Lori and I ventured north last weekend, or, part of the weekend. I had an obligation Saturday night, so our departure had to wait until Sunday morning. Fortunately, we both had Monday off in observance of Veterans Day, so we had an extra day to work with. The purpose of the trip (as if anyone really needs a purpose to go the the North Shore!) was to attend the ceremonial lighting of the Split Rock Lighthouse. More on why that's significant later. In addition to the visit to Split Rock, I also needed to pick up a few of my photos which were on display at the Johnson Heritage Post in Grand Marais, plus pick up a Selenite carving from the rock shop in Beaver Bay which I had won in an online auction.
Lori was kind enough to drive the morning shift which allowed me to sleep a while longer. I think I slept all the way to Duluth! We're a good team that way. After stopping in Tofte to drive by a couple properties and Lutsen to check out the Kah-Nee-Tah Art Gallery cabins on Highway 61, we made it up to Grand Marais by a little after noon, with some time to kill before the Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery opened. We checked out a couple properties, including one that has a fantastic view of the big lake:
We love the view but the building site is solid rock, and neighbors report they had to drill their well 300 feet deep. Because of the minimal ground cover, a septic system would also be problematic. Still, look at the view! Ah, we're still a few too many years from retirement but we still dream.
We picked up my prints from the art gallery in Grand Marais and met fellow "Frozen Photographer" John Heino who does great work. Also had the chance to meet gallery director Don Davison. In the photo below, I am posing with five of my images hanging in the gallery.
The Frozen Photographers exhibit was ending which is why we needed to pick up the photos. We said our goodbyes to Don and packed the car with the four remaining prints (two had been purchased by gallery attendees.) With that out of the way, Lori and I settled in for lunch at our favorite Grand Marais staple, Sven and Ole's pizza, dontcha know. Uff dah!
After lunch, we said goodbye to our home-away-from home, Grand Marais. While it was hard to drive Highway 61 and not stop along the many beaches to pick agates or snap photos, we wanted to be at Split Rock before 4:30 pm. Here's some history regarding the lighthouse: The lighthouse was constructed in 1910 at a time when there were no roads, so all the materials were hauled in by boat and raised up the 130 foot cliff by crane. 59 years later, with advancements in shipping navigational technologies rendering the lighthouse obsolete, the US Coast Guard decommissioned Split Rock. Now owned by the state of Minnesota and operated by the MN Historical Society, the lighthouse is one of our most recognizable ad oft photographed landmarks.
We had to park quite a distance away from the lighthouse due to the incredible number of people that showed up.
The lighthouse beacon is lit one day each year on November 10, marking the anniversary of the loss of the Edmund Fitzgerald with a public program that includes a reading of the names of the 29 men who lost their lives on the Fitzgerald on November 10th, 1975. After the reading of the names (the last muster) and the tolling of the bell for each name, the light came to life and rotated on its base of liquid mercury until precisely 7:10 pm, the time of the last communication received from the Fitzgerald. This marked the first time either Lori or I had attended the ceremony, and it was a somber event to be sure. After the ceremony, Lori and I were the first people to go to the top of the lighthouse while the beacon was operating.
Two views of the mechanism which creates that strong beam of light--a third order, bi-valve type Fresnel lens manufactured by Barbier, Bernard and Turenne Company in Paris, France.
The Lighthouse Keeper explained how the lighthouse and beacon functioned.
There are vents near the top of the lighthouse to allow the kerosene fumes to dissipate. In 1940, the station was electrified and the kerosene powered lamp was replaced with a 1000 watt electric bulb.
Despite forecasts that included a mix of rain and snow, we experienced neither, although it was quite chilly. Fortunately we had flashlights with us because it gets quite dark by 7 pm!
On the way back to Duluth where we had a room waiting for us at the Inn on Canal Park, we stopped briefly in Two Harbors to get a couple photos of the Two Harbors lighthouse and the ore docks in Agate Bay.
horizon in the distance
We finally arrived at our room by about 9:00 pm, and found out we'd been upgraded from a poolside interior-facing room to a lakefront room with a balcony. While "chilling" on the balcony, we watched a very bushy-tailed fox cross the courtyard, walking through the patio area where five minutes later we'd be roasting marshmallows for S'Mores. Because we can't survive on S'Mores alone, we had supper at Old Chicago and afterwards watched the 1,000-foot freighter American Integrity enter the canal and pass below the raised lift bridge. And as the snow started falling, we called it a night, putting an end to a very long yet very enjoyable day on the North Shore.
The next morning, after a filling breakfast of sausage, eggs and Belgian waffles, we drove back to Two Harbors to collect agates and beach glass in Agate Bay and also Flood Bay. The winds were howling and the temps were well below freezing so we did not stay long, opting to head back home from our very short excursion northward. There's no better way to spend 36 hours, in my opinion!
Hope you enjoyed the photos! My work can also be found on Flickr and Facebook:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/superiorimagery
If you have questions about anything or would like to purchase a print, send me an email at jhe63@yahoo.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment