Haserot Beach on July 4 2020 Weekend | Jane Boursaw Photo, Old Mission Peninsula
Haserot Beach on July 4, 2020 | Jane Boursaw Photo
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I started writing this story with the headline of “OMP Beaches Packed on July 4th Weekend!” But after editing my photos from our drives around the Old Mission Peninsula on Saturday (July 4) and Sunday (July 5), I would say that yes, there were a lot of people at the beaches – swimming, sunning and off fishing in their boats. But also no, I wouldn’t say the beaches were completely packed.

Haserot Beach – Crowded with Cars Parked Along the Road

Haserot Beach was pretty crowded on Saturday, July 4, with not much room to move around. And of course, the parking lots were full, with cars parked in the no-parking zones along the street there.

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Also, though, there were a lot of cars in the overflow parking lot next to the Legion Hall, so hey, Peninsula Township! People are starting to discover that lot! Getting people to notice and use that overflow lot has been a struggle for the past few years.

Haserot Beach on July 4 2020 Weekend | Jane Boursaw Photo, Old Mission Peninsula
Haserot Beach on July 4, 2020 | Jane Boursaw Photo
Haserot Beach on July 4 2020 Weekend | Jane Boursaw Photo, Old Mission Peninsula
Haserot Beach on July 5, 2020 | Jane Boursaw Photo
Haserot Beach on July 4 2020 Weekend | Jane Boursaw Photo, Old Mission Peninsula
Haserot Beach on July 4, 2020 | Jane Boursaw Photo

Lighthouse Beach – Not So Crowded, Because There’s No Beach There

Also on Saturday, we stopped by Mission Point Lighthouse, and there were maybe a half-dozen families scattered along the beach there. But, that’s also because there’s just not much beach at the Lighthouse these days, and thus, not much room for beachgoers.

And when I say “not much beach,” I mean that if you were able to find a couple feet of sand between the grass and the water, you were doing good. Notice in the photos below that people were basically putting their stuff on the grassy area and using whatever beach they could find.

That being said, the Lighthouse parking lot was packed with cars, and there were also cars lining Center Road there. So I’m guessing that most of those people were farther down the beach by the swingset. Although there’s not much beach there either, it’s a long stretch of beach, so you could fit a lot of people there if they’re spread out.

There were also several cars at every turn-off before you get to the Lighthouse, so people were definitely using whatever beach they could find along there.

Mission Point Lighthouse Beach on July 4 2020 Weekend | Jane Boursaw Photo
Mission Point Lighthouse Beach on July 5, 2020 | Jane Boursaw Photo
Mission Point Lighthouse Beach on July 4 2020 Weekend | Jane Boursaw Photo
Mission Point Lighthouse Beach on July 5, 2020 | Jane Boursaw Photo
Mission Point Lighthouse Beach on July 4 2020 Weekend | Jane Boursaw Photo
Mission Point Lighthouse Beach on July 5, 2020 | Jane Boursaw Photo
Cars on M37 at Mission Point Lighthouse on July 4 2020 Weekend | Jane Boursaw Photo
Cars on M37 at Mission Point Lighthouse on July 4, 2020 | Jane Boursaw Photo

Kelley Park – The New Guy

People are starting to discover Kelley Park, the beach just south of Haserot Beach where the new boat launch will go in, hopefully by this fall.

The parking lot there was full on Saturday, July 4, but the beach was by no means packed – although there were quite a few people sunning and swimming there, and a few boats pulled up close to the beach.

Kelley Park Beach July 4 2020 Weekend | Jane Boursaw Photo
Kelley Park Beach on July 4, 2020 | Jane Boursaw Photo
Kelley Park Beach July 4 2020 Weekend | Jane Boursaw Photo, Old Mission Peninsula, Old Mission Peninsula
Kelley Park Beach on July 4, 2020 | Jane Boursaw Photo
Kelley Park Beach July 4 2020 Weekend | Jane Boursaw Photo, Old Mission Peninsula
Kelley Park Beach on July 4, 2020 | Jane Boursaw Photo

Bowers Harbor Boat Launch – Crowded Parking Lot

Meanwhile, over at the Bowers Harbor Boat Launch, the parking lot was packed with cars and trailers, with cars also parked in the overflow parking lot. Based on the photos I took of the shoreline out at Power Island, I’m guessing some of those boats launched at Bowers Harbor were out at the island.

Saturday was definitely more crowded than Sunday, so maybe people were heading back downstate on Sunday.

Bowers Harbor Boat Launch on July 4 2020 Weekend | Jane Boursaw Photo, Old Mission Peninsula
Bowers Harbor Boat Launch on July 5, 2020 | Jane Boursaw Photo
Bowers Harbor Boat Launch on July 4 2020 Weekend | Jane Boursaw Photo, Old Mission Peninsula
Bowers Harbor Boat Launch overflow parking on July 4, 2020 | Jane Boursaw Photo

Power Island and Bassett Island

Power Island on July 4 2020 Weekend | Jane Boursaw Photo
Power Island on July 5, 2020 (Hello to whoever you are bringing your boat in!) | Jane Boursaw Photo
Power Island and Bassett Island on July 4 2020 Weekend | Jane Boursaw Photo
Power Island/Bassett Island on July 5, 2020 | Jane Boursaw Photo

A NOTE FROM JANE: I started Old Mission Gazette in 2015 because I felt a calling to provide the Old Mission Peninsula community with local news. After decades of writing for newspapers and magazines like the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Family Circle and Ladies' Home Journal, I really just wanted to write about my own community where I grew up on a cherry farm and raised my own family. So I started my own newspaper. Because the Gazette is mainly reader-supported, I hope you'll consider tossing a few bucks my way if I mention your event, your business, your organization or your news item, or if you simply love reading about what's happening on the OMP. Check out the donation page here. Thank you so much for your support. -jb

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3 COMMENTS

  1. In Europe, communities have proven that social distancing ( six feet or greater), wearing masks when indoors or when unable to maintain distances outdoors and frequent hand washing will reduce the spread of the virus. Hope the folks in your photos were doing all of that. It’s science pure and simple and not political.

  2. That is so sad to hear. As Dr. Fauci said , what can be said to convince us all to care for each other? As a people, I hope we are not that ignorant or selfish. We all want the same thing: control of the virus, resumption of the economy, and health. As a retired nurse practitioner, I can’t imagine us doing this to ourselves.

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