The 2nd Annual Great Easter Lighthouse Road Trip

Thursday evening, April 1st

3:55 PM Van packed, headed east on SR 22. Stop in Greentown to pick up Susan at work. Over to I-69, North to I-94 to Ann Arbor.
8:00 PM Arrived downtown Ann Arbor for dinner at Mongollian Barbecue. If you've never been, you need to give it a try. My daughter fell in love with the Mongollian Barbecue in Cleveland on last year's Easter weekend trip. Had to wait an hour for dinner, but well worth it. On to North Campus Holiday Inn for the evening. Traveled 255 miles so far.

Friday morning, April 2nd

9:15 AM Headed out for day, brief stop at Barnes & Noble to see if we could find any new books on lighthouses, especially Canadian ones. No luck. Had breakfast in the van to save time.
10:35 AM Arrived via the tunnel at Canadian border at Windsor. Visited the excellent welcome center where Rob helped confirm where we believed lighthouses were. Picked up Ontario map.

Leave the visitor center, turning right onto University, right again onto 22 at the river. (You could also follow signs for the big casino). Go about 5.7 miles to the Old Pelee Passage Light. It is on left side of road, parking on right side. Located at a marina in Lakeview Park, no access. Light used to be offshore, between Pelee Island and Point Pelee.

From here directions are a little shaky for couple of reasons: Seems as if Canada changed highway numbers several years ago, turning Provincial Roads into County Roads. Numbers don't always agree with written instructions or with the maps. Ontario was also very bad about marking the road you are on. Sometimes it was a SWAG about where you were at, often seat of the pants type navigating (lighthouse lovers know how to handle a challenge!). About 35 miles down the road at Lighthouse Cove (go figure where they got that name) we came to the Thames River Rear Range Lighthouse. This light is about 40' tall, white with red lantern and red trim. Built 1818 it was heightened in 1867. From 1973 to 1975 the Lower Thames Conservation Authority dismantled the light stone by stone, repaired the foundation and then rebuilt the light.

From here we made our way to Highway 401, then headed north on 21 to 79 and back to 21 when it came to Lake Huron. North on 21 to the town of Goderich, a distance of about 150 miles. Ate lunch in the van, on the go. The Goderich Main Light sits on a bluff above Lake Huron. The light is only 35' tall, square in shape and displays what appeared to be a green light. The white and red light was built in 1847 and sits in a nice little park not too far from the center of town. There is a set of stairs leading to the beach below if you are adventurous.

About 27 miles up the road is the Point Clark Lighthouse. Good signs mark the turn off the highway but then you need to pay attention, looking for Huron Road and Lighthouse Road. This 1859 tower is the only Imperial Tower on the Canadian mainland. The 87' tower is, you guessed it, white with red trim (in my books the tower is also referred to as 80' and 90' tall). During the summer months there is a museum in the keeper's house. According to the plaque at the light, the walls are 5' thick at the base and 2' thick at the top. The original light was a 2nd order dioptic. The light was placed to warn of a dangerous shoal 2 miles offshore. Point Clark was the first Ontario lighthouse to be declared a Canadian National Historic Sight.

Next stop was the town of Kincardine, a very interesting town about 13 miles further north on 21. The Kincardine Range Light is a most unusual design built in 1881. This octagonal range light is built on top of the keeper's house and sits at the corner of the local yacht club. The building was marked as the yacht club's museum. There is some amount of construction in the area - couldn't decide if they were trying to enlarge the boat basin or reclaim some land to build on. The light is very picturesque, with the boats all arrayed in front of it. Again, the light is white with red trim and lantern.

From here we headed back down 21 to highway 402 and across the bridge back to Port Huron.

8:00 PM Arrived in Port Huron. Dinner at Bob Evans, stayed at the Hampton Inn. Long day, covering 410 miles and seeing 5 lighthouses.

Parting notes: Some very pretty territory. Weather overcast most of day but very comfortable. Lots of different colors (don't know why, but purples and greens are very big in Canada). Very poor road signs, most intersections marked at the intersection with little or no warning. Don't visit Canada on Good Friday - they close the country and roll up the sidewalks. Couldn't find a store to let my daughter get a thimble and spoon for her collections!

Saturday, April 3rd

9:30 After breakfast at the hotel headed downtown Port Huron. Had massive rains for about 10 minutes, then they backed off. Found Harbour Lights dealer but they didn't have any hours posted and weren't open. Oh well. Past the USCGC Bramble and they were busy loading up; looks like they were getting ready to go out and set some buoys. Shipping season will be here soon. Did see one ship heading upbound; thought maybe still a little early but maybe wasn't going too far.

