Today we cross back into the US where we visit three lighthouses along the outside of Michigan’s thumb.
26 August 2025 – Tuesday
The cold front that passed dropped the temperature to 50°F when we woke at 0645. It was a refreshing break from the heat we’ve experienced all month.
Spoke with the owner who showed me the car he is restoring in his airplane hanger. Both he and his wife attend the EAA gam in Oshkosh. They are originally from Texas.
0912 73,499 55°F Leave Petrolia, ON
0948 73,522 Sarnia, ON
Crossing the Blue Water Bridge between Ontario and Michigan
1007 73,523 Port Huron, MI
Cleared US Customs
Stopped at Meijer to fill our gas tank as fuel was cheaper in Michigan than Ontario.
1143 73,543 34°F 594′ Lexington, MI
Walked around the state harbor. I hadn’t been here since Dave Hyde and I sailed a Hunter 25 sailboat named “Penguin” north from Detroit in the 1980’s.
1300 73,555 67°F Port Sanilac, MI
Port Sanilac Lighthouse (1886)
1402 73,576 68°F White Rock Roadside Park
White Rock sits half a mile offshore here. Much larger before the US Air Force used it for target practice in WWII, the rock is still considered a special place by the descendants of local indigenous people. The Voyageur fur traders saw the rock as a milestone while canoeing Lake Huron.
1415 73,585 65°F Harbor Beach, MI
“The World’s Greatest Manmade Harbor”
Since 1885, Harbor Beach Light has marked the north breakwall entrance to this harbor of refuge. The lighthouse predates the 1898 completion of the harbor enclosure.
Breakwall maintenance continues today while sailors and windsurfers enjoy the protected harbor waters.
1505 73,594 66°F Port Hope, MI
Chimney and Train Depot
Port Hope Depot was built in 1904 at the northern terminus of the Flint and Pere Marquette railroad. Passenger service ceased years ago, but local volunteers moved the station in 2012 and restored it in Stafford County Park .
1519 73,601 66°F Pointe aux Barques, MI
Lighthouse County Park had plenty of open spots, so we chose site 9. That’s our van on the left edge of the photo.
Only one other couple is camping in the electric only section. The full hook-up section, is full! Showers, a boat launch, and a dump station are available to all. Rocks line the shoreline, so no sandy beach here. Still, spending the night next to a lighthouse with a waterfront view is a treat.
Boat launch and breakwater
Point Aux Barques Maritime Museum and Lighthouse are adjacent to the campground.
Couldn’t resist taking lots of photos around the 1857 lighthouse as afternoon changed to evening.
Good night from the shore of Lake Huron.
Today’s Route from
Petrolia, Ontario to Port Hope, Michigan
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