15 July 2023 – Saturday
1055 57,180 72° Leave Gaylord, MI
1202 57,229 71° Harbor Springs, MI
The first Shay stop was his home which he designed in 1890. Named the Hexagon House, it utilized stamped steel inside and out. It will open as a museum in Fall 2024. It’s also seen in the top photo of today’s post.
Starting in 1870, Shay designed the iconic Shay geared locomotives that were light and flexible enough to run on temporary track used by logging railroads.
After watching outdoor trains, we moved inside the Harbor Springs Blackbird House museum where there were two operating layouts.
The first was this nicely detailed, tiny, N scale logging railroad.
Next came a modular O gauge 3-rail layout. They were ready for summer with a Weiner engine followed by gondolas delivering buns and condiments.
Several displays told Shay’s story. Funded by the money he earned from logging operations, Shay designed locomotives, a steel yacht, a mobile logging crane, and the Harbor Springs water works.
Moving on from Shay, the museum offered interesting maps and insight into the town’s history.
Local crafts were also on display. These owl themed boxes were made from birch bark and porcupine quills.
Back outside, the actual 1889 Railroad Depot remains, now serving as a restaurant. We learned from the historical plaque that the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad linked Harbor Springs to its main line in 1882, further opening the Little Traverse Bay area to resort and commercial development. The last train left the depot in 1962.
Delightful scents lead us to some tasty treats at Tom’s Mom’s Cookies.
Energized with sugary treats, we walked the streets to see the beautiful historic homes up close.
The home on the left in the above photo had quite a water feature running beside their stone stairs.
Not to be outdone, a neighbor also had waterfalls cascading down their front yard.
Beth snapped photos of flowers to look up later.
Almost every home had colorful plantings in their yards.
Transitioning from homes to harbor is easy. Many of the stately homes have great views of the bay.
Irish Boat Shop has been in business since 1961. It’s a great place to find cruising boats that haven’t been subjected to salt water.
The dinghy dock at Josephine Ford Park. Beach pebbles show how clear the water is in the bay.
“Off To The Beach”
The first boat Beth and I bought together was a Nonsuch catboat like the one moored on the left in this snapshot. Notice the diagonal “wishbone” boom just like in the sculpture. Beth describes the Nonsuch as “King Kong’s Windsurfer.”
1455 57,229 76° Leave Harbor Springs
Gaylord to Harbor Springs