What a pretty day at Little Bass Lake. It makes me long for summer which is still several months away. I can almost smell that perch frying on the grill. Or maybe taking in a leisurely rowboat ride around the lake.
What about a refreshing swim? Or just sitting in a lounge chair taking in all the beauty of this lake? Well, in a few months you won’t have to wait any longer!
Who could resist this location to swim? You can actually see the pavement of M-116 here and observe how close the road is between it and Lake Michigan. Along this route are many small sand dunes with parking spaces alongside M-116 where you can park your car and have your own private beach. Between Ludington and the Hamlin Dam there is about nine miles of beachfront to choose from.
Of course, at these locations you are swimming at your own risk so I would advise you to have a few companions along with you. Just to be on the safe side. My wife loves to take pictures and anywhere along this stretch of highway you can capture some beauties. Just over M-116 the other way are miles of sand dunes and scrub forest land.
But enough talk! It’s time for me to take a refreshing dip in Lake Michigan and those waves are beckoning me forward.
This is the old grade Campground sign and it’s the last of the campgrounds on the little Manistee River. The other two are bear track and Driftwood Valley. This one has about 20 campsites which are very primitive. Old grade is near the town of Peacock Which at one time was a bustling community. Old grade is part of the Manistee National Forest.
I have a Christmas present for you from The Jack Benny show. the gift This program has Jack purchasing a wallet for Don Wilson and the clerk is Mel Blanc who was the voice of Bugs Bunny. Rochester and Frank Nelson also appear in this skit which will have you in stitches just in time for Christmas.
On a trip with the Salesian Boys Club, on a day excursion on Big Bass Lake we rowed toward the north edge of Haunted Island. This is one portion of the island that we rarely explored as the farthest we ever got was just past the burial mounds near the haunted house itself.
The best landing area was always the central part of the island and the rickety pier that took us on the path to the haunted house. This time we tried a northern approach but the many fallen trees that surround most of the island made it difficult to approach from the north.
The landing area itself appeared very overgrown making a landing difficult so we landed in the central part of the island. The boys walked past the haunted house and burial mounds gingerly and were somewhat disappointed at the northern end of the island. After all it was the central part that held their attention especially at the midnight hour on most trips.
I’m sure, though, that had we taken that same walk to the northern part of the island at midnight that it would have held a whole different meaning for those boys than it had done in daylight hours. For the “atmosphere” of that island in night makes everything take on a different perspective.
Sergeant Mining Company is planning to give Ludington State Park 100 acres and here is a link to that article addition. Ludington State Park is visited by about a million people yearly. It is a beautiful pristine Park.
I’ve never liked this walkway over the Hamlin Dam, especially when the Sauble River is running high. The water beneath the walkway rushes through like a torrent and given my fear of heights, this is not my favorite place to be.
Darlene, my wife, has no trouble navigating this narrow passageway and sometimes teases me about it. Last time I went over it I kissed the ground on the other side. The only trouble is that I have to cross it again to get back to the car.
At times I feel it would be safer to just wade across the river as it narrows just before it reaches Lake Michigan. Oh, well, nobody’s perfect.
Well, the weather outside is frightful but downtown Ludington is ever so delightful. It was a few nights before Christmas and all through downtown Ludington, not a creature was stirring as will be closing up early. Sometimes downtown Ludington seems like a ghost town at night but maybe that’s the way it ought to be. I did my Christmas shopping already in Ludington as Scottville just doesn’t seem to have everything I need to get.
In a few days, my wife and I will enjoy Christmas together and tell each other stories tonight around our fireplace. It is a Reynolds family tradition to do so. I’ll build a nice toasty fire and then we’ll sip hot cocoa and munch on some graham crackers as we share our holiday stories to one another. Merry Christmas from the Reynolds family.
Big Bass Lake & Beyond 