Lighthouses, Shipwrecks, and Raspberries

After spending a quiet night in Ocqueoc State Forest Campground, we headed east towards Alpena. Spotted a sign for Thompson's Harbor State Park along the way and had to turn in because we have a good friend named Thompson.

Driving a few miles in along a dirt road, we found ourselves the only vehicle parked at the trailhead.

The park is named for Archibald Thompson, from Barre Ontario, who set-up a lumber camp here in 1878.

In a partnership with the Nature Conservancy, there are six miles of Lake Huron shoreline and 4,800 acres preserved and available for hiking.

We set out on a short trail to find the lake, but it was so nice that we walked another two miles.

Even in late August we managed to find a few wildflowers.

The delightful smells of a balsam forest gave way to a field opening to Lake Huron. The trails passed through a wide variety of habitats. Getting back to the van another car drove in. We were happy that someone else would experience the park for themselves.

Seven miles down the road we found the Old Presque Isle Lighthouse.

Built in 1840, this 38 foot lighthouse was only used until 1871. The volunteer docent told us that, despite being decommissioned for over one hundred years, the light is said to be occasionally illuminated by the ghost of the original keeper, even attesting she has witnessed it herself.

We're still pleased when we go to park the new van and can slip into spots like this one between some cedar trees.

A little over a mile away stands the New Presque Isle lighthouse built in 1870 to replace the older light. Eighty feet taller than the old light, it continues to provide a beacon for ships traveling the shoreline today.

Beth looked up the ladder and declined the opportunity to climb the tower.

A mannequin of the lighthouse keeper in uniform sits in the keeper's office.

One of the least appealing names I've ever heard, this lifeboat is from the S.T. Crapo, a cement carrier built in River Rouge, Michigan in 1927. Despite the terrible name, the ship has survived and is currently in Green Bay, Wisconsin storing cement.

The loft in the assistant keeper's house was preserved as it would have been furnished in the late 1800's.

Alpena is the next town heading south and we arrived in time to tour the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center. This free museum is well worth a visit. Six thousand square feet of exhibits show the maritime history of the area through models, video, and a few hands-on activities.

Divers are trained in these large pools outside the Maritime Center.

Wandering around outside, we found this big roll of nets being washed. The lady rinsing them works for the Department of Natural Resources sampling fish to help determine the health of the Great Lakes.

A huge old mill building abuts the GLMHC. Huge banners with historic photos have been hung to help visitors envision how the area once looked.

On less windy days, the boat docked here takes visitors out to view the shipwrecks in Lake Huron. Outfitted with glass windows in the hull, it would be great fun to look down into the lake for live views of  maritime history.

After enjoying Alpena, we considered spending the night at AJ's Berry Farm.  They are a Harvest Hosts Member site. Seeing that a strong storm front was predicted to come through overnight, we opted to continue on to Beth's sister's house in Gaylord.

That didn't stop us from visiting AJ's and stocking up on frozen blueberries, raspberries, jam, scones, and a little bit of chocolate cherry ice cream. We mentioned we were Harvest Hosts* members and they insisted that we go out and pick some raspberries. Beth found enough to have on her cereal for a couple of delicious mornings.

* If you are interested in joining Harvest Hosts, please click on this referral link to save 15% on your membership. We receive a small incentive. 

We made dinner in the field before driving back to Gaylord. The owners were very friendly and we highly recommend stopping here if you are in the area.



One more plug for the GLMHC in Alpena. If you visit, you can walk through a partial replica of an old schooner as it would have been in a bad storm on the lake. Check out how it affects the lamps on board...