The previous year we had gone up to Maine for our vacation. In 1953 we made our first trip of many to the French River, staying at the Sand Beach Lodge. We came back every year after until 1962 or 1963.
The Sand Beach Lodge closed a few years ago after being sold to a private owner, and at the time it looked much the same as it did way back then. I had long desired to return and spend a week there but now I'll never get that chance, with only fond memories of the times we had. Here's the link from the Wayback Machine:
Color photos are scans from 35mm slides using a Nikon Coolscan V scanner. The square Black and white photos were taken by my old Brownie Hawkeye camera. They're not the best quality, but it's what I've got. I scanned them in from 3X3 prints on a flatbed scanner at 1200 DPI resolution. Rectangular B&W photos were scanned from 35mm prints.
The descriptions under the photo thumbnails in the album sometimes contain links to maps or additional information. These are identified by "Blue” text for links. I've also inserted links to Google Maps to show where certain photos in the album were taken or to locate features shown in the photos. Click on the link, close the sidebar, then you can then zoom in and out using the mouse wheel or drag the map by clicking and holding.
-Cascade Bill Mooseker
Album by Cascade Bill. 1 - 50 of 50 Total. 634 Visits.
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enlarge 291KB, 1024x664 2 09-19-23-1953-024 Postcard from the Sand Beach Lodge
enlarge 241KB, 1024x660 3 09-19-23-1953-025 Postcard from the Sand Beach Lodge
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The main lodge and the boardwalk down to the beach. Our 1952 Chevrolet is to the right of the stairs. we stayed in the first floor unit behind the "X" railing.
enlarge 137KB, 1024x699 5 s-53-0381 My mom, sitting on the porch in front of our unit.
enlarge 194KB, 1024x692 6 s-53-0330
Looking across the small bay just to the right of the boathouse. Back then there were some big Northern Pike in this bay.
enlarge 243KB, 1024x689 7 s-53-0350 My brother, Mark, crossing the beach
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The "Sand Beach" at the Sand Beach Lodge. The big white rock had the name painted on it in big red letters.
Google maps view of the lodge today is HERE. You can still see the rock if you look closely.
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That seaplane was there in 1953. I don't remember seeing any there again in future years. You can see one of the small cabins (above the plane) that were also available. In future years we stayed in one of those.
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Mark and Elaine on a small raft that was on the beach. You also get a better view of the rental cabin in this shot. This was a great beach for swimming, but to Elaine's dismay it was also great for small leeches that would attach themselves to you.
enlarge 150KB, 1024x673 11 s-53-0371 Rowing their raft out by the boat dock.
enlarge 212KB, 1024x693 12 s-53-0380 Making their way to shore
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The lodge boats were very sturdy wooden ones with 5hp Johnson outboard motors. I think the middle boat was ours.
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Heading away from the lodge - the boathouse is on the left, and you can see the SBL rock.
enlarge 137KB, 926x1024 15 1953-bill.004 Dad - on our way out from the lodge
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Mark - you can see the lodge boathouse and the SBL white rock beyond
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Dad & Bill - I'm wearing my "Methodist Training Camp" hat. I had gone to the camp with a bunch of my Warrior's Mark classmates. Had a great time, as opposed to my next years sojourn to the Presbyterian Camp Shekinah.
enlarge 158KB, 1024x704 18 s-53-0461 Ooopps!
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The south end of Dry Pine Bay. The green area in the center is a golf course, which is still operating today. The lodge, Lift the Latch, was somewhere to the left of the golf course.
This lodge has also closed. We used to see the Lift the Latch boats on our travels up and down the river. SBL used to hold Square Dances each week at which residents/tourists from the area would attend. At one of these, my mom was dancing and the caller, yelled "Switch your partners" and she ended up with a fat Native American guide from Lift the Latch. To her chagrin, the next command was "Swing your partner", and he really swung her around. For years afterwords, we would see that guide on the river and we would tease mom, saying "There goes your boyfriend"
enlarge 181KB, 1024x693 20 s-53-0400 My mom and Elaine
We used to buy minnies (minnows) and keep them in a minnie bucket. When you were anchored at your fishing hole, you would remove the inner bucket (full of holes) and throw it overboard to keep the fish alive.
