The Last Full Day - Day 6

It rained all day Sunday.
9/22/2019 dwm photo

During our week in the light house, we woke up to fog and lingering overnight rain, but Sunday was the only rainy day.

We figured that would mean fewer visitors, but didn't think about the advantage of showers.

When I headed outside to prepare the grounds, I noticed the rain washed much of the sand off the walks and stairs.  Where sand remained, it was more difficult to move, but once it was swept aside, it stayed.

The rain cut down on visitors walking the beach; which reduced the sand tracked inside.

Instead of sand, we tried to keep up with water, mopping it frequently to keep the original wood floors as dry as possible (photo below right).

We did see a few more international visitors to the lighthouse Sunday.  According to the guest book, countries represented during our stay included: Germany, France, Canada, Italy, South Africa, England, and Columbia.

Lightkeeping is glamorous work.
9/22/19  rkm photo

For the first time, we had stretches of time when the house was empty, we took pictures of the house sections that served as our home.

We lived in the back-half where the kitchen, dining room, living room, and bedroom were located.  The bathroom, complete with a washer/dryer, was modern and comfortable.

The door to the gift shop opened into our living room, which is likely why it held inventory of popular t-shirts, ceramic mugs, and tourist brochures.

Half of the living room, looking into the dining room.  No
air conditioning, so fans helped on the warmest days.
9/22/2019 dwm photo

The last paragraph reminds me of how quickly we settled into lighthouse life.  Wednesday I heard it as we explained a feature of "our" house to a guest.

Which makes sense.  When you sleep and care for a place, a sense of ownership develops.  It is why we cared for the flower beds and swept often.

We ate most of our meals at the lighthouse, venturing out to eat just three times.  I've told you about the Old Mission General Store.

Our other favorite is The Jolly Pumpkin.  It was on the ground level of a lakeside home with a large dining room.  I'd describe it as an upscale brew pub.  A house specialty was their Truffle Fries.  I went with the french variety to complement the excellent pulled pork.

The Jolly Pumpkin dining room.
9/18/2019 dwm photo

We tried to take our son and his wife there on Saturday, but the expected wait was longer than our endurance.  That night we drove all the way into Traverse City, 18 miles down M-37.

The peninsula is home to several nice restaurants, including The Peninsula Grill, which is also nicer than the name might indicate.

Beside the eateries, there are dozens of orchards (cherry and apple) and vineyards.  Fruit thrives on the tiny finger of land because the surrounding waters of Lake Michigan protect the fruit from early frosts.

Our bedroom.  We kept the window open as much as possible
to hear the waves lapping on the beach.  9/22/19 (dwm)

Sunday was our slowest day keeping the light house, just 167 guests.

It was also the day we purchased our mementos from the experience.  A hat, pin, puzzle, three t-shirts, postcards, bottle opener, and calendar were some of things we picked out.  That's what happens when you spend 42 hours in a gift shop!

We called Sunday "our last full day" because Monday was our day off and opportunity to see more of the area.

I'll write about that tomorrow.