Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse

The first job of the day was dealing with the bent metal rod that pulls the black water valve open.  The rod was severely bent when we ran over the flattened traffic cone on a travel day.  I figured that I could at least drain the tanks, and if the valve was really stuck open, we could make a dash to Woodland Travel RV, in Grand Rapids, for repairs.  for this project I brought 2 bags-o-tools from the van, over to the trailer, and tried a pry bar to bend it straight.  The bent rod came apart where it attached to the valve handle, and this worked out well.  I used a block of wood, and a pounder-hammer to straighten the rod back to a serviceable shape.  After a call to Kelley at Woodland Travel, I decided to give the old rod a try, and replace it when it fails. 

Anne-Marie and I drove down to the waterfront and give the Lighthouse a visit.

The Mackinac Point Lighthouse is a State Historic Park.  The entrance to the grounds is through the building called the Fog Signal Building.  Neither Anne-Marie or I remember hearing how it worked, but the tall chimney makes me think that maybe steam was generated to hoot a horn.

Two views of the bridge, that made the Lighthouse no longer needed.  The bridge has lights the entire length, and the center spans are well lit, and ships can pass through the Mackinaw Straight with out the aid of this Lighthouse.

The kitchen stove is a cast iron cooking stove, with a water reservoir and hidden behind the open door, is the sink and a hand pump for bringing water into the kitchen.  The front room has a Edison cylinder player in the corner.

The door to the tower stairs is metal, and our guide said that it was a fire door, they used kerosene for the lights and this was a barrier to protect the tower if the house caught fire.

We are at the top of the stairs, and the guide is telling the group about the duties of the light keeper.  A view from a porthole window, just below the top of the tower.

The last few steps are a ladder that reaches the top through a trap door.  Anne-Marie looking towards Mackinac Island, and on the stairs ready to climb down.

Mackinac Island and the Grand Hotel in the center as seen from the top of the Lighthouse.  This set of prisms is the one used with a Kerosene Lamp to signal to the ships.

Late lunch or early dinner for us was a Hunt’s Mackinaw Pastie & Cooke Co.   Anne-Marie and I had their Pasties for dinner, and they were so large, that we could have split one.  The Pastie is a meat pie that is baked in and oven, and these folks pour gravy over them, and it is eaten with a fork.

Today is a travel day, and we will spend the night somewhere in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan on our way to Duluth, Minnesota.