Summer of 18-#40-Lighthouses, Boats, Beaches & an Indian Burial Ground

Monday August 20th, 2018 continued- 2 of 2

After leaving Soo Locks, (see blog HERE if you haven't already read it) we went about half a mile down the road to see a lighthouse that was near the Coast Guard Station.

The John Johnston House was next to the lighthouse.

In 1988, the coastguard moved Frying Pan Island Lighthouse from the island, to be displayed next to the coastguard station here. 

We're not sure what this was but was on display in this area.

We stopped at this building a little further along the road.  It was a hydro plant but we thought the building was interesting.

We saw the research ship Lake Guardian.

The next lighthouse we went to find was by the ferry crossing to Sugar Island.

Little Rapids Cut (North Entrance) Lighthouse was next to the ferry crossing on our side of the river.

It was a strange lighthouse.

Channel Light

Ferry waiting to depart from Sugar Island

Cars debarking from ferry on our side, it was a short ride.

There was a sign by the ferry landing with a map of Sugar Island.

We watched the ferry load the cars from our side for their trip to the island.

There was a freighter coming up the river

As the freighter got closer we could see it was the MV Roger Blough

This guy was watching all the action.

We had one more lighthouse we wanted to see, it was further west on Lake Superior.  On the way, it started to rain and was quite heavy.  

Thankfully, it was a very quick shower and the skies started to clear.

Point Iroquois Lighthouse was on the Whitefish Bay Scenic Byway but we will need to explore that further when we come back to the Upper Peninsula another summer.

There were some colorful flowerbeds by the parking lot.

They attracted the bees.

Some good informational signs

The lighthouse wasn't open today and we were pleasantly surprised that someone had opened the 1950's exhibit.  

There were benches to sit and admire the view and a boardwalk down to the small beach.

Lake Superior

That is a seagull and not a dirty mark on your screen

Jan, from Petoskey, had told me to look for Lake Superior Stones on this beach.  So, like the good girl that I am, I looked for stones.

There were so many there, all different colors, shapes and sizes.  Here's what I got.  I will put them in my fairy garden.  

I did look for a Petoskey Stone while we were in Petoskey but this was the closest I got, just another rock!!!!

There was a tug pulling a barge going into Lake Superior.

Still looking for rocks!!!

Not sure what this is?

I can see a face in the tree trunk!!

We left the lighthouse and started on our way home.  We stopped to look at this old burial ground.  Here's a LINK to an article about the cemetery and the old pine tree.

On the opposite side of the road was a lake.

a model boat & lighthouse

and a statue honoring all Bay Mills Indian Community Veterans.

We continued our drive home and I tried to capture some of the beauty of the wild flowers and reeds alongside the roads.

The roads were like this most of the way.

We had another exciting but exhausting day.  

Once home, I felt terrible.  I had flu like symptoms & a bad back, which I think I got from the front seats in the motorhome. I took some NyQuil and went to bed.  Bryan had to refill his prescription box for the next week.  We both have to do this, and it takes a while with everything we take.  It's a wonder we don't rattle!!!  

Tomorrow, we would like to go and see two lighthouses in Mackinaw City but we will have to see how we feel.  We really needed longer at this location to give us a chance to have a rest day in between our outings!!!