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Subj: Harbor Beach, Michigan
Date: 9/25/02 5:40:27 PM Pacific Daylight Time
From:    kbwalk@mymailstation.com

Howdy Everyone!
  I've spent the last few days in Harbor Beach, Michigan, and had a great
time there!  Oftentimes, when I stay at a church or fire stastion, I usually
head out the next day, even if I am scheduled to take a day off.  By doing
that, I managed to get a couple days ahead of my schedule, so I spent those
two extra days here.  I spent the first night at Pat's house, and the last 2
nights at The State Street Inn, a beautiful B&B.  Innkeepers Bill & Janice
Duerr let me stay for free.  I staid in The Gardener's Cottage, a cute room
decorated in shades of green & purple.  Their website is
www.thestatestreetinn.com, and their phone number is 989-479-3388.
  Pat has really made a lot of arrangements for me while I was here in Harbor
Beach.  My lodging was free, my meals were free, I got to ride out to Harbor
Beach Lighthouse, and I received free t-shirts, a couple pens, and 2 books
about the area.  She also made arrangements for me to speak at their high
school, and I really enjoyed that.
  Going out to the lighthouse was really neat.  The first lighthouse there
was built a mile off shore in 1876, it was a lighthouse that the keeper lived
right inside, rather than in a seperate house beside the lighthouse.  The
rooms inside were actually suprisingly large, with 5 floors and a basement.
In 1878 Loren Trescott was the Light keeper and stayed there for 34 years.
The current Lighthouse was built in 1885, and was taken over by the Coast
Guard in 1920.  
  The original lighthouse lamp is still here in Harbor Beach, although it's
no longer in the lighthouse.  It's a Fourth Order Fresnel Lens, and was made
in France in the mid-1800's.  It's around 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide and was
visible for over 20 miles out to sea.
  I really enjoyed meeting Deb, whose daughter also has epilepsy.  Deb has a
support group going, and also took me around town a bit.  I enjoyed going to
the Grice House Museum with her, and was able to  see how they lived in the
1800's.  It also included a barn full of farm implements, sleds, and other
items from that time.  There is also an old one-room school building, circa
1920, which I was able to see.  The items in there included desks, inkwells,
and an old wood stove in the center.
  On wednesday I was fairly busy giving talks all day.  I started out giving
talks at the High School, then spoke at a Rotary meeting at noon, then went to
the elementary school and talked to some third-graders, and then it was back
to the High School.  I really enjoyed getting back into the school system.
  On thursday I'll be heading to Grindstone, where Pat has made arrangements
for me to stay in a cabin at Captain Morgans Bar & Grill.  After that I'll
walk to Port Austin, where I'll be staying in a motel for free.  Also the
Lighthouse Cafe there will let me eat for free.  The next couple days are
being planned, and once I get to Bay City, then several Rotarians will help me
with my lodging & meals, and make more connections on down the road.  In Bay
City I'll get to spend 2 nights at the Holiday Inn for free, and in Midland
I'll be staying with the daughter of some people I met in Maine (it's a small
world!)
  The ultimate goal for Michigan is the fact that I need to get to Ludington
by October 14th, because that's the last day that the ferry crosses Lake
Michigan, and I ain't swimming!!According to my schedule I was planning on
arriving there on the 15th, but I then found out that the ferry only runs
until the 14th.  So I need to adjust one day and get there!  Pat contacted the
ferry company for me a few months ago, and since then I've visited with Sharla
at Badger Ferry Co.  She knows I'll be arriving there on the last day, and I'm
looking forward to the ride.  It's a 4 hr ride across Lake Michigan, and the
ferry leaves at 9am.
  Y'all take care and have a great day!  KB



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