Eleventh Lighthouse Expedition

October 17-19, 1991
Lake Erie

October 17, 1991, Thursday

9:35 am

Left Home

10:50 am

Arrived at Luna Pier Park. We could see Toledo Harbor Light way out in the water. Pretty little park and beach. No picture from here. Left 11:05

11:30 am

We were having a hard time finding the Manhattan Range Lights. We talked to the Harbor Police. The Front Range Light was removed. The rear day marker is on top of the Sewage Treatment Plant. We found the Rear Range Light along side Summit Rd. near Cleveland Rd. and took a picture. It is now just a decoration at the Bay View Boat Works. We left at 12:15

1:10 pm

We had lunch near Harbor View on Lake Erie. We could see the Toledo Harbor Light again way out in the water. We took a picture anyway. Left 1:35

3:00 pm

We arrived at Catawba Point. We could see South Bass Island and Put-In-Bay. We could see the South Bass Island Light and Perry Memorial (Peace) Monument Light. We took pictures from here. There is a ferry available. The Lighthouse belongs to Ohio State University. Left at 3:05.

3:35 pm

We arrived at the Marblehead Lighthouse. It is a pretty white tower with red top and catwalk. The shore is rocky and it is a pretty area. There are picnic tables. The house is separate. We could see Cedar Point amusement park across the water. Left at 3:50 (There is a Lighthouse Gallery open on Sat & Sun from 10-5, 15 min off highway 2)

4:50 pm

Arrived at the Great Lakes Historical Museum in Vermillion. They are building a replica of the 1877 Vermillion Light. Only the base is completed at this time. Since they were going to close in a few minutes we didn’t take a tour. Left at 5:00 and took Hwy 6 to Loraine.

5:20 pm

Arrived at the Loraine Lighthouse on the west breakwater. It is a two story house with light tower making the 3rd story. It is white with red roof and trim. Lots of seagulls. We went back to park (pretty one) and took pictures from a different angle. We drove on looking for a motel and ended up at Fairport Harbor/Painesville. We found our next lighthouse but it was too dark for pictures. We got directions to a motel on Hwy 20 – the Towne Motel in Mentor, cheap but adequate. We went to the Big Boy for dinner and to Dairy Queen for dessert. We returned to the motel at 9:05.

October 18, 1991, Friday

Sunny to be mid 60’s today.

9:00 am

We left Towne Motel and stopped for ice and juice.

9:30 am.

Arrived at Fairport Harbor to see Old Fairport Harbor Main Light. It’s a Maritime Museum open Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday and Holidays from 1-6 pm. Admission $2.00 adult and $5.00 maximum per family. It is open Memorial Day thru October 1st. Tour by appointment 216-354-4825. The Lighthouse was built in 1871 to replace the original built in 1825. We then went to the breakwater to see Fairport West Breakwater Light. We walked out on the east breakwater to get pictures. There were some fishermen there. We left at 10:10 am.

11:10 am

Arrived in Ashtabula. The Ashtabula Light House is on a breakwater. The harbor area is ugly. We drove along the beach to get a better view of the lighthouse. We left at 11:35. We drove through Lake Shore Park before we left Ashtabula. Pretty park. We got pictures of the lighthouse from another angle.

12:05 pm

We arrived at Conneaut Light. It is a light tower on the breakwater. There is a nice township park high on the bluff overlooking Lake Erie. We ate our lunch here. Left at 12:30.

12:50 pm

PA/OHIO state line. We stopped at a Dairy Queen and got directions to the next light.

2:00 pm

Arrived at Preque Isle Lighthouse. This is located in a beautiful State Park. We stopped at the park office and got maps and directions from the ranger. We walked along the beach to the lighthouse which is a private residence. Left at 2:15.

2:25 pm

We arrived at the Erie Pierhead Light. We could see the Erie Land Light across the bay. We saw houseboats here on Erie Pond – very interesting. Left at 2:35.

3:15 pm

Arrived at the Erie Land Lighthouse. To get here we drove thru much of Erie along ALT 5 to Lighthouse Street. It’s a brown stone tower with small building attached – not a keepers dwelling. It’s on a pretty bluff overlooking Lake Erie. This lighthouse now has a replica lantern on it. There is a very nice house on the property with a fence around both. The light was built in 1867. Not a great neighborhood. Left 3:30 pm. Along route 5 east of Erie there were lots of grapevines – miles and miles. Penn Shores and Mazza Wineries.

3:50 pm

PA/NY state line.

