A few dedicated sun worshippers were on the beach when I took this shot of Marquette Harbor Lighthouse in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula on the southern shore of Lake Superior.
Bright sunny skies, white fluffy clouds, and temperatures reaching 70 degrees that day meant a lot of people were out and about on the beach and trail along the shoreline.
It was a gorgeous day to be outside!
History of the Lighthouse
The current lighthouse was constructed in 1866; a second tower was added in 1909. More additions were added to the lighthouse in the 1950’s.
The lighthouse served as a guide for the many ships coming to Marquette with their loads of rich Great Lakes iron ore.
Until 1998, U.S. Coast Guard staff and their families lived in the lighthouse.
Today, the U.S. Coast Guard has leased the lighthouse to the Marquette Maritime Museum, which plans to preserve and protect the building (the oldest building in the city of Marquette, Michigan.)
Marquette Maritime Museum
Unfortunately, since the lighthouse was under construction, I couldn’t go inside. All tours have been suspended for the season.
Instead I took time to visit the Marquette Maritime Museum and enjoyed learning the rich history and fascinating background of Marquette’s shipping industry, harbor, and the shipwrecks in Lake Superior.
When I left the museum a couple hours later, gray clouds were starting to move in and temperatures had dropped.
I was glad to capture a few shots before the rain storms started.
Five days later, a cold front had moved into the Upper Peninsula and Marquette reported it’s first snowfall for the season.
