Day 2 - 9/1/2019 - Port Huron MI
We left Niagara-On-The-Lake on the QEW (Queen Elizabeth Way) to Hamilton, Ontario and then west to Michigan. We crossed over the St. Clair River on the impressive and beautiful Blue Water Bridge and back into the US from Sarnia, ON to Port Huron, MI, spending 37 minutes lined up waiting to go through US Customs.
Our first stop was at Fort Gratiot Lighthouse on Lake Huron where Judy tested the water and found it fairly warm. Established in 1814 after the War of 1812 ended, it was a military fort established to guard the juncture of Lake Huron and the St. Clair River. With a surge of vessel traffic on Lake Huron in the early 1800’s, the need for a Light Station to guide vessels through the water way became very important. In 1823 Congress approved the funds to build the first lighthouse in Michigan and second oldest on the Great Lakes. It was cloudy but mild this morning with more clearing in the afternoon.
This afternoon we visited the Great Lakes Maritime Center located on the Blue Water River Walk. It is a great spot to view the river traffic including huge ocean freighters, pleasure boats, and sail boats.
We lucked out with our hotel (Doubletree by Hilton) being located on the St. Clair River under the Blue Water Bridge on the Thomas Edison Parkway boardwalk. Our 3rd floor corner room has a magnificent view of the waterway. After watching the SS Arthur M Anderson, a cargo ship of the laker type, gracefully pass by from our balcony, we took a walk along the beautiful blue river and under the bridge. The SS Arthur M Anderson is famous for being the last ship to be in contact with SS Edmund Fitzgerald before it sank on November 10, 1975. It was also the first rescue ship on the scene in a vain search for Edmund Fitzgerald survivors.
Later this afternoon we were able to catch the MV Indiana Harbor as it sailed down river. The MV Indiana Harbor is a very large diesel-powered lake freighter measuring 1,000 feet long and 105 feet wide with a 75,000 ton capacity for either coal or iron ore.
After sunset we were treated to this view of the Blue Water Bridge from our balcony.
