A Winter Lighthouse

 A few weeks ago my sweet friend Marie from Sally Lee by the Sea posted this photo on her blog.

I immediately recognized the photo because it is the lighthouse in Grand Haven, MI, which is about 15 minutes away from me.  I told her that I drive out there almost every day and I have seen the lighthouse look like this through out the years.

Unfortunately, this winter has been very mild so it doesn't quite look like this.

BUT, 

 This morning the sun was finally shining and it was a balmy 18 degrees out so I drug the kids to Starbucks and off we went to take some photos.

Let me first say that Grand Haven is very special to me, it was where my mom was born and raised and where my Grammy and Papa lived until the day my Papa passed away in his home 16 years ago.  We would go often, like every week and it was more or less my second home.

I think that I have told you that my Papa would love to take a loop (or two) around the beach, he LOVED watching the waves crash (must be where I get it from) and the best thing is is that the cemetery they are buried in is actually just up the hill from the beach. :)

This is the channel that comes out to Lake Michigan, it was beautiful, calm and full of pastels this morning.

As you come around a curve you begin to see the mouth of the channel and the red lighthouse.

 

There is a small parking area that you can park and get out and walk the pier.  

It is so beautiful during the summer watching all the boats coming and going to and from the the big lake.

This morning was pretty sparse, but there were a few brave souls.

No one on the pier because as you can see, there is ice out there and one wrong move would not be good.

The sun shone brightly and the ice just sparkled.

This is looking back into the channel, you can see all the ice on the hand railings from the storms that we just had.  

Waves come washing in and over them.

Below we parked in the city beach and snapped a few from that angle.

Lighthouses are so much a part of Michigan and over the years groups have been formed to save and preserve these beautiful structures, Grand Haven being one of them.

Large boats still come in through the channel.

The catwalk is no longer open but was used when lighthouse keepers would have to avoid the large waves as they headed out to their post during storms.

It really is a beautiful site any time of the year.