Day 4 - Van Buren State Park to Holland State Park, MI - Lake Michigan - East - Short Lighthouse Tour - CycleBlaze

August 2, 2021

Day 4 - Van Buren State Park to Holland State Park, MI

Morning coffee and oatmeal while the boy slept.

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Leaving the campsite at 9:30 am, we rode the pathed Van Buran Trail all the way to South Haven. The weather was perfect, not to hot and no wind.

Van Buren Trail
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Van Buran Trail
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Arriving in South Haven 10:15 am, a great view of the lake.

South Haven with lighthouse in background
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We stopped at the old Lighthouse Keeper's house , 91 Michigan Avenue for a quick photo. My research said this was part of the Michigan Maritime Museum, however it looked like it had reverted to a private residence.

Lighthouse Keeper's house
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We then proceeded down the hill to the lighthouse and pier where we rode out to the end.

South Haven Lighthouse
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South Haven Lighthouse
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South Haven Lighthouse
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South Haven Lighthouse
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South Haven Lighthouse
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South Haven Lighthouse
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South Haven South Pier Lighthouse
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After, we found the lighthouse stamp at the Chamber of Commerce. There was another stamp at the Hartman School Building but this closed but was also available at the beach concessions stands and even though I asked at both the south and north beach stands no one there knew what I was looking for.

We then crossed drawbridge over the Black River waiting for the bridge to open after a boat passed below, and stopped in at the Michigan Maritime Museum for another stamp.

Black River Bridge
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Black River
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I spotted this lens at the museum but have no idea what lighthouse it came from.

Michigan Maritime Museum
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Michigan Maritime Museum, Lighthouse Lens
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From the museum we headed to the north side of the Black River finding Bundes Bakery and Cafe on the way where we enjoyed a sandwich and coffee.

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North Beach, looking like a beautiful day for a swim.

South Haven, North Beach
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Leaving South Haven at 12 noon, we continued on the Blue Star Highway. Just after Glenn, we turned on Lakeshore Drive once again starting to enjoy a slightly quieter road.

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2 pm found us at Pier Cove Beach  where we searched for lightening rocks

Pier Cove Beach
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Pier Cove Beach
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Pier Cove Beach
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We can't possibly take all these home.

Pier Cove Beach
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We took a short detour to visit the Kalamazoo Lighthouse at Saugatuck, which is a replica. The original was destroyed by a tornado in 1956.

Kalamazoo Lighthouse, Saugatuck
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Kalamazoo Lighthouse, Saugatuck
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Kalamazoo Lighthouse, Saugatuck
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Instead of crossing the Kalamazoo River on the main road (A2), we rode around the west side of the harbor and caught the chain ferry across the river. The short ride on the ferry is human powered with a hand crank that pulls the ferry across on a chain.

Saugatuck Ferry
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Saugatuck Ferry
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Saugatuck Ferry
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Saugatuck Ferry
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After leaving  Saugatuck, we rode some trails as we followed Beeline Road but soon found the cycling easier on the road due to the trail surface.

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Upon arriving in Holland we stopped at the Central Park Market to pick up groceries for the evening and next day. Taking South Shore Drive, 16th street and Central Ave, we arrived at the Holland Museum 15 minutes before the 5 pm. closing.

I quickly asked at the desk if I could go see the lens from the lighthouse and they graciously let me enter for free.

Holland Harbor Fresnel Lens
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Holland Harbor Fresnel Lens
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Holland Museum
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Holland seemed like as nice town and well worth a further visit during the tulip festival.

Holland Park
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Holland Park
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Leaving the south side of Holland to cross the Macatawa River, we made a change of route due to trail flooding. We just crossed the main road later to head west on the north side of the harbor.

Change of route due to flooding
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We arrived at the Holland State Park camp at 5:30 pm., and after hastily putting up the tent we biked out to the beach for a swim.

Holland State Park Beach
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Holland State Park Beach
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Holland State Park Beach
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Holland State Park Beach
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Holland State Park Beach
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Spotted this beach food stand Dune Dogz & Treats, on the way back so decided to stop to eat.

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After eating we road back out to the beach to watch the sunset.

Holland Lighthouse
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Holland Lighthouse
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Holland Lighthouse
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Holland Lighthouse
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Holland Lighthouse
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Holland Lighthouse
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Holland Lighthouse
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Holland Lighthouse
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Holland Lighthouse
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Holland Lighthouse
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Holland State Park Beach
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Holland State Park Beach
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Holland State Park Beach
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Holland Lighthouse
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Holland State Park Beach
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Holland State Park Beach
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Holland State Park Beach
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Then it was back to camp, showers and washing and off to bed.

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Today's ride: 50 miles (80 km)
Total: 150 miles (241 km)

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