Grand Haven, Michigan

Grass growing around most houses along the water on this side of the river; we assume it holds the sand.

Part of the sand dunes in the preserve near the marina

Woke up this morning to rain, thunder and lightening. Rained off and on most of the morning, with winds at times. Walked out to the end of the pier, saw several fishing boats bopping around in the waves. It is the salmon tournament in town this weekend but it apparently was cancelled today because of the weather. Sylvia and Mark, Nancy and Eddie, and us took a taxi into town this afternoon, had lunch out,then did some shopping. The salmon tournament seems to be a whole festival in the town, there were tents and booths set up all along the waterfront. The trailer park was full of trailers, apparently most here for the tournament.
The town of Grand Haven  was built on land granted to Rix Robinson, a fur trader and trapper, in 1833. The first white settlers arrived a year later, led by William Montague Ferry. For the next 60 years, the lumber industry supported the town. Acres of white pine were cut and sent to sawmills, then shipped across the midwest. By the end of the 1800's, local businessmen formed a board of trade that enticed manufacturers to set up here to take advantage of Lake Michigan for shipping. So many ships were lost on Lake Michigan that a group of volunteer lifesavers banded together in 1871 to save the lives of those whose vessels were imperiled. By the end of the decade, an Act of Congress established the United States Life Saving Service, which later became the US Coast Guard. Grand Haven was declared "Coast Guard City USA" by Act of Congress in 1998.
So far the weather looks good for tomorrow; if it holds we will try to move further south.