September 17, 2009

Mark your calendars. Why you ask? Take a look at the our first photo. This is New Presque Isle Lighthouse which stands 113 feet tall and is the tallest lighthouse on the Great Lakes that you can climb.It was built in 1871 to replace the Old Presque Isle Lighthouse (featured later) which stood a mere 30 feet tall. Not only is this the tallest that you can climb but it is one of the very few lighthouses where you are allowed to venture out on the catwalk.

Cheryl has always been afraid of heights and for the last year she has been working hard to overcome some of that fear. Today she made the 138 step climb to the top. It took us several minutes to reach the top and the view was fantastic. The sun was out, allowing us to see the varied colors in Lake Huron.

The second photo of Cheryl was taken in the room at the top of the tower, just under the light. She also climbed the other two lighthouses we visited today. Each one offered its challenges, but she was up for them.

The third photo is of Old Presque Isle Lighthouse. Old Presque was built in 1830 and is 30 feet tall. It is very unique in that it has a hand-cut rock stairway. Each step is one rock and they are stacked on top of each other from the bottom to the top. All of the other round tower lighthouses that we have visited have had steel spiral steps that are open backed. These allow you to see through them and all the way to the bottom of the tower.

Next we stopped in Rogers City, MI to see the the Oglebay Norton Calcite Quarry (fourth photo) which is the largest limestone quarry in the world. The pit measures over five miles long. If you look closely, you can a truck which is about a mile away. It turned out to be a large water truck that was spraying the road to keep the dust down. There were two ships at the dock that were being loaded with the limestone.

Our fifth photo is of 40 Mile Point Lighthouse located just north of Rogers City, MI. It gets its name from the fact that it is located 40 miles from lighthouses in both directions. This lighthouse has a square tower that is 52 feet tall and has a round, open spiral stairway to the top. The lighthouse was built in 1897 and took 17 men 8 months to build.

And last but not least, our sign of the day has a special place in the heart of one of our "followers". Everyone has a fear of skunks and what they can do, and for this follower it is no different. We say, "Down with skunks!"

We are staying in Sault Ste Marie, MI for the next two nights. After over 1000 miles we will be slowing down for the next several days. Tomorrow is Friday and with that comes fish fry day all around the lake. We will eat a little for all you fish lovers out there.

T&C