A weekend getaway...part one.

One of our favorite places to visit is Michigan's west coast. Several years ago we stumbled across St. Joseph Michigan, and fell in love with the lighthouse there, and the shops, the beach, and the whole atmosphere of the area.  So over the past 8 years or so, we have been to St. Joe a few times. 

 A couple of years ago we decided to start working our way up the coast. Next lighthouse was South Haven. Another beautiful beach town with shops, restaurants and more right by the beach. We feel in love South Haven too.  The Lighthouse was beautiful, and the shops and restaurants had that small beach town feel.

So when Sarah said she wanted to get away for an early birthday present, I thought, why not go to the next lighthouse.  I did a quick search, and found that Holland would be our next stop.  When I was doing the research, I found out that "Big Red" was the most photographed lighthouse in Michigan.  It was beautiful and picturesque.  Then I was reading about things to do it Holland.  Websites spoke of their quaint downtown with shops.  I started thinking, "Sweet, we are going to love it!"  We reserve a room at a cheap hotel.  I mean, we only sleep there...we don't need anything fancy.  We pack up the car, drop the kids off at the in-laws, and we are north bound. 

We are making great time up 31 out of Kokomo.  We are in Lapaz, just south of South Bend.  All the sudden a state trooper pulls up beside our car, with lights and sirens.  I look over to see him pointing at me.  I pull to the side of the road, and he continues on.  OK...that was weird.  About a half mile up the road, I see the same trooper in the left turn lane behind a car.  He jumps out of "The Cruiser" and starts pointing at me.  I have never seen an officer do that.  So I pull over behind him, and he tells me to follow him.  We pull into an empty lot.  He comes back and tells me I was speeding.  I tell him, sorry, I am from out of town, and was just going with the flow of traffic.  He says, yeah, you were, but I picked you out.  WHAT?  Did I look like I might be muling drugs up to Detroit?  Why pick me out.  So he goes back to "The Cruiser" and we are waiting.  He comes back and tells us we are only going to get a warning for the speed, but...But WHAT?  He informs me that the back of the vehicle registration is not signed.  OK...is that a problem.  I guess it is, because we GOT A TICKET FOR IT!  Really?  It is early in the month, are you trying to reach your quota for the month in the first week?  So we have to find out how much that is going to cost.  Great way to start the trip.

So after the stop we continue on our way up the coast.  We drive through the two cities I mentioned before.  It was a beautiful as we remembered.  Back to the interstate to make it up to Holland.

We get into town, and realize it is bigger than the other towns we had stopped in.  We drive to the lighthouse, only to discover if you want to get close, you have to be one of the select few in the "vacation rentals" near the coast.  So we drive all the way around the bay.  When we get there, there is a line of people to get to the beach in the state park.  $8 gets up in to find barely a parking spot to be found.  We do walk down to the shore, and wade in a little.  The water was beautiful.  And we did get to stare at the lighthouse for a while. 

We start walking down the breaker wall, and all the sudden we hear a man shouting for help.  A riptide was pulling him out along the breaker wall. 

I guess you will have to tune into part two for the rest of the story.