Sunday Sip 🤣
Lighthouse Laughs and Leelanau Sobriety Tests
Greetings, dear readers!
What a whirlwind of adventures these past few weeks have been! Since writing the Sunday Sip two weeks ago, we crossed the mighty Mac to the Upper Peninsula. I swear even the air smells better in the UP; it definitely carries a touch of magic. I’m already missing it. There, we collaborated with two of our favorite Marquette breweries to brew something special for beer enthusiasts to sample at an upcoming Michigan Brewers Guild Beer Festival.
But today's Sunday Sip isn’t about my love for the UP or beer, though both are worth a toast. Instead, I've got tales from our stint volunteering at the Grand Traverse Lighthouse Museum in Northport, Michigan.
This wasn't our first rodeo, as they say. Chuck, my sister Dianne, her hubby Greg, and I volunteered last year as lighthouse keepers. We even adopted walkie-talkie handles from 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears': Papa Bear, Baby Bear, Mama Bear, and Goldilocks. I'll let you guess who played who.
Last year, our walkie-talkie repartee quickly evolved into a full-blown radio drama, complete with plot twists, cliffhangers, and a captive audience. The lighthouse staff got so caught up in our antics that they started tuning in for their daily dose of bear-themed entertainment. (Please check out all the fun from that trip here.)
Fast forward to this year: as soon as we received our project list and a refresher on the cash register (which became my nemesis), the walkie-talkies sprang to life. “Three Blind Mice here. Are there any bears in the house?” a voice crackled. We couldn’t help but laugh—even the walkie-talkies were excited to have us back!
Later, while thumbing through the “Lighthouse Keeper” manual, I spotted a note about the walkie-talkies: “We use these occasionally, but not often.” Ha! I wonder if this was added after our bear-themed drama last year.
While volunteering for the week, we stayed in the assistant lighthouse keepers’ apartment. I’ll admit while lying awake waiting for sleep, I listened for ghosts. All I heard were waves crashing on the beach, campers at the Leelanau State Park chattering, and a stray door slamming shut rather unexpectedly. I heard no ghosts clambering about on the turret’s catwalk, but one morning, I found Dianne climbing through the window! (It was one of her daily tasks, opening the turret’s window.)
The volunteer gig at the lighthouse includes keeper duties such as operating the admissions desk or whipping the yard into shape. This year, we also tackled projects such as building birdhouses to sell in the gift store and installing bricks.
Each endeavor had its own set of complications. I heard second-hand that measuring was an issue.
Operating the cash register was more taxing than I’d like to admit. More times than I could count, it gave me a sequence error, accompanied by a loud siren that filled the small admissions office.
Typically, this happened when the room was packed with visitors. To say it was disconcerting doesn’t begin to describe my internal turmoil. Miraculously, when I cashed out at the end of the first day, I was only off by $39. (I’m proud to say I was spot on the final day!)
My primary duty was collecting admission fees, but I also handed out Michigan trivia and helped with the pronunciation of words like “Leelanau” and “Tahquamenon.” I even shared our “Leelanau sobriety test” with one unsuspecting visitor. Judging by his expression, it might have been too much information.
Since the cat is out of the bag, I’ll share it with you, too. Long ago, we were enjoying the wineries and breweries in Leelanau when someone in our group tried to say “Leelanau.” What tumbled out was so hilarious that the Leelanau sobriety test was born. We still break it out as needed.
Questions seemed to come in pods of two. A visitor asked about the bunny mold in the kitchen. “What is it used for?” she asked and then added, “That would be a huge chocolate bunny.” I thought to myself, “So don’t answer chocolate bunny.” And said, “I’m not sure, maybe butter.” The visitor pointed to the monitor and said, “It says here pudding.” I thought to myself, “Why did you ask?”
I swear, not an hour later, another woman asked the same damn question. But I confidently said, “Pudding.”
Several groups asked about the shipwreck poster missing the Edmund Fitzgerald. “I don’t know, maybe it was printed before 1975?” Or about the empty beer keg from the Traverse City Brewing Company. I made up a better story for the beer keg. I later confessed to the Museum Executive Director my fabrication. She reassured me that it happens and don’t worry about it. The keg had no real connection to the museum—probably like that bunny mold, I thought.
