Experience the Season

CELEBRATIONS

Plan To Attend Halloween Party Weekends at Camper's Cove, September 18-20, September 25-27 and October 2-4-Halloween is such great fun, why wait until October 31 to have a great time? Campers Cove’s special Friday and Saturday Halloween Parties feature many fun activities including Trick-or-Treating from camper-to-camper, a site decorating contest, pumpkin carving contest, child and adult costume contest, piñatas and much more! Campers Cove is located on Long Rapids Road in Alpena. With an indoor heated pool, game room, mini-golf, sauna, stocked fishing pond, canoeing, kayaking, special events and more, it’s no wonder they call Campers Cove “An Adventure in Family Camping”! Call for details at (989) 356-3708 or visit their web site at www.camperscovecampground.com.

38th Annual Fall Harvest Day, Besser Museum for Northeast Michigan, October 3-Come Back To the Future at the Museum’s largest festival of the year.  Alpena’s version of the World’s Fair will present many of the new-fangled inventions of the past 100 years.  Follow the technological development of Alexander Graham Bell’s “talking machine,” explore communication from the telegraph wire to Facebook, marvel at what NASA and the space program invented that we now take for granted, and much, much more.  Continue to enjoy the many Fall Harvest Day favorite activities as well.  Food and craft vendors will join us for the day.  The day begins at 10 am and closes at 4 pm.  Admission:  $12 Family; $5 Adults; $3 Seniors or Children; Museum Members and 5 or younger free.  Located on Johnson Street in Alpena, for more information call 989-356-2202.

14th Annual Great Lakes Lighthouse Festival, October 8-11- The Great Lakes Lighthouse Festival began with the idea of raising money to address the plight of lighthouses along the shorelines of the Great Lakes. Many of these important, historic landmarks are in desperate need of care, and proceeds from the festival go toward restoration projects. The main center of activity (vendors, exhibitors, speakers and entertainers) is the Thunder Bay Recreation Center, located on Woodward Ave. off of Johnson Street in Alpena. The 2009 festival kicks off Thursday evening with a Welcome Party for all visitors, vendors, volunteers and friends. Everyone is invited to come and mingle and enjoy a great evening that promises fun for the whole family. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the recreation center will be packed with maritime-related exhibits, vendors, educational programs and entertainment, featuring nationally-known performers, entertainers, authors, photographers and artists.  Recreation center hours are Friday 12 noon- 5 pm, Saturday 10 am - 5:00 pm and Sunday 10 am - 3:00 pm.. Aerial (plane and helicopter) lighthouse tours are available, as well as boat tours to see Middle Island and Thunder Bay Island Lighthouses in Lake Huron. A number of special events take place each day of the festival including breakfasts, dinners and a family day. Sunday's live auction features over 100 nautical items to bid on. For detailed information on the festival, visit the festival web site at www.lighthousefestival.org. For more information, call (586) 566-1603 or e-mail: mjk361@comcast.net.

8th Annual Night at the Lighthouse, Friday, Oct. 9-Held in conjunction with the Great Lakes Lighthouse Festival, this free activity offers a special opportunity to see the 40 Mile Point Lighthouse under autumn’s enchanting night sky. Tour the lighthouse and Calcite Pilot House and stroll luminary-lighted paths while music fills the crisp evening air. Stay and listen to impromptu acoustical music or bring along your non-electrical instrument and play along with other musicians. Both amateur and professional musicians are encouraged to join the jam session. Light refreshments will be served in the pavilion. The 40 Mile Point Lighthouse is located seven miles north of Rogers City off of U.S. 23. The event takes place from 7-9 p.m. and is sponsored by the 40 Mile Point Lighthouse Society. The lighthouse and Pilot House will be open from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. each day of the lighthouse festival. For more information, call (989) 734-4587 or visit their web site at www.40milepointlighthouse.org.