Stopped at Lightship Huron for pictures. During the summer months the lightship is open to visit.

Visited Fort Gratiot Light. Coast Guard had the grounds secured so couldn't get up close to light (Had been able to when last there in August 1997). Can get a decent picture from the park next to the light. This 1829 light is one of the oldest on the Great Lakes, and is the oldest in Michigan. The tower is 86' tall, having been raised to this height in 1862.

Headed north on M-25. Stopped at Port Sanilac Lighthouse, located just a couple of blocks off the highway. This very beautiful light has a somewhat unusual octagonal tower and an ivy covered attached keeper's quarters. Port Sanilac, built in 1886 and 69' tall, was the Harbour Lights member exclusive in 1997 and was the member only ornament in 1998.

Next stop was what the whole trip was about: Harbor Beach Light. On our first trip in August 1997 we had missed this light. Didn't have any guidebook and was trying to work from a very general map. Just didn't find the light, and it has been a standing joke in our house that we would go back to view this light because it was the only Lake Huron mainland light I had missed. The heavens were not with us this day. Tried to see the light from Penrose's first suggested location at the local beach. Too foggy, couldn't see much of anything. A plaque at the foot of the pier indicated that Harbor Beach was a harbor of refuge for shipping.

Tried Penrose's other choice- from the old Coast Guard station. DO NOT try this one. The approach is a very rutted and brush swept lane. We did have a little more luck viewing from the old CG station, and saw what I would guess was an old US Life Saving Service location. Still no light. Decided to try the other side of the channel. To get there, at the north side of town turn off M-25 onto an unnamed street leading into the Detroit Edison power plant. Follow through the parking areas to the start of a nicely paved walkway. The walk will take you down close to the old CG or USLSS station across the channel. There are several nice little lookout with benches for fishing or relaxing. From here we were still frustrated by foggy conditions. I refused to give up and kept hoping the fog would at least partially clear. Finally, through the mist, there it was! The Harbor Beach Light! Not very noticeable, and pictures probably won't turn out all that great, but at least I had seen the light! (Good excuse to have to come back again.)

Had thought about continuing up to Pointe Aux Barques, a very pretty light and setting, but it was getting late and we wanted to head to Frankenmuth for the night. Stopped in Bad Axe to shop at Norman's. Arrived in Frankenmuth at 4:30. Covered 196 miles today, saw Coast Guard Cutter, a lightship and 3 lights. Stopped at local Harbour Lights dealer (Aunt Hatties). Nothing I needed, but they did have a great selection of retired lights including an LE Cape Hatteras (couldn't tell which version as it was on a higher shelf). Also noticed an Assateague, a Point Loma and several more. Had a chicken dinner at Zehnders (very good) and spent the night at Zehnders Bavarian Haus Inn (disappointing and over priced.)

Sunday, April 4th

1030 AM Slept in today. Breakfast was a pretty good sized ice cream cone from a shop in Frankenmuth. Weather had turned much worse, rains coming in pretty heavy. Headed out for I-75 to I-69. Pretty good rains through most of Michigan. Stopped in Fort Wayne to visit mom. Dinner at Applebees, home at 7:30 PM.

Total distance in 3 days was 1181 miles, saw 8 lighthouses and a lightship.


Dave

[This message has been edited by Dave H (edited 07-18-2001).]

Just a note on Dave's comments about the retired lights at Aunt Hatties in Frankenmuth, MI:

The top two shelves of Harbour Lights in the store are the owners personal collection, and are not for sale. He has a very nice collection and for collectors who have never seen some of the older pieces, this is a good place to get a look.

If you have never been to Frankenmuth, MI, I highly recommend it. From Bronner's to the Bavarian Inn, this town is awesome! Living only 25 minutes away, I never miss the Bavarian Festival, Winter Festival, any excuse to go drink some fine German Beer, ect....

Your tour guide,

-Todd

"The approach is a very rutted and brush swept lane"

I used it and thought I had left the bottom of the car there a couple of times. But as you said I have seen it. Turning around was fun also.

Saint WackoPaul '
Keep the Flame

Sounds like a fun trip, Dave.

If you don't wind up on a bad road, dead end road and have to turn around at least three times because you went the wrong way it's not a real adventure!

When I first walked in Aunt Hatties, my heart skipped a beat. I didn't realize they were a personal collection and thought I hit the gold mine. Boy was I bummed when they were not for sale (and felt a little stupid for thinking that maybe they were)

I did pick up their last HL t-shirt they had in stock, which was the very first t-shirt HL made, so I didn't feel too bad.

-Rod