So far these nice days leading up to today have already been filled with fun spring activities such as spring cleaning, walking, biking, learning how to golf, cheering on my favorite teams in the NCAA basketball tourney (Go Badgers and Golden Eagles!), sitting out on Dad's patio, and celebrating my brother's 30th birthday. I am also enjoying the return of the birds to the trees and skies. This morning I woke up to a little bird chirping his heart out, outside my open window. Granted he was chirping at 5:30 a.m., but it was pleasant to listen to. Over the weekend, while sitting on Dad's patio, I heard two cardinals engage in a chirping duel. One would call, and the other would answer, then back and forth, back and forth. I'm not sure who won, but it was pretty fun to listen to. Speaking of cardinals, there was a cardinal at the park where I was practicing golf, and I am confident he was trying to make me miss the ball. As I was preparing for my takeaway and back swing, he would burst out into a loud tweet and coo until I stopped what I was doing. When I would start back up, he would start back up. I did not know cardinals could be so sassy.
One other spring adventure I had recently was a quick little detour to Sheboygan. Last week, on a trip down to my dad's house, I decided to take the scenic route and make a pit stop on the shores of Lake Michigan in Sheboygan. It was a gorgeous day to walk about the lakefront, watch seagulls soar through the air, and walk out to the Sheboygan Breakwater Lighthouse. The only piece that I wasn't completely prepared for was the 20 degree drop from I-43 to the lakeshore. I should have known better because I am used to the temperature drop in Manitowoc and Two Rivers, which is just 20+ miles north of Sheboygan.
The Sheboygan Breakwater Lighthouse that stands today on the north side of Sheboygan's marina is a 50', red, lanternless, steel tower, built in 1915. This tower is equipped with plastic lens that shines for 9 miles out, has an electric fog signal and modern weather equipment on top it. From the shoreline, I followed the rocky path and concrete pier out to the lighthouse, which is about a 0.6 mile journey round trip. Fortunately the waves were calm so I did not have to worry about getting splashed as I walked out on the concrete pier.
While reading about the Sheboygan Breakwater Lighthouse, I learned there were several lighthouses to come and go in Sheboygan. The first lighthouse built on the Sheboygan shoreline was in 1839 on Sheboygan Point, which was a 30-foot tower and was quickly threatened by erosion due to its rubble stone structure. It was replaced in 1860 with a lighthouse built on the North Point bluff. This lighthouse was a two-story, white keeper's house with a square tower and used until 1904. By 1873, a pierhead light was built to better identify the harbor area. This was a wooden pyramidal tower, which eventually burned in 1880. A new wooden structure was constructed and stood until 1906 when it was replaced by the cast iron tower. Then in 1915, this tower was moved from the pierhead location to the north breakwater, which is now the Sheboygan Breakwater Lighthouse mentioned above.
Prior to the current tower on its current location, an earlier breakwater lighthouse stood. This was a white hexagonal tower with a door on one side. It had a small gallery that circled the hexagonal lantern and large dome that covered the lantern. This earlier breakwater lighthouse served the harbor from 1899 - 1915.
Hopefully you were able to connect the dots and see how the lighthouses of Sheboygan moved around and were replaced often. Aside from the lighthouses, the shoreline of Sheboygan is very serene with beautiful beaches, several parks, a large marina, numerous quaint shops and restaurants, and most notably the Blue Harbor Resort and Water Park that stands on the south side of the marina. It is definitely a fun little area.
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| Sheboygan Marina |
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