Early June, 2009 - We left Elkhart, Indiana and started up the west coast
of Michigan. We were in search of cute little waterfront towns, and there is
an abundance along Lake Michigan, each unique and welcoming. The
first was South Haven. The town straddles a small harbor and a river
channel lined with a pretty boardwalk leading down to a small lighthouse.
We walked through town, admiring the small shops and catching glimpses
of the boats in the harbor.
Mark needed a haircut, so we turned in at the barber pole and he
got a quick clip. With his new summer do making him feel lighter
and freer, we headed out to stroll along the riverfront.
Boats of all kinds were cruising in and out of the harbor, and as
we approached the pier we found there were two terrific beaches
on either side of the channel entrance.
We kicked our shoes off to feel the Michigan sand squeeze between our
toes, and watched the action on the beach. Teenagers were strutting
their stuff all around us, with babes in bikinis perfecting their runway
walks up and down the pier.
Back in town, we found a fun and funky wooden walkway that climbed up and down
and around the harborfront shops.
There were little
eateries everywhere,
and a drawbridge
leading to the inner
harbor.
Big boats and small
boats maneuvered
around each other,
and a young girl in a
dinghy followed a
family of ducks trying
to catch them with
her camera.
We found a small motel on the edge of town, and when we
commented on the charm of this town she said, "Well, you have
to go down to the waterfront at sunset. Don't miss it. The sun
sets at about 9:30, so get there about an hour before and you'll
have plenty of time."
We've seen such stunning sunsets in the southwest, just
peering out our trailer's windows, that her insistence that
we go back to town and down to the beach for the sunset
that night struck me as kind of amusing. The sky didn't
look especially promising for any kind of colorful display,
but we followed her advice anyway and returned to town
as the sun was slipping towards the lake.
What a spectacle awaited us. We began walking towards the pier and
found ourselves surrounded by throngs of people heading down to the
beach to watch the sunset: young couples hand-in-hand; families with
kids romping around in excited circles; old folks with a hand on the
railing. Everyone in town was making their way to the waterfront.
A restored pirate ship that had been taking people out on lake rides all
day had one last sunset dinner cruise on tap, and we watched her
stately form slip past the lighthouse in the dimming light.
Some people spread out on picnic blankets, and others just enjoyed the
quiet moments as the sun worked its magic. Every swing and slide in
the playground was in motion with kids crawling all over, and behind
them the cars cruised up and down and round and round the streets.
There was a car show scheduled for the next day, and quite a few
antique convertibles showed up early as their proud owners
cruised the beach the way they did fifty years ago.
A newlywed couple posed for
wedding shots along the pier
with the lighthouse in the
background, as the sun sank
lower and lower towards the lake.
The ice cream stand was a
hub of activity all evening, and
the evidence was everywhere
as nearby folks wandered
slightly off kilter down the pier,
head sideways, tongue
licking, while their eyes stared
around their cones at the
sinking sun.
Photographers of all ages staked out places on the beach to catch the
sun slipping into the water. None of us cared about the sand filling our
shoes as we stomped through the dunes to get the best angle. It was
a great evening and a great show.
Once the sun had fallen into the distant waves, everyone on the beach
quietly packed it up and headed home. As we walked back up towards
town, surrounded by smiling people carrying folded blankets and
empty coolers, I felt as though we'd just left an outdoor concert.
Nature's symphony. The innkeeper had been right: we didn't want to
miss the sunset that night.
The next day was the car show. Again, the whole town came
out for the event. The streets were lined with beautifully
restored cars and admiring fans. Mark's roots from the motor
city sure showed as we wandered from car to car and he
pointed out the finer points of each engine. A peak under the
hood and he would suddenly ooh and aah and give me a
history of the engine and tell me which of his friends had
owned such a beautiful marvel of engineering back in the day.
To me they were all just shiny cars from another era, alhough I did like
the sporty little red Corvette convertible. Mark's taste ran more
towards the muscle cars that just looked like plain old sedans to me.
But then he'd drop to his knees and point out the wrinkle wall tires and
tell of the time his friend put a $10 bill on the dash board and challeged
Mark to catch it as they peeled out. Plastered to the passenger seat
as the rocket launched, there was no way he could reach that bill when
it flew up in the air.
We got talking with a fellow showing off his dragster. He used to race
it himself, but now it was a father-son project, with him supplying the
bucks and know-how and his son taking the wheel at the races.
At the end of the day there was a parade through town and we had a
chance to see each car in all its glory. Some revved their engines as
they went by, although our buddy in the dragster got a tow through
town instead. There were prizes of all kinds, and almost every car
won something. We left South Haven in high spirits and made our
way north a few miles to Saugatuck.