Fort Gratiot Lighthouse

I'm about a week and a half behind on my posting.  Lately, I've had no problem taking the pictures.  But I seem to hit a roadblock when it gets around to posting them.  Sometimes, it's a simple matter of resizing them for posting here (I don't use the full size pictures because I'd run out of space really quickly).  Other times, I have to adjust the exposure and straighten the horizon.  That takes time and sometimes it is frustrating straightening the horizon (despite my best efforts to get a straight horizon in the camera).  So sometimes my posting lingers but eventually I catch up.

 So when I last left you, I decided to head up to Port Huron.  I saw that there was picture of some red trillium that was taken there.  Based on some of the aspects of the picture, I thought it might have been taken by the lighthouse.  Well, I didn't find the trillium but it was a nice day, so  I got some pictures of the lighthouse.

 Built in 1829, Fort Gratiot is the oldest lighthouse in the state of Michigan.  It was built as a guide to the entrance of the St. Clair River.  It is still an active navigation aid but it has been turned over to the lighthouse preservation group.  Lately, they've been trying to restore it to how it looked when it was also a lifesaving station.

Anyway, it has been a while since I've taken pictures of the lighthouse, so this was nice.

Stopping at the Fort Gratiot Lighthouse

So after catching the ships in layup yesterday, I decided to continue up the thumb.  It was a nice enough day and the sun was just about right for me.

 First up was the Fort Gratiot Lighthouse.  If I remember correctly, this is the oldest lighthouse on Lake Michigan and I don't remember if it is the oldest or second oldest lighthouse in Michigan.

 Built in 1829, it predates the official birthdate of the state by 8 years.  It is currently the oldest active lighthouse in service.

It was originally built at a cost of $3,500 and I'm not sure what that translates to in modern dollars.

Fort Gratiot Lighthouse

After catching the tug/barge, I decided to go on a lighthouse tour of the thumb.

 My first stop was the Fort Gratiot Lighthouse in Port Huron.

 She's appeared on this page in the past, but as a reminder, she is one of the oldest lights on the Lakes.  I think she is Michigan's oldest.

 A shot of the keeper's house.

 Another angle of the lighthouse.

I wanted to have the contrast with the tree, but I'm not so sure this shot worked well.

Fort Gratiot in the Fog

Like I said in the last post, I headed over to the lighthouse to get some pictures.

 I think that lighthouse look really cool in the fog.

 Although I think it's better when there are layers of fog.

 I kind of like this shot.

 I'd like this shot more if there weren't the slight fisheye.

 I think  I really like this shot.

 One of these years, I really should learn how to do architectural photography to eliminate the distortions.

 Looking up at the tower.

One more shot.

And a Light to Guide Them

Since I was in the neighborhood, I decided to stop at the lighthouse.  It has actually been a while since I've been there.  Anyway....

 Built in 1829, the Fort Gratiot Light was the first in Michigan.  It is now the oldest surviving lighthouse.

 Believe it or not, it is still used as an active aid to navigation but it is now automated.

 It's a pretty cool looking light.

 and it was nice day.

 The tower is 85 feet tall and the light can be seen 21 nautical miles out.

A shot of the keepers house.

A Couple Shots of Fort Gratiot Lighthouse

As I was waiting for the Kaministiqua, I decided to get a couple shots of the Fort Gratiot lighthouse.

 I didn't have the right lens for the shot I really wanted though, but this one will do.

A shot of her tower.

The Fort Gratiot Lighthouse

Before I left Port Huron, I decided to head over to the Fort Gratiot Lighthouse.  I kind of wish it was open because I would have liked to get pictures of one of the ships from the tower.

 She was constructed in 1829 and as such she is the oldest lighthouse in the State of Michigan.

 It looks like the restoration is complete and she looks nice again.  The tower itself stands 85 feet tall and the light can be seen 21 miles out on the water.

 A shot of the light and the keepers house.

 The same shot from another angle.

 Looking at the light from the front.

 Trying to look up at the light.  The park was still closed, so I couldn't get closer.

 A shot of just the keeper's house.  I think they are in the process of restoring some of the other buildings that used to be on this property.

 Just the tower.

And one more shot before heading out.