Kenosha Lighthouses

 Today Franky and I took a drive up to Kenosha, WI to see the Kenosha (Southport) Lighthouse. It was a gray, blustery day, which I think was entirely perfect for the trip. I'm sure they are just as beautiful in the summer, but something about seeing these lighthouses through the foggy sky while the wind is whipping through your hair really gives you a reminder of why these exist. We started our walk at the top of the hill in Simmons Island Park. The adjacent Southport Light Station Museum was closed, however we were able to walk the grounds around the lighthouse and with a little imagination, you could almost feel what it must have been like working long months in the freezing cold Wisconsin winters. We even got to see the old outhouse (now a storage shed) that was used by the keepers. Suddenly my romanticized notion of being a lighthouse keeper faded ever so slightly. A quick walk down and around the hill leads you  to the beach where the wind and drizzle really kicked up. Somehow the waves crashing and seagulls flying overhead made the cold a little more bearable. Franky loved the beach and that is not an overstatement. He inspected his footprints in the fresh sand, climbed up some mini dunes and found all sorts of rocks. We had the entire beach to ourselves which I'm guessing isn't the case during the summer months. It was quite the adventure and now we're tucked away into our warm house. There's one other new thing awaiting me this evening. My first pint of Hop Stoopid Ale. Better get on that taste test. Not a bad way to end a great day.