One time, Dad told Elaine to throw the minnie bucket in the water. She hesitated a bit, and Dad repeated his request, so she put it over the side and we all watched it sink into the depths, where it is today. She was trying to say that it wasn't tied onto the boat!
enlarge 257KB, 1024x693 21 s-53-0460 Mom at our "Picnic Beach"
Most of the time, we would have the lodge pack us a "Shore Lunch" rather than return to the lodge. On our forays up and down the river we found this pristine beach, which became a favorite spot for us over the years until one year we found that someone had built a cabin there.
enlarge 277KB, 1024x689 22 s-53-0471 Sunbathing on the beach Our BEACH as it appears in Google Maps today.
enlarge 272KB, 1024x701 23 s-53-0451 Mom & Mark There was a nice shady spot with some logs for sitting.
enlarge 158KB, 1024x691 24 s-53-0411 Mark
enlarge 217KB, 1024x1013 25 1954-bill.010 Mom & Dad preparing to leave "our" beach
enlarge 216KB, 1024x691 26 s-53-0470 Elaine and Mark
enlarge 176KB, 1024x695 27 s-53-0410 Elaine enjoying the water
enlarge 180KB, 1024x698 28 s-53-0421 Elaine
enlarge 194KB, 1021x1024 29 1953-bill.006 Elaine and boat at the Picnic Beach
Can't remember where this was, but it is pretty representative of the landscape along the river
enlarge 402KB, 1024x684 37 s-53-0481 Another Shore Lunch
Elaine, Mom, Mark, and Bill. I think Mom is dishing out the food. You can see the frying pan to the side, so we must have fried some fish.
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Another view -This was a different beach that our Picnic Beach
enlarge 194KB, 1022x1024 39 1953-bill.008 Dad
This was at the beach in the previous photo. Compare the stick at the bottom right with the one shown in the previous photos (Enlarged)
enlarge 198KB, 1024x706 40 s-53-0490 Along the French River
enlarge 159KB, 1024x703 41 s-53-0491 Dad at the helm
There was this one spot along the river (much like this one) where we would hit an underwater rock at full speed, with no indication that it would be any different than anywhere else. It was always very disconcerting to say the least!
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At one point, Dad went on a guided tour to Beaver lake, which was near the river. Here are some of the results.
enlarge 187KB, 1024x699 43 s-53-0510 View of Beaver Lake
Isadore, one of the native Canadian guides employed by SBL, is preparing the shore lunch. One of the menu items was coffee prepared by boiling the grounds in a 2 lb coffee can with a wire bail, giving it a truly unique flavor we always enjoyed.
enlarge 207KB, 1024x1008 44 1953-bill.002 Mother in our 1952 Chevy with it's rooftop carrier.
After our stay at SBL we came home via a one night stay at Algonquin Provincial Park. I don't know whether this was before or after our week at SBL. We used this cartop carrier for many years.
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Dad, Mark, & Elaine - I don't know where this photo was taken. I don't think it was at the SBL or at Algonquin Park. Maybe some stop along the way.
enlarge 97KB, 1024x699 46 s-53-0511 I think this was at Algonquin Park
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I think that this is where we stayed in Algonquin Park. It was a large "spooky" cabin, with no electricity but only gas lights with an open flame, much as seen in this IMAGE. Those really left an impression on me.
enlarge 144KB, 1024x706 48 s-53-0520 View of the lake in Algonquin Park
enlarge 243KB, 1024x699 49 s-53-0521 Another lake in Algonquin Park
enlarge 387KB, 1024x713 50 s-53-0530 A deer near the road in Algonquin Park
