Michigan, Day 6...Into the U.P.

 Tuesday, June 6, 2023

         After the smoky haze of the last few days, imagine my surprise when I was packing up the car and actually saw the Mackinaw Bridge six blocks away.  A quick stop at the waterfront was definitely in order.

   It took a few days, but it was finally time to head into Michigan's Upper Peninsula.  To cross the bridge it's a $2 toll into the town of St. Ignace, named after Jesuit founder St.  Ignatius of Loyola.                                                                                                                 

       There's a park on the other side of the bridge with a memorial to all the workers who died building it.

       Immediately across the bridge is the Father Marquette National Memorial.  In 1671, he established the first European settlements in Michigan.  In addition to St. Ignace, he founded Sault St. Marie. The city is bisected by the St. Mary's River and the border with Canada in the north-east corner of the peninsula.

     Marquette Mission Park is where the first mission was established. The chapel on the site was from the second mission and moved here in 1954. The chapel doubles as a museum of Ojibwa culture.

     On the way to the site of his original mission, I couldn't pass up a quick stop at the Wawatam Lighthouse. Crazy as it sounds, the lighthouse began it's life at the Michigan Welcome Center in Monroe, south of Detroit.

                                                  

      In 2006 it was relocated to St. Ignace and was officially lit late that summer and remains so year round. 

     The lighthouse sits alongside the old Chief Wawatam ferry terminal. It was used primarily to move railroad cars across to Mackinaw City and could carry up to thirty-two cars.  She was built specially for the conditions, with an extra engine and propellor up front to act as an icebreaker in winter.  The ferry began service in 1911 and was still hauling railroad cars until 1984.  That's when the railroad dock partially collapsed, ending an era. 

     You can read more and see pictures of the ferry unloading on this site dedicated to industrial history.

      

      There was one last stop before getting back on the interstate, a place called Castle Rock.   It's been used as a lookout long before Europeans arrived.  

     The Ojibwa called it Pontiac's Lookout, after Chief Pontiac.  He understood the threat of French and British soldiers, as well as encroaching settlers.  Wary of the French, he realized his people would have even less rights under the British.  In 1762, he formed an alliance between the three strongest tribes to do something about it.

      A year later, his plan was implemented to force the British out.  Each tribe would be responsible for attacking their nearest fort.  Afterwards, they would join forces and attack the then undefended settlements.  

     Of the twelve forts attacked, eight fell.  Pontiac chose to lead the attack against the largest fort in Detroit.  It was supposed to be a surprise attack, but the defenders found out and Pontiac was forced to lay siege instead.   One night, two hundred and fifty British troops tried a surprise attack on Pontiac's encampment.  He had been tipped off and was ready for them.  The fight became known as the Battle of Bloody Run and cost the British twenty dead and forty wounded.  But, it wasn't enough and Pontiac was forced to eventually withdraw.

     Today, Castle Rock is a tourist stop.  For $1 you can climb one hundred-seventy steps to a platform with a really nice view.

     It was surprisingly early still, so I decided to head all the way up I-75 to Sault St. Marie and the Soo Locks.  I've seen my share of deer dashing across the interstate.  I've even seen a few moose calmly saunter across.  Today was the first time I have ever seen a bear cub running full out across four lanes of traffic.  

     The first lock was built here in 1855 to bypass the rapids on St. Mary's River.  The second lock was built in 1881, and replaced in 1943.  A third is under construction and is expected to be open in 2030.

    The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers owns and operates the locks.  They're all gravity fed and passage is free.

     There are thirteen cargo ships that routinely pass through the locks longer in length than 1,000 feet.  Seven thousand ships  and eighty million tons of cargo pass through the locks  every year.  The locks are closed January thru March when the lakes freeze.     

                                         

     Back on I-75 and headed south, I cut west on Hwy 28 towards the town of Brimley.  That's where I picked up Lakeshore Drive.  Why drive inland when you can drive along the coast of Lake Superior.  

     That's where the lunchtime roadtrip rule kicked in,  not that I had much choice.  The Cozy Inn was the first place I hit, and the only one on the main road.  Nothing special, but a decent sandwich.  However, this was the first time I heard, "we don't take cards, only cash.  But, we do have an ATM."

     Further up the lakeshore sits Point Iroquois light.  The first light was built here in 1855, but replaced with a higher tower in 1870.  It's purpose was to mark the transition from Whitefish Bay to the St. Mary's River.  

     Keep driving west and eventually, you'll pass an old railroad passenger car sitting off the road, seemingly at random.  This is what was once the Dollar Settlement.  It's one of three towns named for Robert Dollar.

      Dollar's family emigrated to Canada from Scotland when he was fourteen years old.  He took a job at a logging camp as a cook's helper, eventually moving up to a position they called a logger.  Since the logs were floated downstream to the mill, someone had to escort them and clear any logjams that may develop.  He kept a journal and described the new job saying, "the first three or four days I couldn't keep my feet and spent more time in the water than out of it.  But, experience it the best teacher and I soon learned to stay on top of the logs."

     At the age of 22, Dollar started his own logging camp.  It failed.  But, he was a fast learner and tried again.  This time it was successful enough that he was able to start more camps.  He bought a steamship to haul the cut lumber to market, followed by more and more ships.  Eventually, his steamships were traveling as far as China.  

     He was successful enough to even make the cover of Time Magazine.  

     As for that passenger car alongside the road, numerous sources suggest it was going to be a restaurant.  But, no one seems completely certain.  

     You'd think a road named Lakeshore Drive would have more of a lake view.  Most of it was like this... With the occasional small parking area...

     My home for the night was the Tahquamenon Suites Lodge in the town of Paradise.  The rooms cost a little more than the others in the area.  But, it was certainly nice to have a kitchen.   Strange though, the sign outside says "No Vacancy."  Here's the lot when I went out later for sunset.  Perhaps it had something to do with the "Sale Pending" signs.

                       

      In fact, I never had any direct contact with anyone while I was there.  I received a text with the four digit code for the door and another at checkout asking me to text when I was headed out.  

     The room itself was like a small apartment.  It had a sitting room and a kitchen.  Well worth the extra couple of bucks per day.  I saved the difference picking up a few things at the local market and not having to rely on restaurants.  

      Logging companies first came here, followed by the inevitable towns.  There's no clear cut story behind the name Paradise.  

      North of the motel is Whitefish Point, more on that tomorrow.  There's also the Seney National Wildlife Preserve.  

     There are a few short trails to various beaches in the area, some strung with debris.