Here we are, weathered in at Whitefish Point State Dock Harbor of Refuge. Winds have been strong out of the west, and waves are reported up to four feet on the big waters of Gitchigumee. While not an impossible trip in these seas and winds, it would be somewhat unpleasant, and since we have built in plenty of time to get to Houghton, we decided to enjoy the local sights right here!
The first full day here, we did a walkabout to the Whitefish Point Lighthouse, less than one mile north, at literally the end of the road. We have stayed here before, at the old life-saving station that has been refurbished as a nice bed and breakfast. The facilities here also include the Shipwreck Museum (which notes the more than 150 shipwrecks that have occurred off Whitefish point), the Lightkeeper’s residence, and several other buildings. There were many tourists here, as the weather has been cool (highs in the 50s, lows in the 40s) and damp, definitely not beach weather.
We explored the windswept beach, looking for the agates that are profuse here, and had our packed picnic lunch on the lighthouse’s deck.
Back at the boat, in the small world department, Marty was standing on the dock when a motorcycle biker approached her and called her by name. It was Brian Stevens, a business associate of Marty’s back in Detroit, who recognized her.
Back at our harbor, we explored the now-abandoned Brown’s commercial fishery. The barns remain, as does the smokehouse, and an old turtle-back fishing tug beached ashore.
Some fishing is still done here, and a small fishing tug’s owner kindly offered us the lone lake trout he had netted while fishing for chubb - and he refused compensation. We were glad to have the fish, which he kindly filleted for us, and Jerry cooked it on the barbeque.
Day two of our weather layover, we did a six-mile roundtrip walk to the Centennial Cranberry Farm, where cranberries are grown in lake-side bogs.
The farm has been worked for more than 125 years, with a single family owning it for over 100 years.
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