Fifth Great Lakes Lighthouse Expedition

August 21 – 27 1988
Keweenaw Peninsula

August 21, 1988, Sunday

5:45 am

Woke up and took Andrea to Lakeland High School for Band Camp. We went to first service at Central United Methodist Church.

9:50 am

Left Home and headed north via US-23, I-75, US-10, US-27 and I-75. We stopped for a "rest" near Clare for about 10 minutes.

1:40 pm

We stopped for lunch about 20 minutes south of the bridge for about 40 minutes.

2:55 pm

We got gas in Mackinaw City and were at the toll booth on the north side of the bridge. We had spotted several lighthouses from the bridge: Old Mackinaw Point Light and Round Island Light and the newer Round Island Passage Light. Once on US-2 we saw several out in the water: St. Helena Island, Waugoshance and White Shoal. With binoculars we’re pretty sure we saw Lansing Shoal.

4:58 pm

Arrived in Munising to see Range Lights and have DQ.

5:20 pm

Scenic overlook — walked down to a very sandy beach just north of Au Train.

6:00 pm

Arrived in Marquette at park near Marquette Harbor Lighthouse. Then drove to Presque Isle (Harbor) Park to see Breakwater Light — walked out onto breakwater.

6:35 pm

Presque Isle Square — shopped a little!

7:30 pm

Agate Beach — Welcome Center.

8:00 pm

Jean-Kay’s Pasties.

8:16 pm

Big Al’s for dinner.

9:00 pm

Arrive at Rainbow Motel.

August 22, 1988, Monday

Drizzle

8:00 am

Woke up. Left motel at 9:30 am.

10:30 am

Arrived at Big Bay Lighthouse (Buck’s Light) and checked in and took pictures (Sun came out just briefly and then got cloudy again).

11:10 am

Left lighthouse and went into Big Bay, drove around and then went to Square Beach — walked on beach and collected some "treasures". Had lunch. Drove back through Big Bay — Kathy’s and Nick’s still closed. Drove back down 550 to Marquette and tried a few side roads. Got two pasties and went to Presque Isle Park.

5:00 pm

Arrived back at Big Bay Lighthouse. Buck and the lighthouse were on T.V. during the 6:00 news. Following that we went to the Big Bay Hotel for dinner. Other guests were Gary and Nancy from Buffalo, NY; Tom and Barb from Holland, MI; Jack and Sally from Grand Rapids, MI; Don and Ann (newlyweds) from Atlanta, GA; and Chris and Evelyn from Madison, WI. It started raining and we enjoyed the fire and chatting until 11:00 when we retired.

August 23, 1988, Tuesday

Very Cloudy, but cleared up by breakfast.

7:30 am

Woke up. Blueberry pancakes, lighthouse bread, coffee and kick-a-poo juice. The group went to the fog house to see the lens. After taking a picture of Buck and Marilyn we were on our way at 10:30 am.

11:11 am

Stopped to hike up Sugarloaf Mountain. Saw Granite Island Light from top. A nice trail which included 330 steps! Beautiful view of Marquette and all directions.

12:16 pm

Arrived back to suburban [the truck]. Then headed toward Ontonagon.

2:00 pm

Finished out lunch at roadside park overlooking Lake Michigamme just east of Michigamme.

2:33 pm

Bishop Baraga Shrine. Left 2:47 pm.

3:09 pm

Sand Point Light near Baraga (Guy’s light). Private residence. Parked and walked down to beach and snuck up and took pictures. Left 3:22 pm.

4:31 pm

Arrive in Ontonagon; see Ontonagon Light from across the bay; light is surrounded by a factory. Made an attempt to get to Fourteen Mile Point Light. A lot of back roads and since this one was burned down by vandals, we gave up.

6:30 pm

Ate dinner at restaurant near Lamberts Motel.

August 24, 1988, Wednesday

Very Cloudy.

7:00 am

Woke up. Left Lamberts Motel in Ontanagon at 8:00 am.

9:15 am

Arrive at F. J. McClain State Park. Walked to beach and took pictures on Keweenaw Waterway Upper Entrance Light. Very windy and cool although water is not very rough. Clouds breaking a little.

9:50 am

Left park. Spent a little time in Calumet and bought a copper lighthouse and some agate critters. Left 10:45 am.

11:20 am

Walked down to beach off Five Mile Point Road. Saw Sand Hills Lighthouse from road but private residence. Don decided to walk back along beach and see if he could get pictures from the lake. Diana went part way, but after it sprinkled and she waited quite a while she went back to the suburban. Don arrived back at 12:07, successfully getting pictures of the lighthouse. Home of Bill and Eve Frabotta. It is being restored.

12:24 pm.

Arrived at Eagle River Light. Don hiked along the river to try to get a picture. This one is also a private residence. Left 12:42 pm.

1:16 pm.

Finished lunch at lookout at Great Sand Bay.

1:39 pm.

