We went to breakfast with one of the Workamper couples, and then to the local farmer's market. It was great fun! I bought some veggies and a couple of hanging strawberry plants. Then we stopped by the local Harley store so Al could drool over the motorcycles. What do you think -- is this me, or what?!
The next day, Wiley and I went into downtown Muskegon to run some errands and do a little sightseeing. Muskegon is kind of a gritty looking city, especially along the waterfront where there's lots of old industry, but there is a beautiful historic neighborhood. 
We were walking around taking pictures of some of the Victorian mansions when we saw this one being bulldozed. That's when we realized that we were seeing live the controversial destruction of a historic mansion that had been all over the news. The family who lived in it had been cited numerous times over many years for code violations, and the city finally decided to pull it down. The last-minute rally by citizens to save it was too little too late. What a shame--it's a beautiful neighborhood.
In the late 19th century, Muskegon was a booming lumber town. Right after the great Chicago fire, there was a huge demand for wood to rebuild the city. Trees were cut north of Lake Muskegon in the winter, branded with the owner's mark, and piled on the banks. The spring thaws brought water levels up, and the wood floated down to the city of Muskegon. They were floated to the docks of the appropriate sawmill, cut and shipped to Chicago.
Two of the most famous lumber barons, Charles Hackley and Thomas Hume, built side-by-side mansions. Between the two mansions was the carriage house. The left side mimics the style of the Hackley House on the left and the right side mimics the Hume House style. They were great friends (as were their wives and children), and both families were generous with the city, donating libraries, schools and other civic entities. We had a great tour of their mansions.
The Hackley House was a few years older and much more elaborate than the Hume House. There were 37 colors of paint on the outside and over 100 on the inside, and numerous stained glass windows and lots of carved wood. Gorgeous, but not very comfortable looking!
In the same neighborhood, we walked through the Monet Gardens. They're the yard of a mansion turned into a bed and breakfast, and they're designed to look like the Monet Gardens at Givenchy (sp?). Quite lovely!
On our second day off, we went to Muskegon State Park, about 10 miles from our campground. We just did a brief run through, but we bought an annual pass so we can go explore it in depth. It's on Lake Michigan and the canal that runs between Lake Michigan and Muskegon. It's on the opposite side of the can from Pere Marquette Beach, where I took photos of the Muskegon Light and Coast Guard station. There are gorgeous big sand dunes, some of them heavily forested, and lots of hiking trails. 
That's it for another fun week. I'll blog again soon.
3 comments:
Enjoyed "traveling with you" around the historical area. One thing that impressed both John and me are the people actually sitting on their front porches. Nowadays, many porches are seen but few of them have people sitting on them.
I loved the Monet garden where you are sitting on the bench. That's a nice picture. Now, regarding the photo of you on the Harley, I just don't know about that one. You and Harleys??
The ocean photo is beautiful but it looks cold to me. Was that a cooler day when you took it?
When I saw the photo with the PT Cruiser in it, I was sure that was why you took the shot -- you missed yours. I think that was a Cruiser, wasn't it?
I also enjoyed the story of the two families and their homes. Was there a fee for going through the homes? Could you tell there were 100 different kinds of paint inside the house? Were they bright colors like all those pinks/purples/maroons/mauves/whatever on the outside of the house? I can't imagine living with all those colors on a daily basis!
I think the Harley suits you :) Love the mansions very interesting.
Sorry to be so long responding--our campground's WiFi has been down. The people in this area seem very relaxed and friendly. We've made friends with the other Workampers, and we often sit around on somebody's patio in the evening and talk.
The Money garden was tiny, but jam packed with a variety of flowers, a small pond and a bridge. Beautiful area!
That's Lake Michigan in the photo, not the ocean, and it is very cold, although people swim in it. It also keeps the air temperature low here in the campground. We're still sleeping under a blanket most nights!
There was a very small fee for touring the homes, anad it was a long, thorough tour. The houses were very colorful, with lots of wood carvings and stained glass. I'd love to do it again if you come up.
That Harlet was so big that I couldn't even get up and down from it by myself!
Post a Comment