We Made It To Traverse City! Day 3

 September 16, 2019

We Made It To Traverse City!

Day 3

Truth be told it’s only 48 miles from our last night’s hotel to where we are tonight in Traverse City. However, we decided that it would be more fun to take the 267 mile detour instead of using that rational reasoning that the straightest distance between two points is a straight line. Or, in our case taking a left hand turn on the highway in Mackinaw City and driving directly here.

I will say I was impressed with the lighthouse offerings that Mr. Quilter Cook had planned for the day. There was only one of those metal range lights on tower legs to deal with, although it was a 40 mile detour of it’s own. Luckily, it was located in a municipal parking lot which just happened to have a Dairy Queen on the corner. Problem solved. No crossword puzzle or book reading for me—I hopped out and bought myself a cherry-dipped vanilla cone. Ah, one of my personal treats which I cannot and do not allow myself m very often.

Tonight I really have to get going on memorizing the packet on the history of Mission Point Lighthouse. I’ve read it many times but didn’t memorize any dates and names. I’ll come up with a short and long story and read the expression on the faces of our guests to determine interest levels before chatting away.

At one of the lighthouses today I spoke with a lady volunteering in the gift shop. She’s been there for three years and gave us some sound advice for the upcoming week.

1)      Try to act amused when you hear the question “Where’s the elevator?” for the millionth time. I am used to that. With a name like Rhonda, try to guess how many times idiots have walked up to me and starting singing in my face the song "Help Me Rhonda". Uh, yeah. Not amusing. 

2)      Advise tourists to wear stable shoes and not flip-flops when going up and down the tower. Although we expect this time of year our main visitors will be retired folks, it's still worth keeping an eye out for carelessness. 

3)      Try to count heads so at the end of the day you know how many are still up in the tower so you don’t  lock anyone up there. Why is it that I see me doing this? Then, in the middle of the night I start hearing voices yelling off in the distance….”help me…” “get me out of here”…and thinking it’s just the ghost of a dead light keeper I roll back over and go to sleep? Hmm…I’d better put Mr. Quilter Cook in charge of counting the guests for good measure.

4)      She also advised that we keep close watch of the operation hours. Open at exactly 10 am, regardless of lines and gnashing of teeth and put the closed sign in the window at exactly 5pm, warning guests that the last trip to the tower will begin at 4:45pm or we could potentially be there until 8pm.

It all sounds like great advice. We will see what works for us.

Tonight, we’re both a little antsy about tomorrow. I am thinking of heading to the hot tub and balancing my history packet in front of me while I make mental notes. Hey, I see people do this all the time in Madison at my health club. I haven’t seen anything drop into the steamy water yet.

Of course, there is always a first time. So, just in case I’ll keep Mr. Quilter Cook’s copy dry back in the room. You just never know…

*So, for a bit of housekeeping on my website. Until today I was unaware that a warning about my site being restricted has been popping up on some of your screens when you click on my link. Who knew? Mr. Quilter Cook will get that straightened out tonight so you can feel good about passing my link onto your friends. So, no worries that Homeland Security is coming after you. It’s a glitch on my end we can easily fix.

Also, please ignore small editing issues. I am usually typing this late at night and we are off and running before 6 am. When I have a chance, I’ll go back and edit. Thanks.

Ok, I really need to get started on my homework…or go to dinner. I like that idea much better!

I won’t say lights out tonight. I may have an all-nighter ahead of me yet. But then again, how much really could have happened there in 50 years? Well, there was one light keeper who jumped off the side of a ship and drown himself after a vacation so he wouldn't have to go back to the lighthouse ever again. He was depressed and lonely living there alone. (Ya think? Geesh) 

Wish me luck!

Tomorrow we are off to our lighthouse!!!!

The Quilter Cook

P.S. If you are a facebook friend of mine you can see all the pictures of today’s lighthouses that we visited. Just type my name in the facebook searchbox.