HEE HAW! Fun farm activities for the whole family

Knaebe’s Mmmunchy Krunchy Apple Farm & appleseed’s mercantile, Rogers City- A visit to the Mmmunchy Krunchy Apple Farm is a MUST-DO fall activity for families. 32 varieties of apples are grown on this 13-acre farm and you can buy apples by the bag or by the bushel, as well as delicious cider, homemade apple crisp, apple pie, homemade donuts, cookies and gooey caramel apples. Kids can visit with a variety of animals in the Kritter Korral, and wagon rides and pony rides for children are offered on September and October weekends, weather permitting. The general store offers kitchen items such as cookie cutters and kitchenware and a nice selection of Michigan and Midwest products like jams, honey products and maple syrup as well as holiday gift items. The farm is located on Karsten Road. To get to the farm from Rogers City, go to the intersection of US 23 North and M-68. Go west on M-68 for four miles to Karsten Road. Turn left at the big red apple and travel on Karsten Road for 1 ½ miles. The Mmmunchy Krunchy Apple Farm is open from Labor Day Weekend through mid-November. Open 9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Tues. - Sat., 11:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Sundays. Closed Mondays except Labor Day. Hours shorten after Halloween, so call ahead. (989) 734-2567. Visit their new WEB SITE at www.mmmunchykrunchyapplefarm.com.

Pumpkin Launching and Hayrides at AJ's-Take your family for a great fall outing at AJ's in Lachine on select October weekends. You can buy pumpkins, take a hay ride and watch pumpkin launching. Pumpkins are launched into the air by a hurling machine called a trebuchet and sail great heights and distances before falling back to the earth, splattering a gooey mess of skin, pulp and seeds. Call AJ's for days and hours of operation at (989) 379-3061.  

It’s A-Maze-ing- Come and walk the path of the tiger at the Sixth Annual Corn Maze in Hillman. Every year, volunteers design the maze in the shape of a figure that will challenge your sense of direction. This year's maze is in the shape of a castle. The maze opens August 15 and will be open throughout the fall Saturdays 10 am - Dusk and Sundays noon until 7 pm (last entry to the maze is 1 hour before closing). Special appointments available for groups. Located south of Hillman High School Baseball Field on M-32. The entrance is just south of the High School’s main drive. Admission is $6.- adult, $4.- student and $20- family. Groups of ten or more get $1.- off per ticket. Call (989) 742-4538 for more information and opening date.

Alpena Farmers Market-The Alpena Farmers Market is located behind City Hall in downtown Alpena. Every Wednesday and Saturday morning through late October, the parking lot is hopping with farmers, gardeners and shoppers from all over. The market features fresh produce, flowers, plants, baked goods, herbs, maple syrup, honey, arts and crafts. The market is open from 8:00 a.m. until around noon or until vendors sell out; come early because things sell quickly. For more information, visit www.alpenafarmersmarket.com or call (989) 356-5995 or (989) 356-6422.

FRIGHT SITES

Visit the Alpena area’s top two haunted places

Two of the most notorious haunted places in the area are the Old Presque Isle Lighthouse in Presque Isle and the John A. Lau Saloon in Alpena. Are these places really haunted? You decide!

Haunted Lighthouse-The Old Presque Isle Lighthouse is said to be haunted by the ghost of George Parris, who served as caretaker of the lighthouse for 15 years. George died of a massive heart attack in the winter of 1992 and that summer, people began to notice a light shining in the lantern room of the tower. It's important to note that Old Presque Isle is non-working light; the lens gears had long ago been removed and electricity disconnected to ensure that no accidental lighting would occur to confuse boaters with the working light at New Presque Isle Lighthouse, one mile to the north. Many local residents, tourists and boaters; even Air National Guard pilots reported seeing the light. The US Coast Guard looked into it, but their investigation came up with no explanation and the mysterious light was classified as "unidentified". People continued to see the light and began to wonder if perhaps place was haunted; maybe by George Parris. When a small girl insisted that she actually spoke to George in the lighthouse tower, the haunting idea skyrocketed to the top of the list (actually the only other thing on the list was weather phenomenon or something) of possible weird light causes. Things calmed down at the lighthouse after that first summer. The light came on less and less and nobody ran into George again, with the exception of a persistent tale that George (or another ghost who looked so much like him, he could have been his brother) made an appearance at the New Presque Isle Lighthouse a mile down the road. But people who spend time on the grounds say that there are still some things that happen there today that just can't be explained. Check it out for yourself! If you are interested visiting the Old Presque Isle Lighthouse, you need to do so prior to mid-October, when the lighthouse closes for the season. For more information on the Old and New Presque Isle Lighthouses, call (989) 595-9917.

