Off to Marblehead

So I headed over to Marblehead next.  It has been a while since I've been there.  I think the last time I was there was before COVID.

I didn't take pictures but they have done alot to the grounds.  They built a proper set of bathrooms.

Looks like they did some renovating on the lighthouse.

I will have to say it is a looking pretty good.

I didn't do much walking because it was still raining.

I like this angle.

They finished the boathouse.

One more shot before moving on.

A Stop at Marblehead Lighthouse

So I decided I wanted to go do some photography on Saturday.  I figured that I would go to places where I wasn't likely to be near bunches of people.  I stopped at Ottawa National Wildlife Area first but their road wasn't open.  Then I stopped at Magee Marsh.  I saw an eagle as we were heading in but I couldn't get my camera ready before he flew away.  So then I decided to continue east.

I was on a mission.

 But before I got to my objective, I had to make a stop at Marblehead Lighthouse.  I wasn't sure if I would get out and take pictures.  It was a nice day and there might be a few people there.  If there were, I wasn't going to take pictures there.  There weren't, so I got out and take pictures.

 Last time I was here, there was scaffolding around the lighthouse.  The scaffolding was gone but it looks like they still need to do some work to it.

 Built in 1822, this is the oldest continuously operating lighthouse on the US side of the Great Lakes.  It is still an active aid to navigation.

 It was last renovated in 2002, so it needed some work.

 There were a few people but I was able to maintain some distance from them.  Shortly after I left Ohio, the Governor closed down all the restaurants and bars.

 It was a little on the windy side, so Lake Erie was a little angry.

One more shot before moving on.

A Brief Stop at Marblehead

On Saturday I decided to do something a little bit on the crazy side.  I decided that I wanted to see the Flight 93 Memorial in Pennsylvania.  I ended up taking Ohio Route 2 to Cleveland and then catching the Turnpike there.

 Taking Ohio Route 2 meant a stop at both Magee Marsh and Marblehead.  I didn't see anything at Magee and I saw this tugboat heading out as I reached Marblehead.

 The John Francis is owned by the George Gradel Company out of Toledo, Ohio.  It was built in 1965 at Bollinger Shipbuilding in Lockport, LA as the Dad.  In 1998, she became the Creole Eagle.  In 2003, she was acquired by her current owners and given her new name.

 The Marblehead Lighthouse is across Sandusky Bay from Cedar Point.

I was hoping to get some pictures of the lighthouse but it looks like they are in the process of doing some renovating on her.  Given her age, it is probably much needed.

A shot of her tower.

A Stop at Marblehead

On the way back from Cleveland, I decided to stop at Marblehead.

 It has been a while since I've been here but it is a nice lighthouse to catch.

 It is also one of the oldest lights on the Great Lakes.

 Unfortunately, there were a few people around, so shots without people were few to be had.

 the lake was a little on the angry side.

One more shot.

The Dorothy Ann/Pathfinder Off Marblehead

As I was heading towards the lighthouse, I saw this tug/barge pulling out.

 I think she may have been trying to dock at the stone dock but the waves were too much for her.

 I think she pulled out into the lake a little more.  With the rain and the mist, it made for some cool pictures.

 The waves hitting the rocks made for some cooler pictures.

 Especially as some of the bigger waves hit the rocks.

 I tried to get some other pictures.

 Unfortunately I couldn't get the right angles for the boat.

But I think they still worked.

Return to Marblehead

With the weather the way it was, I decided to drive over to the Marblehead Lighthouse.  Lighthouse pictures are always nice with some weather in them.

 Lake Erie was pretty angry today. 

 I kind of liked the clouds behind it.

 The keeper's house.

 Another shot of angry Lake Erie.

 This is pretty cool.  They are replicating one of the surf boat houses.  I'm hoping they get their hands on one of the boats.

 Another look at Lake Erie.

 Another angle of the boat house.

 The lighthouse and keeper's house.

 I tried to get some shots with the lake and the lighthouse.

 Another shot with the lake.

And one more before moving on.

A Stop at Marblehead Lighthouse

So as I said in my hit the road posts, I ended up going down to Norfolk, Virginia over the Easter Weekend.  The normal way to head out east is to hop on the Ohio Turnpike, but I like my trips a little more scenic and I left early enough to accomplish that.

 Once I reach Toledo, I will hop on Ohio State Route 2.  I'm not sure how much distance it adds to the trip but I does add more time.  Looking on google maps, it adds about a half hour.  Which I guess isn't that much in the scheme of things.

 Of course, that doesn't take stopping time into account.  The main reason that I like that route is that it gives me a chance to stop at Marblehead Lighthouse (this adds a little more time to the trip though).

 Lake Erie was a little on the angry side when I stopped.

 From another angle.

 I'll have to admit, this is one of the nicer looking lighthouses out there.

 I believe this used to be the Keeper's residence.

 This is a new addition to the park.  It is a replica of the Lifesaving Station that was about a mile away.  The original was built in 1876 and lasted until 1921 when it was replaced with a two story building.  That was replaced with the current station in 1982.  These were typically occupied by six rescuemen and the lighthouse keeper.  They could either rescue people with a rope cannon or a 26 foot surfboat.  This particular iteration will open this summer and will have a replica surfboat.

 Another angle of the lighthouse.

 I was trying to use the lines of the fence.

 A shot of her tower.  One of these days, I will climb up into this one.

One more picture before moving on.