4:05 pm

Arrived at Barcelona Lighthouse. It is a stone tower with separate keepers dwelling. It is right on Hwy 5. Left 4:15 pm.

4:40 pm

We arrive at the Dunkirk Main Lighthouse. There is also a museum here but it is closed. It is a large, red brick house with attached white brick tower. There is a tall fence all around the property. (Also known as Point Gratiot Light) It is open Thurs, Fri, and Sat from 10-2. The light was in operation from 1875-1985. Left at 4:55 pm. We saw a modern white tower on the breakwater. We stopped at Sturgeon Point Marina and looked around but couldn’t see the lighthouse. We asked a man selling worms and he directed us further north. His grandmother once lived in the house next to it. He would like to see it moved to the Marina.

6:05 pm

We found the little tower next to Lake Shore Drive quite a ways from the water. This is Sturgeon Point Light. Left at 6:10 pm.

7:45 pm

We had driven around Buffalo and arrived at the Canadian Side of Niagra Falls. We found out the lights would come on the falls at 8:00, so we waited until then. The lights came on at 8:09. We found a motel about 3 blocks from the falls. Fairly cheap this time of year. We ate dinner at Denny’s and got back to the motel at 9:20.

October 19, 1991, Saturday

9:00 am

We left the Cataract Motel. It rained in the night but had stopped by the time we left.

9:30 am

Arrived at the Point Abino Lighthouse. It’s quite a ways down a private road. It’s a white small house with a red top and a little red trim. It’s a working lighthouse. We quickly got a picture and left. There are beautiful homes around here. From this point we could see Buffalo. Beautiful color in the trees even though there is a mist falling. Left at 9:45.

10:20 am

We arrived at Point Colborne Outer and Inner Lighthouses. They are on the end of the breakwater of the Welland Canal. Hard to get to because of a large plant and hard to see the little one. They are white with red trim. The little one had a constant red light and the big one a flashing white. Left at 10:25.

11:35 am

Arrived at Mohawk Island Light. We took several roads down the point and could then see the island from Dick Hout Rd. and the Isle View Heights Subdivision. It’s a very tiny island – actually a little piece of dirt in the water. It is a stone tower and house. The top is gone and an automated light is on top.

12:10 pm

We arrived at the Port Maitland Range Light. We had tried to reach this light earlier but made the approach from the wrong side of the river. It’s best to take Hwy 11 and be on the west side of the Grand River. The tower is on the breakwater. It’s a white structure with green trim – unusual. The old structure is now the outer range to the new inner ugly structure. Don went out on the breakwater to get pictures. Left 12:25.

1:15 pm

Arrived at Port Dover Range Light. It’s the front range on the end of the breakwater. It’s white with green top. We ate our lunch here. Left at 1:40.

2:20 pm

We arrived at Old Long Point Lighthouse. It is an ugly green, closed up structure at end of Hwy 59 just beyond the start of Lighthouse Circle at the entrance to Provincial Park. The sun is shining now and the clouds breaking up. Still cool. This lighthouse is wood and the house is attached. This is a private residence. We stopped at the Provincial Park office to inquire about the new lighthouse a long ways out on the point – 15 km from where we are now. It was automated two years ago. and is serviced by helicopter. It is not accessible by land. Don saw picture of it in a book and it’s a beautiful tall tower. Left at 2:45.

3:20 pm

Arrived at the Port Burwell Main Light built in 1840. It’s a tall white wooden tower with red door and trim. It’s right next to Hwy 19. There is a large anchor next to it and a small white building with red trim. Across the street is a museum. Down on the west breakwater there is also another small structure, Port Burwell West Breakwater Light – white with green trim. Don walked out on the breakwater to get picture. It’s turned much colder. Left at 3:35.

4:10 pm

We arrived at Port Stanley Breakwater Light. This is an unusual shaped structure all white with green light on top. We parked next to piles of coal to get the pictures. This little town at least had some stores open. Left at 4:25.

6:15 pm

Dinner at Burger King at I94 and M59.

7:45 pm

Arrived home.

Trip Totals: 25 Lighthouses, 900 miles, 3 days

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Lighthouses: A Photographic Journey
Conceived and Developed by David S. Carter
Photographs by Donald W. Carter
Text by Diana K. Carter, Donald W. Carter & David S. Carter

Copyright © 1995, 1996 David S. Carter, Donald W. Carter, & Diana K. Carter. All rights reserved. Reproduction by any means, physical or electronic, in part or in full, without the express permission of the authors, is strictly prohibited.