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Trip Report Lake Erie Tour Saturday, July 24, 2004 East Harbor State Park We left home at 8:30 a.m., happily headed to the Erie Islands area of Ohio. About 11 a.m., we stopped in Dundee, Michigan for lunch at Wendy’s, and then it was “On to Toledo!” Following directions from the Penrose East Great Lakes Lighthouse book, we took the Summit Street exit in search of the Manhattan Rear Range. This lighthouse has been moved from its original location at the mouth of the Maumee River to an industrial section of Toledo. Although it one time stood 80 feet above water, it now has been reduced to a 20 ft. tall structure with a metal lantern room. We were able to photograph it pretty well through the fence that surrounded the industrial property. We got a little turned around in Toledo after that, but finally found our way to Highway 2 east, which took us over a bridge crossing the Maumee River and on to our next stop in our destination, Port Clinton, a delightful coastal town with a drawbridge over the Portage River. We had stopped to photograph the Old Port Clinton Lighthouse, which was originally located on the east bank of the Portage River, and has now been relocated to a private marina, its upper tower only. The lantern room is empty now, and capped with a metal roof, but charmingly displayed in the marina. We arrived at East Harbor State Park, at 3 p.m., check in time. We enjoyed a delightful dinner of skewered pork, rosemary potatoes, and a Greek salad with a bottle of Smoking Loon merlot, while we listened to the songs of Lee Murdock, http://www.leemurdock.com, one of our favorite Great Lakes folksingers. The rest of the evening was relaxing, and we finished the day with a game of Scrabble. Sunday, July 25 We awoke early, made breakfast, and then left for the Kelly’s Island Ferry lines in Marblehead. We made the 9:30 ferry, and the 20-minute ride, a pleasing one, provided views of both Cedar Point and Marblehead lighthouse on our way. Our dog Gypsy seemed to enjoy being on a boat. We met some nice people who took a picture of the three of us together. We had fun on the island, doing some hiking and visiting the Glacial Grooves, http://www.ohiohistory.org/places/glacial, and the remains of an old limestone quarry, and then hiked the North Loop in the woods, which was very cool. Just as we were leaving the island, it began to rain a little. After dinner, the rain had stopped, and because it was only 4 p.m., we had time to take the drive to Cedar Point. A scenic drive it was, especially passing over the Thomas Edison Bridge. Cedar Point Amusement Park, in itself, was quite a sight with its terrifying rides towering high into the atmosphere. Not my forte, we were there instead to visit the Cedar Point Lighthouse. It was located on the tip of the peninsula, and it was a beauty, worth the $8 parking fee at Soak City. Only a few short years ago, an abandoned and dilapidated site, the park has now beautifully restored it, and opened it to visitors in 2001. Upon our return to the camp, we visited the beach and made a note where the hiking trails were located. The remainder of the evening was spent relaxing and talking in the camper. Monday, July 26 In the morning we packed up for our excursion to South Bass Island, then enjoyed a breakfast of Polish sausage, eggs and English muffins. From Catawba Island, we boarded the Miller Ferry, which we were told was the best way to photograph the South Bass Island Lighthouse. We had also been told that the town of Put-in-Bay was touristy and not much of an attraction, so we weren’t sure what to expect. The ferry ride was a little rough, and Gypsy was nervous. Toward the end of the 20-minute cruise, I climbed to the upper deck with my camera. The boat was rocking on the rough waves of 3-5 feet, making it difficult for me to keep my balance. With trees blocking the light, my window of opportunity was a small couple of minutes to capture the light on film. Once docked, we shunned the bus and golf cart, choosing instead to foot the two miles downtown and to Perry’s Memorial, which was not open yet for the day. Visiting the Memorial, I was reminded of Lee Murdock’s song-story of Perry’s Victory on Lake Erie. We then visited the shops until about 11 a.m., and despite what we had heard about the town, we found it charming. In one shop, we heard “The Great Lakes Song” playing on a CD, which we recognized from Lee Murdock’s concert CD, “Great Lakes Chronicle”, but it was not Lee’s voice we were hearing. The shop owner noticed our interest in the music, and informed us that it was Pat Bailey, a regular entertainer at Tipper’s Restaurant next door, and that Pat Bailey had co-authored the song with the late Shel Silverstein. She was unaware of Lee Murdock’s music, but wrote down his name and told us she would surely mention him to Pat the next time they met. On the way back to the mainland, it was looking a lot like rain again. Back at camp, since it hadn’t yet begun to rain, we jumped back in the van to visit Marblehead Lighthouse. People were everywhere on the grounds, some waiting to climb the tower, so we knew we would have to return to photograph the light when it was closed. We visited the keeper house for its museum and gift shop, and I photographed the 3.5 order Fresnel lens inside the museum. Tuesday, July 27 After doing some interesting hiking at the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, we stopped in Port Clinton, where I was able to find a couple of my Scaasis lighthouse collectibles. Back at camp we made