When I last left you I was hoping to rise early enough to catch the sight of a sun rise over Lake Huron. I slept like a log! So- caught the very end of the sunrise! Still beautiful and tranquil!
After breakfast Willy and I headed out to see Harrisville. The town consists of just a few blocks of shops - the street ending at the Harrisville Harbor. (Called Harrisville Harbor of Refuge) Their web site calls this Harbor the best kept secret of Lake Huron!) The downtown basically is to support the needs of the locals and the blue water mariner.
I was lucky to get this picture from my son's plane as we flew over- a good aerial view!
This is a full service port midway between The Straits of Mackinac and the Blue Water Bridge. The Harbor can easily accommodate deep draft vessels up to 125' LOA- according to their web site.
Also according to their web site The Harbor was created almost 60 years ago by the US Army Corps of Engineers. They created a large basin along the shoreline by dredging, dynamiting, and removing huge boulders.
After that a large lime stone wall was constructed around the basin. A Fixed dock was added in 1963 to provide a comfort station as well as docking and a fueling station. 1986 saw floating docks and a more modern comfort station developed.
The Harbor is indeed a beautiful place!
This was just a small portion of the boats docked here that day. Sailing boats, Motorized, Small yachts, and fishing boats!
We saw some young men working on this fishing boat, so went to see what they were going to be fishing for! They were friendly- and didn't mind sharing some info.
The boat belongs to a "Fish Broker" and what they are looking to catch is White Fish. From what I understand the fish are shipped all over the World!
The men were cleaning the nets and putting them on a small barge attached to a small boat. Once loaded they headed out. I assume it was to lay the nets for the next day's catch.
I thought this "Department of Natural Resources" was pretty cool. What you may not be able to see is how pristine it was..Shinny and spotless!
As we were leaving the Harbor I noticed this old weathered sign!
Willy stopped at a vegetable stand. Near by was this old Log Cabin. It was marked as a Historical Site since 2005. Willy encouraged me find out what this place was all about.
This cabin was built in 1936-37 as a "Work Progress Administration" building putting local people to work. It now is a Craftmakers Cabin- a co-op of people creating unique hand-crafted items.
We made one more stop at the HUMANE SOCIETY consignment shop. Oh my! Beautiful old furniture, , household goods, and books! I could've gotten lost in there. Unfortunately I didn't feel comfortable taking pictures - I wasn't sure of their policy.
It was beginning to rain, so Willy and I headed back to the house for a rainy day nap!
Until next time Dear Readers- remember that sometimes Happiness can be as simple as an Lazy- Rainy Afternoon Snooze!
1 comment:
Another great presentation featuring Harrisville. The tourist trade is not a high priority here, and that's not all bad. Although Alcona County is the poorest in the State, it is rich in history and natural beauty. Thank you for showing it so well!
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