With a busy day ahead, we departed the Sunset Motel at 8am and entered the West entrance to the Pictured Rocks National Seashore. As mentioned, PRNS covers over 40 miles of scenic Lake Superior shoreline, including cliffs, beaches and dunes. Our first stop was the same Miners Castle overlook that we had seen from our Pictured Rocks tour boat the previous evening.
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| Typical northern Michigan tree tunnel |
The point where the Hurricane River flows onto and over the beach before emptying into Lake Superior is an unusual watershed drainage feature (see photo below). Lake Superior, measuring 360 miles long and 160 miles wide, has the largest surface area of any freshwater lake in the world. If drained, the water from Lake Superior would fill a swimming pool the size of the lower 48 states to a depth of nearly 5 feet!
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| Waves on the rocks! |
The confluence of the Hurricane River with Lake Superior is also the trailhead for the 3 mile r/t hike to the Au Sable Light Station. Although it was a bit chilly and breezy, we headed down the wide, well-maintained trail for a close encounter with our tenth Michigan lighthouse!
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| Don, and wife Diane, are volunteers in Be a Lighthouse Keeper Program |
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| Au Sable Crew Quarters |
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| Interior of the Au Sable Crew Quarters |
At Au Sable, built in 1874, we met volunteers Don and Diane--in the middle of their 2 week stint as keepers of this lighthouse. Apparently Don likes to stay on the ground and Diane likes to stay at the top of the lighthouse tower--perhaps this daily separation makes for a more harmonious marriage! There was also a NPS ranger who gave us a nice tour of the historically accurate keeper's quarters.
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| View to the east from the top of Au Sable Lighthouse |
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| Au Sable Fresnel lenses |
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| Ventilation port to control flame quality |
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| Au Sable Lighthouse--Lake Superior |
Diane gave us a very nice explanation of how lightkeepers could precisely control the ventilation within the top of the lighthouse and maintain optimal flame quality. Too rich a flame would leave carbon deposits on the difficult-to-clean Fresnel lenses, while too lean a flame would not provide proper illumination--or become extinguished. Each lighthouse has two metal trap doors integrated into the steps which, if closed, can restrict airflow in that "big chimney". In addition to moveable glass window panes, the keeper also has 4 small ports (90 degrees apart) with which he could more precisely control the ventilation in the tower.
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| Sand Dunes from the Log Slide Overlook |
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| Quartet of Viet Nam Vets out for a ride |
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| Our vehicle in front of the Stonehouse Bakery--Grand Marais |
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| Interior of Stonehouse Bakery |
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| Like the framing constructed of oars? |
While enjoying the Log Slide Overlook for still more views of the sand dunes along Lake Superior, I offered to take a group photo of a biker quartet of Viet Nam Veterans dressed out in black leather. Wearing patches identifying them as members of the "Viet Cong Hunting Club", they were very helpful with directions to a nice place to have lunch in nearby Grand Marais. The Stonehouse Bakery & Restaurant recently opened June, 2014 and we were served by the owner's daughter. Their menus hadn't been printed yet, so their menu items constantly scrolled on wall-mounted flat screens. Artisan pizza, pasties, and salads were excellent. Since our lodging that evening at Whitefish Point would not be anywhere near a restaurant, we also ordered some food "to go".
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| Whitefish Point Crew Quarters--our room was top left side |
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| Multiple Whitefish Point shipwrecks, including the Edmund Fitzgerald 1975 |
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| Well conserved Third Order Fresnel lens |
Another reason for our early morning departure from the Sunset Motel was that we were booked to spend this next night in the crew quarters of the Whitefish Point Lighthouse. Guest instructions specifically stated that the gift shop (check-in) closes promptly at 6pm and "late arrivals will not be able to get a key to their room". We also wanted sufficient time to visit the adjacent Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum, which features the notable 1975 sinking of the Great Lake freighter, the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald...made famous by the evocative 1976 folk ballad by Gordon Lightfoot. The ship's bell was recovered in 1995 and replaced with a replica listing all 29 of the crew members.
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| Captain of the Edmund Fitzgerald |
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| Actual ship bell of Edmund Fitzgerald--replaced in 1995 with replica with names of the 29 lost |
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| List of the crew of 29 from the Edmund Fitzgerald |
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| Common living area of Crew Quarters |
At exactly 6pm, the staff closed down the museum, gift shop and the lighthouse...leaving us and another couple in the Crew Quarters for the night. Robert and Donna had made themselves at home in the common living area watching a video on the still mysterious sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald in a November, 1975 storm. Aside from collisions in fog, most of the Lake Superior shipwrecks occur in November storms. We enjoyed the docu-mystery together and chatted with them a bit before heading off to bed. The Crew Quarters were meticulously clean and the queen bed was quite comfortable. Reservations can be made online at: http://www.shipwreckmuseum.com/online-reservations-12
Posted by TBW Travel Today!
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