Ninth Great Lakes Lighthouse Expedition

August 20 – 22, 1990
Lake Huron, Canada

August 20, 1990, Monday

Cloudy, sprinkling, 59?F

8:55 am

Left Home.

10:25 am

We crossed the Blue Water Bridge from Port Huron to Sarnia . We could see the Fort Gratiot Light from the Bridge. Toll $.75.

10:30 am

Arrived in Canada.

11:25 am

Arrived at the cottage of John & Dorothy Eddy at Beach of the Pines near Grand Bend, Ontario. Dorothy’s son Bill and their friends Rita & Less from England were there. We had lunch and then walked along the beach in a light shower. Left at 1:30.

2:30 pm

Arrived in Goderich. We stopped at a bank to exchange money.

2:40 pm

Arrived at St. Christophers Beach and Lighthouse Park. We climbed the 148 steps up the bluff. The Goderich Light Station is a white square tower with red trim. The light is working. We then drove to the light at the end of Lighthouse St. Goderich is a pretty town. Left 3:15.

3:50 pm

Arrived at Point Clark Light on Lighthouse Road. We first parked along the road and walked to beach and discovered the light a little further north. Don took pictures from the water’s edge. We then drove to the light and the Lighthouse Keeper’s museum. Cost $5.00. We walked through and bought a postcard. Don took more pictures of the house and tower. This light opened in 1859. It is a white brick tower with red top. It’s called an "Imperial Tower." The tower is separate form the house with a tunnel underneath connecting them. The museum opened in June of 1988. It was a pretty drive along the beach.

4:40 pm

Arrived at the Kincardine Light. It is a white wooden tower with red trim. Don took pictures from the area near the marina. The light is red and white. Left 4:50.

5:30 pm

Arrived in South Hampton and found the Chantry Island Light just a little off shore. It is a white cylinder with red trim. There is no light and the house is no longer there.

6:00 pm

Checked in at the Cedar Court Motel. We also found a "little light" which we named the South Hampton North Pier Light. This is not an official light! We ate dinner at the High View restaurant. After dinner while driving around we discovered a rear range light. South Hampton has a front range light on the north pier and a rear range light down river on the east side of Hwy 21. Both are little white square buildings with red trim. They are the Saugeen River Range Lights. Went back to the motel at 8:15pm

August 21, 1990, Tuesday

8:40 am

Left the Cedar Court Motel in South Hampton. We took another picture of the Saugeen River Range Lights before we left town at 9:05.

10:20 am

Arrived at the Cape Croker Light. We traveled through the Cape Crocker Chippewa Indian Reservation and town. Fortunately they showed a map of the area with roads to the Lighthouse. It was a very narrow dirt road which led right out to the point. The Light is a white cylinder tower with red trim. This is a working light and there is also a house. The winds were high and strong and there were some white caps on the water. Because of a fence around the tower, Don climbed on the roof of the blazer to take pictures. He also got some from the beach. We left the point at 10:45.

11:30 am

Arrived at Evergreen Lodge at Red Bay. There have been many changes since our last trip here in 1974. A pool, tennis courts and basketball court have been added. The water level is VERY LOW. We talked with Arnold and Myrtle Bennett, the owners. This is their 40th year here. Oh yes, there was a large addition on the lodge with a games room with pool tables, a TV room and a large dining room. We took some pictures and walked around a bit and left at 12:25. We then had a cool picnic lunch at a road side table in Mar.

1:30 pm

Arrived at Marv & Mary Jane Jewell’s cottage at Stokes Bay. They took us out on their catamaran sail boat to see the Stokes Bay Front and Rear Range Lights. The sun finally came out and it was beautiful. Left at 4:30. We didn’t find the lightouse at Lionshead. We drove to Tobermory and got a room at the Peacock Motel and had dinner at Tina & Mables. We left at 7:30 and went to Bruce Crystal Lake Provencial Park to find Hook’s, Spieces, and Fraziers. We enjoyed their campfire and SMORES. Left about 10:00 to go back to the motel.

August 22, 1990, Wednesday

Beautiful sunny day with clear skies.

8:15 am

Left the Peacock Motel in Tobermory.

9:00 am

Took the Seaview III to Flowerpot Island. We met the "Happy Campers", Hooks, Fraziers and Spieces (14 in all) at the boat dock. They were taking the same boat! We saw the Big Tub Light in Tobermory and the Cove Island Light on the boat ride. We had about 3 hours on the island and we hiked and saw the Flower Pot Island Light Tower. The original tower is gone and has been replaced by an ugly structure. The keeper and assistants dwellings are still there but empty as it was automated within the past few years.

2:00 pm

Arrived back in Tobermory and had our lunch in Rotary Park. Left Tobermory at 2:50.

3:40 pm

Arrived at Cabot Head Light. The old house is still standing. We took the path to a beautiful cove — Wingfield Basin. It was a long drive down a dirt road – 8 km, 11 km from Dyers Bay and 21 km from Hwy. 6. We made another attempt to find Lions Head. No luck. We also drove 20 km off Hwy. 6 from Wiarton to Big Bay to check out a possible light on Griffin Island. We couldn’t see any light. Don could see the light flashing from Cape Crocker. Left Wiarton at 6:10 pm. Stopped in Pt. Elgin for McDonalds and Dairy Queen. Left at 7:25.

11:20 pm

Arrived home.

Trip Totals: 11 Lighthouses, 748 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.