delicious burgers mixed with egg, bread, onion, garlic, and basil, and we stir-fried a veggie dish consisting of summer squash, zucchini, tomatoes, onion and red pepper, with a dash of sesame seed oil. At 5:30, we returned to Marblehead, hopefully to photograph the light without a crowd. Success! Picking up beer and ice, we headed back to camp for a relaxing evening. Wednesday, July 28 Lake Erie State Park, New York When we awoke about 7:30, it was lightly raining again. You can imagine what that does to a campsite made of straw. We skipped breakfast, quickly packed it up, and were on the road by 9:30, headed toward better weather! Our first stop on Lake Erie was Huron Harbor Light, a nice view of which is obtained in a local park with a $3 parking fee. The park was deserted on the gloomy day, however, and when the young attendant realized we were just going in for a few minutes to take pictures of the lighthouse, he waived the fee. Huron Harbor is a still operational white steel structure, 72 ft. tall, at the end of a pier. Our view wasn’t as close as I’d expected though, and the combination of a somewhat distant white light against a cloudy background doesn’t make for the best of photography. Next we stopped at cute little Vermillion Light that boasts a neat little story. The lighthouse is actually a replica built by Ted Wakefield of the original light built in 1847. In 1929, when Ted was just a teenager, he noticed that the lighthouse was leaning dangerous towards the river, and was subsequently dismantled. The people of Vermillion were sad to see their lighthouse go. Ted dreamed of his childhood lighthouse memories, and in 1991, had raised enough money to rebuild the working light according to the original specs, and it is now setting on the property of the Great Lakes Historical Society, who donated a fifth order Fresnel lens. When the replica was built, the people in Vermillion looked into the history of the original lighthouse, and found that the dismantled pieces had never been destroyed, but had been restored in Buffalo, New York, and is now still shining in the waters off Cape Vincent on Lake Ontario where it was renamed East Charity Shoals Light. Our final detour planned was to the Loraine Lighthouse, which has gone through several renovations through the years and is now owned by the Port of Lorain Foundation. A view of the light can be had behind the Lorain Water Treatment Plant, but it is quite distant. And on the hazy day that we were there, it was even more difficult to see. We planned immediately to return to this beautiful, working light on our way home, if the weather improved. After this stop, we fast-tracked on Highway 90 through upper Pennsylvania and on to our home for two nights at Lake Erie State Park in New York. Don’t ever experience the harrowing drive of Highway 90 through Cleveland. Believe me, there are much better ways. A kind of magic took place, though, as we passed through the beautiful, rolling hills of Pennsylvania. The skies cleared, the rain stopped and we saw the beautiful sun again, which was a very welcome sight! We exited 90 at 394 to Barcelona. When we realized that we had to pass through the town to get to camp, we decided to add a stop at the Barcelona lighthouse, a private residence next to a marina, which can be viewed from Highway 5. The area near the marina was beautifully covered with thistle, teasel and purple loosestrife. The lighthouse itself is 40 feet tall, with a keeper’s house, made of fieldstone. Originally, an oil lamp lighted the light until it was discovered two years later that there was a natural gas supply, which was then used, making it the only lighthouse operated by natural gas. A modern gas lamp was installed in the light in 1962, and the new owners keep the light alive, with the help from the town of Westfield that foots the price for the gas. We arrived at the beautiful campground with a view of Lake Erie, and set up camp. We then drove into Dunkirk, knowing that the Dunkirk Lighthouse was closed on Wednesday, but what we didn’t know was that the light was behind a locked fence in a Veteran’s Park. We would have to return another time. Instead we found a grocery in Dunkirk and bought some cheap steaks to marinate for dinner and some food supplies for our hike the next day. Thursday, July 29 Day trip to Presque Isle State Park, Pennsylvania We woke up about 7:30 and made a big breakfast in anticipation of a long day at Presque Isle State Park in Erie, Pennsylvania. We were on the road by 10:00 and it was a beautiful ride through rolling hills and countryside dotted with vineyards. We took the Seaway Trail all the way into Erie. Our first stop was the Erie Land Light, with its shiny, new copper lantern room roof. It was beautifully restored in its setting amid wild bergamot, bittersweet nightshade and crown vetch. The light had lost its wooden lantern room in a 2003 storm and was replaced just this past March. We followed the road up to the Presque Isle Lighthouse, which is now a private residence. A path to the beach will give you an excellent view. Originally built in 1872, it has a 52 foot tower attached to a red brick dwelling. We planned to walk some trails across the road from the light, but as we approached the trailhead, we found “tick warning signs” advising us to completely cover our body with clothing (it was 80 degrees that day!) and leave your pet at home. We opted out. Instead, we drove to the parking lot at Beach 11, where we walked the beach to the North Pier Light, a steel, black and white tower at the end of a pier, originally