursday, July 05, 2012

Farewell to Rogers City

Tomorrow morning we leave Rogers City and head to Ohio. It's been a good week.  We've met new friends and enjoyed this beautiful city. If you're the kind of person that likes a slower paced relaxing kind of vacation, this is the place for you. Rogers City is full of good people.  It really is kind of like Lake Wobegon where "all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average".  People are so friendly here! They say hello to you on the street no matter what their age.  Yep, Sid's Place was the perfect retreat. There are lots of things that we didn't get to do and see...maybe next time!

Ocqueoc Falls


The sinking of the Carl D.


I just finished reading a book about the  Carl D. Bradley shipwreck this week while staying here in Rogers City, Michigan. At approximately 5:30 pm on November 18, 1958, the Carl D. Bradley, a 623 foot limestone carrier caught in one of the most violent storms in Lake Michigan history, snapped in two, and sank in less than five minutes.  Four of the thirty-five-man crew escaped to a small raft, where they hung on in total darkness, braving thirty-foot-high waves and frigid temperatures, but only two of them survived.  As the storm raged on, a search-and-rescue mission hunted for survivors, while the frantic citizens of nearby Rogers City, Michigan, the town that was home to twenty-six members of the Bradley's crew, anxiously awaited word of their loved ones' fates.
No one believed it possible when word spread that the "Carl D" (as the townsfolk called it), a gigantic limestone carrier with a storied history on the Great Lakes, had sunk in the teeth of a fierce November storm. Once the flagship of it's fleet, the Carl D had set numerous tonnage records, and for years had been the largest ship working the lakes. Furthermore, she was considered virtually unsinkable.  The story of the Bradley is a haunting one. Nearing the end of a long journey that had seen her battling high winds and heavy seas, the Bradley broke in two, sinking within a matter of minutes -- all within sight of a nearby ship that could only helplessly watch as the Carl D plunged to the bottom of Lake Michigan, claiming the lives of 33 of its 35 crewmen, including its captain.
This however, is only part of the story.  In a truly amazing turn of events, two men survived and were rescued, after a night of clinging to a life raft pitched around in the stormy seas. The account of their survival, and of the heroic efforts made in bringing them to safety, is one of the most compelling stories in recent Great Lakes history.








Wednesday, July 04, 2012

Fireworks in Alpena

Emilie said that this will be her last Fourth of July celebration until she returns to the US. I had not thought of that, but I suppose it was obvious to her since she spent that summer at Oxford, and the American students had to create their own July 4th celebration. The moon has been gorgeous this week and this picture doesn't begin to show it, but we had fun in the park at Alpena.

Sid's Poems

Each evening we take turns reading one of the poems that Sid wrote. He is the previous owner of the house and lived to his 90's. He had an interesting way of putting things.


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Location:Rogers City MI

Tuesday, July 03, 2012

Forty Mile Point Light

Forty Mile Point Light is a lighthouse located in Presque Isle County on Hammond Bay on the western shore of Lake Huron in Rogers Township, Michigan USA. Unlike many Great Lakes lighthouses, Forty Mile Point Light does not mark a significant harbor or river mouth. Rather, it was constructed with the intent that as one sailed from Mackinaw Point to the Saint Clair River, one would never be out of viewing range of a lighthouse. With no river or harbor to use for a name, the light is named on the basis that it is 40 miles (64 km) sailing distance from Mackinaw Point. 
Ahoy Matey!

 The original lens was a fourth order Fresnel lens designed and manufactured by Henry-Lepaute in Paris. It had six bulls-eye flash panels, and the clockwork would rotate it so that it would emit a white flash every ten seconds. The lens now in place is the third or fourth such lens to occupy that position.

During the Big Blow of 1905, twenty-seven wooden vessels were lost. The steamer Joseph S. Fay ran aground, and a part of its hull rests on the beach approximately 200 feet (61 m) north of the Lighthouse (pictured here). There is a Michigan historical marker honoring Forty Mile Light, and a marker concerning the "Graveyard of Ships" which states:
  • Registered Historical Marker Site L2186 was erected 2007 Forty Mile Point Lighthouse / Graveyard of Ships. The Graveyard of Ships marker states:
    • Named by seventeenth century French explorers La Mer Douce the sweet or freshwater sea, Lake Huron is the second largest of the five Great Lakes. It has over 3,800 miles (6,100 km) of shoreline and contains 30,000 islands, among them Manitoulin, the world's largest freshwater island. Violent storms on the "sweet sea" have made it dangerous for ships. As of 2006, 1,200 wrecks had been recorded. During the Big Blow of 1905, twenty-seven wooden vessels were lost. One of these, the steamer Joseph S. Fay, ran aground. A portion of its hull rests on the beach approximately 200 feet (61 m) north of the Forty Mile Lighthouse.

Monday, July 02, 2012

Sid's Place - Michigan's Best Kept Secret

After a stop over at Petoskey to see Sarah Beth and her intended, we arrived at Rogers City and Sid's Place. We have only been here for 1 day and already we love this place. John & Beth Budnik are our hosts and they did a wonderful job at restoring this little place to its 1920's condition. This place ranks up there with our love of Charleston, SC. Hmmm! For not really being much of a water kind of gal, I love sitting on the beach and listening to the sounds of the waves.  This house is only a block from the water. This fully furnished dwelling is perfect for a quiet get away on the Lake Huron side of things. It just happens that the moon is full this week so it adds a bit more ambience to the setting as well.

Sunday, July 01, 2012

Grand Haven at Sunset

We couldn't resist going to Grand Haven without going to see The Musical Fountain especially since Logan & Emilie had never seen it before. Nonetheless, they were very impressed. We had such a good time with Courtney.  She is such a sweet heart!  We all love her so much!

Grand Rapids & Courtney

We couldn't go north without stopping to see my other daughter, Courtney! After church at Mars Hill, we dropped the guys off to watch Soccer while we went to The Sparrows.
The Sparrows is a little business in the corner of an old house where you can go to read Magazines & Newspapers (as long as you do as the sign says and Pay First!) They had a very large selection of Magazines which I browsed, but didn't read since we were in the business of visiting that day!