June 10, 2024
Port Huron
A day off the bikes
I’m always a bit surprised at how interesting our days off are. This is in part due to Nancy’s good judgment in picking good spots, and in part because when you start knowing nothing, there’s a lot to learn. Port Huron is the easternmost city in Michigan and has a history linked to Great Lakes shipping. And the city does a good job of showcasing its history, with a 5 cent bus tour (a dime if you are younger), free museums, and a river walk with many signs along the way.
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Thomas Edison lived in Port Huron for about ten years and returned frequently throughout his life. An excellent small museum had many details about his life here, which intrigued me sufficiently that I now have a biography of Edison on my reading list. Why the photo of shoes? It’s a detail from a statue of Edison, shown as young newsboy on the Port Huron to Detroit train.
The Fort Gratiot Lighthouse, built in 1829, stands at the entrance of the St. Clair River from Lake Huron. It is the second oldest lighthouse on the Great Lakes.
We looked out at Lake Huron on a chilly morning, only in the low 50’s when we ventured out. I imagine the beach looks different on a warmer day.
This refurbished Standard Oil station is now a barber shop.
We visited the Huron Lightship, now a museum. From 1921 to 1970 it was anchored on a shoal about six miles out in Lake Huron for nine months of the year, with both a light beacon and fog horns to warn ships of the shallow water. When it was retired by the Coast Guard, it was the last lightship on the Great Lakes. A light buoy is now anchored on the shoal, much less labor intensive than a boat with a crew of eleven.
Tomorrow we cross the Blue Water Bridge into Canada. When the sun came out as we walked up the river walk, we could see how the bridge got its name.
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