Monday 31 March 2014

MICHIGAN: 40 Mile Point Lighthouse

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It's probably wrong to have lighthouse favorites but the 40 Mile Point Lighthouse just a couple of miles north of Rogers City has to be mine, maybe it's the richness of the red bricks against that warming October sky, or the amazing view point over the lake by which is sits, having a shipwreck there certainly works in it's favor. 

You'll find 40 Mile Point Lighthouse along a small tree lined road, one that opens up into a huge, welcoming space. The lighthouse doesn't mark a harbor, nor even a river mouth, it's mere purpose to guide ships between Mackinaw Point and the Saint Clair River - that a ship should never be out of sight of a light to be guided by. 

Creeping along a small trail you'll come to find the final resting place of the SS Joseph S. Fay - a wooden steamer built in 1871 - one of the first freighters built for carrying iron ore on the Great Lakes. On a rough October night in 1905 while heading south, the Joseph S. Fay was swept onshore by the powerful winds of the night. While the ship broke free of the ship she was tugging, yet she was sinking and a strong wave washed the ship aside onto the sandy beach a short walk away from Forty Point. Now all that remains in it's final resting place is 150 feet of it's wooden side complete with metal rods and spikes.

While we there there I picked up a cross stitch kit of the lighthouse design which now all completed, sits on my embroidery hoop wall.  Since our trip Joe brought me two other kits from Presque Isle Needlework for the lighthouses we visited - the Grand Traverse Light and the Mackinac Point Light - which I can't wait to get started! 

Lighthouse

I must admit I love how it turned out!


 
You can find 40 Mile Point Light house along;
County Park Rd Rogers City, MI 49779

16 comments:

  1. utterly stunning pictures x

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  2. your photos are so lovely! I'd love it if you'd comment back http://amyelizabethfashion.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/a-week-of-instagram-8.html xx

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  3. I love your "travelling" posts - I don't know how to call them. You manage to show details one might not spot easily and the stories that come with the pictures are lovely. I am quite fond of lighthouses myself, but also scared of them for some reason.
    Andreea | http://catsfika.blogspot.ro/

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    1. Thank you - i'm glad to enjoy them, I certainly enjoy sharing them. As you can probably tell i'm rather fond of lighthouses, but for some reason slightly scared about going up into the light part, I'm not sure why, they just look really cramped and tiny.

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  4. Wow great trip destination!! And the cherry on top being the cross stitch keep sake : ) Brill!!

    Gemma
    Faded Windmills

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  5. Beautiful photos. The place looks absolutely stunning. I like places with history and background to them. Kudos to the cross stitch too x

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  6. Your travel posts are always fab! I love hearing about places I did know existed and little bits of their history. Plus you always have such lovely photos of the places that you visit :)

    Debi x

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    1. Thanks - Wiki and my trusty Michgan tourist guide is often my friend for places like this, although Michigan State does a pretty decent job with all their historical markers.

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  7. It was my idea to add the map points! The lighthouse was exceptionally gorgeous in the fall. ;D

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  8. I really like lighthouses, my favourite one is on the Great Orme in North Wales.

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    1. I love the old lighthouse made of chalk in Flambrough Head, it's really striking and I love the style comparison between the UK and the US.

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  9. Really interesting post - may visit one day!

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  10. I love your travel posts! They are some of my favourites to read. I like the little history too :) That boat is so cool! I have never seen a real ship wreck or a real lighthouse... I think. Maybe once but not close up like that. I think I'm missing out :(

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    1. I really wasn't expecting to find a ship wreck that's for sure, although not too surprising with the amounts of shipwrecks that the Great Lakes are famous for. Oddly enough my favourite place to get fish n chips back home at Flambrough Head has two lighthouses, although I think I took them for granted. I actually had a poke on the interwebs yesterday and I was surprised at just how many the UK has, although granted I couldn't have named you many outside of East Yorkshire.

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  11. I love that you can buy cross stitch for lighthouses. that's awesome. I think my favourite lighthouse is St Anthony's head on the River Fal.
    And how cool that there is a ship wreck there. I know there are loads in Cornwall that we sail over but they are too deep to see.

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