Wednesday, May 15 Lake Huron, Lighthouses, Hotel

 Wednesday, May 15

We wake to 37 degrees at 7:00AM.  Brrrr.  We head east this morning on Route 28 before cutting south to Route 2 and back across the Mackinac Bridge.   Very few billboards along these highways, we  are pleased to observe.  

One thing I enjoy as we travel the byways and backroads all over the country is the entrepreneurial spirit of folks.  We see home made signs advertising whatever folks have to sell.  This trip we have seen signs for asparagus, rhubarb, eggs (many of these), rag rugs, flowers, quilts, smoked fish, vehicles, and firewood. I am also a fan of the U-pick it places, but we are a bit early in the season for that.

We cross the Mackinac Bridge again and then veer east, along Lake Huron.  The shore here is similar to Lake Michigan but without the dunes.  Lake Huron is the second largest of the Great Lakes (Superior is #1) and has 3800 miles of coastline.  We'll hop along from Lighthouse to Lighthouse for a while then drop down to Dearborn for the Henry Ford Museums.

Violent storms, heavy fog, shifting sand bars, rocky reefs and outcroppings and heavy vessel traffic claimed scores of ships in the Great Lakes.  

First stop is 40-mile Point Lighthouse. A square white lighthouse built in 1896.  Nice grounds and the mostly buried remains of a shipwreck from a notorious storm called The Big Blow in 1905.  Named for its location between Thunder Bay and Mackinaw City, 40-mile was one of a network of lighthouses meant to protect the shipping of grain, iron ore and other commodities.

Next is Presque Isle, which features two lighthouses, though the road to the old one was closed. The new one was built in 1870 and has several outbuildings including a carriage house.  Most of the lighthouses also include oil houses where fuel was stored and many have fog horn houses.  This one was automated in 1970.

We stopped at a marina closer to town to try to get a vantage point for a picture of the old lighthouse, but could only see a bit of it.  

  Talked with a local who was there walking her dog and she suggested a drive to a place with a view. ( We tried her directions but after a few attempts including walking a private road, gave up.)  Did find a cool piece of rock with coral attached - Anita says it is a petoskey stone in the making, lol.

Sturgeon Point is the next stop.  Built in 1869 and still operational.  There is a 1 1/2 mile reef extending out from Sturgeon Point.  There was also a life-saving station here, which has been destroyed.

The Bailey School, a 1907 one room log schoolhouse, is close by.  Built for the children of logging crews, it was disassembled and moved to this location in 1998.

Then Tawas Point Lighthouse is next.  It is in Tawas Point State Park, which is also a big birdwatching site and many birders with binoculars at hand were there.

I spoke with a women in a fishing outfit and asked what she was hoping to catch, and she responded "A dumb fish."  Along with another woman, we talked about birds and the fisherwoman was very knowledgeable and reeled off (haha)quite a list of birds she'd seen here.  Made me wish we had more time for some leisurely exploration of the surrounding park!

Looking ahead to our visit to Greg's Mom and Sister, we decide we'll have to skip the rest of Lake Huron's coast in order to see Henry Ford's Museum and Greenfield Village in Dearborn and get to PA by the weekend.  So Beth reserves a room at a Wingate Hotel in Brighton, less than an hour from the museums and situated such that we won't have to drive through Detroit. Back to "civilization" and traffic.

We are basically in the suburbs of Detroit, with all the stores, hotels, restaurants, etc. you could ask for.  We luxuriate in the hot shower and then walk a few blocks to Leo's Coney Island which does sell hot dogs, but also Greek food and other things.  We place our order "to go" - a delicious hummus appetizer, Greg has a Chicago and a New York hot dog (with all sorts of toppings), while Beth enjoys a yummy Michigan Salad which apparently is a thing up here.  It consists of mixed greens with mandarin oranges, walnuts, lots of dried cherries, and feta cheese with a raspberry vinaigrette. YUM.

A little TV and lights out!