Arrived at Eagle Harbor Lighthouse and Museum. Closed Mon, open other days Noon to 5:00. Left 2:45 pm. Checked into motel — took picture from across the bay of the lighthouse.

4:15 pm.

Took Brochway Mountain Drive to Copper Harbor. Took pictures of Copper Harbor and Copper Harbor Light from Brochway Mountain Drive.

4:30 pm.

Left the point where 41 deadends and made attempt to drive to High Rock Bay via the trails. We wanted to get a glimpse of Gull Rock, but we were unsuccessful.

6:00 pm.

Arrived back to Fort Wilkins State Park and asked for county map — roads don’t agree with map book! Parked to take pictures of Copper Harbor Light from far side of the bay. Boat not making stops at lighthouse because of low water levels. IT has been sunny here in Copper Harbor this afternoon.

7:30 pm.

At dinner at the Mariner North. Did grocery shopping and then went back to Eagle Harbor.

8:25 pm.

Back in Eagle Harbor, trying to find right place for sunset picture. Took quite a few. Left 8:45 pm.

8:50 pm.

Arrived back at Shoreline Motel.

August 25, 1988, Thursday

Clear, turning cloudy and rainy in mid-morning.

8:30 am

Left Shoreline Motel in Eagle Harbor.

8:55 am

Arrived at Bete Grise Light. We are across the channel from it, but it is a pretty picture! It is a private residence. Also known as the Mendota Light. Left 9:11 am.

9:45 am

Arrived in Copper Harbor. Although the sky was fairly clear when we woke up at 7:00 am, it clouded up and began raining before we got into Copper Harbor. It is windy and very cool this am. Purchased a silver ring and a lithograph (Swedes Craft): print of the Copper Harbor Lighthouse from the artist. He discouraged us from attempting the trip to Gull Rock, especially following the rain. We saw several other gift shops and then decided to head south to Jacobsville at 11:50 am.

1:08 pm

Arrived at Portage Lake Lower Entrance Light. There was the Jacobsville Park at this spot, so we ate lunch — still a little drizzly. We took pictures first — several words to remember this light by: winter jackets, umbrella, rain (possibly sleet) and scaring birds. Left 1:54 pm.

2:02 pm

Arrived at Portage River (Jacobsville) Light. Not working and now a pretty, private residence. Left 2:10. Went back by the Entrance Light then left Jacobsville area at 2:21 pm.

3:40 pm

Arrived back in Copper Harbor. Went to some shops, drove to Manganese Falls, drove up to ledge and looked around and then went to Copper Harbor Rear Range Light, arriving there at 5:15 pm. Robert Hill is resident here — Assistant Park Manager of Fort Wilkins State Park. Left 5:25 pm. It was raining again.

6:12 pm

Finished dinner at the Tamarack Inn. Left Copper Harbor at 6:25 pm.

7:00 pm

Arrived at Eagle Harbor Shoreline Motel after several stops along the road to view the water.

8:00 pm

Went for ice cream.

August 26, 1988, Friday

Our 21st Anniversary
Beautiful, Clear and Sunny, but cold

7:00 am

Woke up. Left motel at 8:30. Stopped in Eagle River at beach and took picture of Sand Hills Light from here. Tower can be seen above the trees.

11:30 am

Arrived in Marquette (stops along the way for scenery, potty and oil and gas). Got pasties at Jean-Kay’s and took them to Travel Info Park to eat. Left 12:15 pm.

1:17 pm

Stopped on CR-513 on way to Peninsula Point and looked across Little Bay de Noc at the Escanaba Harbor Light (not mentioned in Northern Lights book).

1:30 pm

Arrived at Peninsula Point Light which divides Little Bay de Noc and Big Bay de Noc in Green Bay. From here we could easily see the Minneapolis Shoal Light. We could see several islands: Little Summer, Summer, Poverty and St. Martin Islands. We’re fairly sure we could see the light on St. Martin, but not close enough to take pictures. Beautiful little park here with identification markers about the point and the lighthouses. The house here burned down in 1959; you can still see the foundation. Left 2:25 pm.

3:37 pm

Saw Manistique Light.

4:45 pm

Arrived at Comfort Inn at Newberry. Showered, changed and went to Newberry to look around and have dinner. Ate at the Village Inn Restaurant at the Best Western. Good chicken, poor atmosphere.

August 27, 1988, Saturday

Raining

7:30 am

Woke up.

8:26 am

Left Comfort Inn in Newberry. After stopping at park on north side of the bridge and coffee and donuts in Mackinaw — took them to Lighthouse Park.

10:56 am

Left Mackinaw City.

12:00 noon

Ate lunch at rest area north of Grayling. Left 12:22

1:25 pm

Arrived at Mystic Lake Camp. Saw band show and left 2:40pm.

5:30 pm

We arrive home.

Trip Totals: 27 Lighthouses, 1881 miles, 7 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 expressed permission of the authors, is strictly prohibited.