"Beacon of Hope on the Great Lakes" Presque Isle by yooperprof

I like lighthouses. They are effective reminders of the times when sailing the Great Lakes was a frightening occupation - and nearby shipwrecks attest to the huge toll in lives that the stormy waters demanded on a regular basis. Presque Isle Lighthouse is remote - it's several miles off the main highway in the area, US 23. But it's certainly worth a detour, particularly on a beautiful day such as the one I was blessed with.

"This lighthouse, built in 1870 by Orlando M. Poe, is one of three Great Lakes towers built from the same plans. It replaced the smaller 1840 harbor light. The conical brick tower rises 113 feet from a limestone foundation. The Third Order Fresnel lens was made by Henri LePaute of Paris. Patrick Garrity, the keeper of the harbor light, lit the lamp for the first time at the opening of the 1871 navigation season. Garrity served here until 1885 when he became keeper of the Harbor Range Lights. His wife, Mary, sons Thomas Patrick and John, and daughter Anna all served as lightkeepers in this area. In 1890, a steam-operated fog signal manufactured by Variety Iron Works of Cleveland, OH was installed. The light was automated in 1970 was the US Coast Guard."

(historical marker)

Rocky beach - no good for a swim!

Sandy beach - good for a dip! (though not in the first week of May, which is when I was there.)