built in 1928. It was rebuilt in 1958 when a schooner downed it the previous year. On the beach I picked up handfuls of highly polished quartz in varying colors, which I plan to use to build a small lighthouse lamp. Next we walked around the monument, reading the history of Perry’s Victory in September of 1813. Perry’s crew spent the winter of 1813-14 in Misery Bay after the battle, and those that died were buried through the ice into Graveyard Pond. We attempted to walk the Graveyard Pond trail, but once again the tick warnings deterred us, so we went back to the Gift Shop area and had our little swim instead. Despite the fact that we didn’t hike, we enjoyed the park immensely, and considered it a successful day. On the way back to camp, we stopped at a store in Brocton and got some Polish Grillers for supper at about 8 p.m., then relaxed by the fire. Friday, July 30 Geneva-on-the-Lake State Park, Geneva Ohio We didn’t awake until about 8:00 a.m., and since we had wanted to be at the Dunkirk Lighthouse when it opened at 10, we skipped breakfast and packed up camp instead. We hated to leave such a beautiful campground! At 9:45 when we arrived at the light, the gates of the Veteran’s Park were open. A large sign announced fees of $5 to tour the lighthouse, $1 to walk the grounds, and also stated “This is not a turn around. If you use it as a turn around, you will be charged” and also informed us that pets were not welcome. Andy stayed outside the gate and waited with Gypsy. I walked inside, and the grounds seemed deserted to me, so I started to photograph the light from the right side of a little building. The lighthouse with its 61 foot tower, originally built in 1827, is still an active aid to navigation and is equipped with a 3rd order Fresnel lens yet today. The grounds include a museum and gift shop. After taking a couple pictures, I walked a little to the left to check out a different view, and a man came out of the building, yelling at me that I was on private property! I asked him if he was asking me to leave, and he shouted, “NO – go inside there and pay one dollar!” I reached in my pocket to give him the dollar and he shouted again, “No you go inside and pay the dollar. Didn’t you read the sign?!” I told him I had read the sign, was prepared to pay, but hadn’t yet seen anyone to give the dollar to. After paying, I wandered the park taking photos, and the man came back to me, apologetic, explaining why they had all these rules, etc. I was glad to get out of there, and didn’t bother with the museum. Then we headed west for Ohio again. We took 90 through Pennsylvania, ran into some rain in Erie, then as we entered Ohio, we stopped at a Travel Center, where I was pleased to see some butter-and-eggs growing around the grounds. From 90, we took O-7 to the Conneaut Lighthouse, which we could view from a marina pier, and had fun with some geese by the pier. The current light was built in 1935, and replaced other previous lights in the area. Its 60 feet tall pyramid tower made of steel is painted black and white and is still active. We then proceeded on to our campground, Geneva-on-the-Lake State Park. Saturday, July 31 We awoke about 7, and decided to skip breakfast again. More rain was in the forecast, so we wanted to get a head start on the last few lighthouses on our tour. We knew we could hike in the rain, after photographing the lights. We headed up to Fairport Main and Fairport West Harbor. Fairport Main, originally built in 1825, then rebuilt in 1871 has a 60-foot tower, with a spiral staircase of 69 steps. Its 3rd order Fresnel lens was discontinued in 1925. The Main light had a museum, which wasn’t open until 1 p.m., so we thought we might hang out and hike in the area, then go back later. We had a little picnic lunch by Fairport Main, which was situated up on a big hill. We ate some chicken salad, peanut butter and trail mix. Then we headed across the river to Fairport West Harbor, a beautiful light at the end of a breakwater in Headland Dunes State Park. We started out walking on the breakwall, and then switched to the sand trail leading to the Fairport West Harbor. It was an awesome sight – waves were crashing into the breakwall, as I took photos. Fairport West Harbor, built in 1925 to replace the land lighthouse is still an active light, although its 4th order Fresnel lens was replaced by a modern optic. The square structure is constructed of steel and concrete with a 42-foot tower. As we finished and started back to the van, it rained harder and we were pretty soaked by the time we got back. Since it was only 11 a.m., and we didn’t want to wait two hours for the museum to open, we headed east to Ashtabula Light, getting a little lost at one point because of construction. We took 90 to O-11 over the Swing Bridge and drawbridge. Although it wasn’t raining anymore, there was no possible way to get close to the light without a boat. This crib light was first lit in 1836, and housed a 4th order Fresnel lens from 1959 until 1995 that is now displayed in the museum. Sunday, August 1 In the morning we made a very hearty breakfast before taking down camp and heading for home about noon. We took 20 a little too far, nearly into Cleveland, because we just couldn’t follow 44 in Painesville. We had to back track a bit which set us back an hour. Just past Cleveland, we stopped in Loraine to re-photograph the light with a clearer sky. Again, in Toledo, road construction threw us off track, and a second detour set us another hour back. It took us eight hours to get home, and we were tired. What a week! |