Someone asked, “What is Egg Coffee?” I braced myself for another bunny debacle but resisted making up a story. Instead, I Googled it on a tiny sliver of internet that wafted into the building. According to The Spruce Eats,” Egg Coffee is a unique way of brewing coffee with an egg, originating from Swedish immigrants in the late 1800s. I proudly shared this nugget of trivia.
If you look closely at the North Woods Egg Coffee picture, it says, “A Blend Of Fine Roasted Coffee Specially Treated with Fresh Eggs.”
I hadn’t noticed the egg coffee can before, and suddenly, everyone was asking me about it. After that, I edited my visitor orientation speech, and I removed the part about “Let me know if you have any questions.”
Along with questions about other lighthouses and places to eat, folks would stick their heads through the museum door like a turtle sticking its head out of its shell and ask, “Can I just look around?” “Um, sure, after you pay $8.00,” I’d say, and then explain that the museum is a non-profit organization, etc., and the fees help support the museum. They’d retract their head and leave.
I wish I had a picture of me scratching my head! Sorry if you were one of those asking to come into the museum without paying and just look around. But seriously, WTF? The sign on the door clearly outlines the hours and the admission fees.
Despite the quirks and occasional frustrations, volunteering at the Grand Traverse Lighthouse Museum was a joy. We laughed, learned, and made memories that will last a lifetime. Whether it was our bear-themed radio drama or navigating the complexities of the cash register, every moment was an adventure. So, dear readers, if you ever find yourself in Northport, swing by the lighthouse. Pay the $8.00 (please!), soak in the history, and maybe even try out our “Leelanau sobriety test.” Who knows? You might just catch a ghost—or at least hear a tale about one.
In Other News!
Fans with Bands: A new episode featuring General 11 dropped on Wednesday. In this episode, we talk with Eric, Ivan, and Damien from General 11. They are putting a fresh and vibrant spin on alternative rock that is both heavy and groovy. It was great to spend some time talking with them about how they got started, their inspirations, what keeps them motivated, and their plans for the future. As always, we closed out a great conversation with our favorite topic: pizza toppings!
Life In Michigan: Chuck published a nice review of the Stories to Song – Michelle Held, Nina Sophia, and Missy Covill at the Manchester Underground. “Setting stories to song, Michelle Held, Nina Sophia, and Missy Covill put on a captivating show at Manchester Underground Music and Art.”
Coming Soon!
The Rural Innovation Exchange is publishing Chuck’s article featuring the Red Horse Center soon. On the tap list: 24 hours in Allegan and a recap of Michigan Cider happenings.
Our LifeInMichigan keyboards will be on fire. We have stories brewing from our beer brewing extravaganza in UP at Kognisjon Bryggeri and Barrel + Beam.
We also interviewed Alexandria Palzewicz, who won the American Culinary Federation Chapter Chef of the Year and is the talent behind the Northwoods Test Kitchen.
We are working on an interview with the crew at the Peace Pie Company in Marquette!
We’ve caught Pickleball Fever! Look for a feature soon about our journey into the sport with Wolverine Pickleball. As I said, our keyboards will be on fire.
Substack Restacked
I know we’ve mentioned it before, but PLEASE! Check out Playing in the Detroit Area Tonight substack. Jennifer published "Why's Music Getting Worse and Where’s The Good Music on June 26h.”
Reading Nook
I started “The Friday Afternoon Club” by Griffin Dunne, and I have so many regrets about that. I don’t really care for it. As my kids used to say, “It’s not for me.” I’m also reading “Ten Years a Nomad” by Matthew Kepnes. It's better but a little repetitive.
Upcoming Events
The Manchester Men’s Club is putting on a fireworks show on July 3rd at Carr Park. The Manchester Men’s Club sponsors the event and collects donations at the gate.
It’s a tradition that usually includes a half-gallon of beer and a cookout.
Curious about it? Check out our article from 2017.
Final Thoughts
Thank you for joining us on this long-ish Sunday Sip. We appreciate you and look forward to sharing more adventures next week. Until then, safe travels, and remember to enjoy the ride.
Love this - egg coffee sounds truly terrifying 🤣🤣
Apparently, it is a tradition and is dubbed "church basement coffee" because of the large quantity it usually makes.