Haunted Saloon-Little is known about the life and death of Agnes Lau, but the owners of the John A. Saloon in "Old Town" Alpena believe it is her feisty, protective spirit that haunts their saloon. Agnes was married to John A. Lau, the proprietor of a saloon that catered to lumberjacks during the lumbering era. She gave birth to two children and died at the age of thirty following an extended illness. When she became ill, Agnes was sent to the care of relatives in the Detroit area. She died in Detroit, but is buried in Alpena. Upon Agnes' death, the two children were sent away to a Detroit convent. John A. Lau died at the age of 58 and is also buried in Alpena. The old John A. Lau Saloon sat abandoned and neglected for years until the current owners bought it in 1987 and began the process of restoring it. It wasn't long before a presence began making itself known. A medium brought in to the saloon gave enough clues about the spirit to confirm the hunch that the resident ghost was probably Agnes Lau. The ghost's actions have led the staff to make some conclusions about her personality. She seems to be protective of the saloon and of the employees that have been there a long time. Saloon staffers say that if Agnes decides that a new employee doesn't belong, she'll taunt them by flipping and pulling their hair and causing their trays to crash. Agnes doesn't seem to tolerate ghost bashing very well. New employees are advised not to (they really say this) "spoof the spook" because employees who portray Agnes as a humbug have had things thrown at them and have had their trays overturned. Agnes has a soft side as well; a troubled employee might feel a reassuring pat or squeeze, but when they look to see whom the comforter is, no one is there. Agnes also seems to be a ghost who likes routine and order; she bangs things around or can be heard pacing back and forth if employees are at the saloon earlier or later then she thinks they should be there. Some customers have reported unexplained happenings including rushes of cold air, sudden funny smells and even a vibrating toilet, but most of Agnes' contacts seemed aimed at the owners and employees of the saloon. Does the ghost of Agnes Lau roam her old saloon? Check it out for yourself!

FOLIAGE FRENZY

Our favorite routes for color by car

Around the Lakes Color Tour-Two of Northeast Michigan’s most beautiful lakes, Long Lake and Grand Lake, are circumnavigated on this tour, which begins in Alpena. Interesting side trips include stops at two historic lighthouses and a natural area that was the site of an old logging village. Call (989) 354-4181 or stop by the Communiity Development Building in Alpena for a map.

Hubbard Lake Color Tour-Hubbard Lake, the largest inland lake in Northeast Michigan, is beautifully located among the forests and hills of Alcona County. Excellent roads connect all sections of the lake with US-23, F-41 and M-72, and offer miles of colorful woodlands and great views of the lake. Call (989) 354-4181 or stop by the Community Development Building in Alpena for a map.

Wine Tasting at Stoney Acres Winery-With colorful country roads, fall is a great time to visit Stoney Acres Winery in Alpena. At Stoney Acres, you can taste and purchase locally-made Silver City Red (Merlot), Silver City White (Riesling), Thunder Bay Red (Concord) and fruit wines including Apple, Blackberry, Black Cherry, Blueberry, Cherry, Cranberry, Pear, Raspberry and Strawberry. While at Stoney Acres, be sure to check out their new Wine Truffles. Stoney Acres uses their own wines to create handmade wine truffles made with a rich, creamy wine-infused ganache. Also available is chocolate bark in a variety of yummy flavors. Stoney Acres’s Bark is made of white, milk and dark chocolate mixed with pistachio/cranberry, cherry/almond and blueberry/almond. Stoney Acres also carries Winery clothing and apparel, candy, chocolates, games, novelty gift items, wine accessories, home brew equipment and wine and beer making supplies and ingredients. Stoney Acres is open Tuesday through Saturday 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. and Sunday noon until 5:00 p.m. Closed Mondays. The winery is located at 4268 Truckey Rd. For more information, call (989) 356-1041 or visit their web site at www.stoneyacreswinery.net. .

SPOOKY SPOTS

Largest Haunted House in Northern Michigan (Second largest in the state!)
Dark Minds & 107.7 the Bay present: Friday the 13th 
In 2003, they brought "The Asylum", in 2006 "Silent Hill", in 2007 "Stay Alive" and in 2008, "Thirteen Ghosts". This year, brace yourself for the mega-scary "Friday the 13th", which will be staged every Friday and Saturday in October from 7:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. The haunted house is rated P.G. 13 and is located at the Alpena Armory at First and Water Streets in downtown Alpena across from City Hall. Admission is $6.00 per person. The walk-through takes about 20-30 minutes. "Friday the 13th" movie fans will want to note that Ari Lehman (the FIRST Jason Voorhees, "young Jason") from the original movie will make a guest appearance on Friday the 23rd. Signed photos will be available for sale. Other cool new stuff this year includes Dark Minds Energy Drinks, air brushed tattoos and face painting and an extra room called "Alone in the Dark." For more information, visit  www.DarkMinds.biz.

Haunted Forest Fundraiser
1248 Jack's Landing Rd., Hillman
This elaborate haunt , created by Debbie and Greg Manley of Hillman, has been a Halloween hot spot for the past four years, and will be held as as a special fundraiser again this year. There is no cost for the haunted forest, but donations are requested to go toward materials for the special needs students of Hillman Elementary School. The Manleys and student volunteers are hosting Spookville Haunted Forest on October 17, 24 and 31. Spookville hours are from 6:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.

Check out a “ghost town” and a graveyard

Besser Natural Area- When lumbering was in its heyday, a particular stand of pine trees on a particularly beautiful stretch of Lake Huron shoreline was spared the lumberman’s ax. Alpena philanthropist Jesse Besser eventually came to own this land, and in 1966, he gave the pine forest and surrounding land to the people of Michigan. Back in the late 1800’s, this land was home to about 100 people. The village of Bell had a store, a school, saloon, sawmill and several houses. Residents earned their livelihood by working the woods and the mill. When the timber was removed from the surrounding area, the residents of Bell moved away. Scant evidence of their occupation remains; a chimney and a few collapsed walls can be found along the one-mile foot trail. Other points of interest along the trail include a bronze dedication plaque and a small lagoon. A total of about 30 village residents and sailors who washed ashore and were buried by the inhabitants of Bell rest in the Bell Cemetery, along with several Indians who were buried in the same area prior to the arrival of the White Man. The Besser Natural Area is located 14 miles north of Alpena on East Grand Lake Rd. For more information, call (989) 354-4181.

Three Men And A Bottle-Three buddies with a pact lie side-by-side in the Presque Isle Township cemetery. Read their story and then check out their unusual graves yourself! In the early days of Presque Isle Harbor, neighbors and friends were few and far between. In the late 1920's and early 30's, Fred Piepkorn, Charlie Priest and Bill Green were friends (a fact disputed by some). Fred operated a fishing tug out of the harbor, prior to operating what became known as Harbor Lodge (site of the Portage Restaurant). Charlie Priest operated what was known as a blind pig, getting its start during the Prohibition, it's alleged. All three were known to have an occasional drink together, and the story goes that they made a pact that if any of them should pass on, the others would not forget them, but in the spirit of Independence Day or some other suitable occasion, the survivor(s) would pour a drink down to the demised as a testimony of their friendship. The location of the graves, one next to each other, is the back row of the Presque Isle Township Cemetery. If you visit this site, you can still take note of the three cement slabs covering each grave, and you can see that there is a hole in each, whereby the strange tradition may be continued.

OTHER FUN STUFF

Elk Viewing/Gourmet Dinner Carriage Ride-Thunder Bay Golf Resort's popular adventure is an exciting and memorable way to celebrate fall. The activity begins with a horse-drawn carriage ride through forest trails, including a stop to see some of Thunder Bay's resident herd of majestic Rocky Mountain Elk and trophy Whitetail Deer. Guests continue their tour through the woods and arrive at the Elk Antler Log Cabin, where a five-course dinner is served in the warm glow of the fireplace. Wine tasting, featuring locally produced wines is also included. After dinner, folks climb back aboard the sleigh for the return to the resort, taking with them a delightful sense of satisfaction and memories to last a lifetime. Thunder Bay Golf Resort, located just outside of Alpena County in Hillman, also offers the ride/dinner experience in the summer and in the winter aboard a sleigh. Packages with lodging are available, as well as comedy and murder mystery weekends and other special events. For more information, call the resort at 800-729-9375 or (989) 742-4502 or visit their web site at www.thunderbaygolf.com. 

Kids Day at Alpena Farmers Market, September 26-The sixth annual free Kids Day at the Alpena Farmers Market offers a family-oriented event that is fun for everyone. Everyone can enjoy live music, hayrides, a petting zoo, pumpkin carving contest, cider making demonstrations, face painting, balloons and games. There will also be cider and donuts and a Giant Pumpkin contest. The activity takes place at the Farmers Market (behind City Hall off River Street) from 10 am - 2 pm. For more information, call (989) 356-5995.

Friday Night! Downtown Fall Festival, October 30-Kids! Dress up in your Halloween costume and come and trick or treat in downtown Alpena! Kids can trick-or-treat from one downtown business to another. The special event takes place from 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. For more information, call (989) 356-6422.