There are two state parks along route 61 that we had
on our list of places to visit. The
first was Split Rock Lighthouse with its important history and commanding view
of Lake Superior. In the great storm of 1905, 29 ships sank or were severely
damaged in this area of the lake. In 1910, the Split Rock Lighthouse went into
service. For the first 20 years, the station was only accessible by boat and
the ship keepers and families lived at the station during the shipping season
and then left for the winter months.
In 1924, the road was extended north and by 1930 the
light keepers could live on site fulltime. Soon the lighthouse became a popular
attraction. We elected to take a guided
tour of the site (no extra charge) and then explore on our own afterwards. The tour included lots of history of the
lighthouse construction and the light keepers who manned it. This light station has some of the best housing
I have seen at any lighthouse and I can understand why they chose to remain on
site year around. Today, two park
managers live in the houses.
Gooseberry State Park is also very popular. as we
found out in our first attempt to visit.
We were luckier on our second try and it was not nearly as busy. The park is well known for the cascading
multiple falls and wide gorge the river flows thru. There are hiking trails and other amenities
in the park including a campground. Based
on our experience, reservations are definitely needed to stay in the campground. We were a bit surprised that the falls were
not overflowing with all the rain in the previous week before our arrival. But the reduced flow allowed us to get out on
the river bed for a closer view.
7 comments:
We love visiting lighthouses. We had such a good time seeing them in Oregon and Washington. This one looks like a beauty.
Gooseberry State Park looks beautiful. Waterfalls always give me a sense of calm.
Lighthouses and waterfalls. There is no way you could go wrong with that combination. The falls are wonderful.
We really loved both of those places. Such a gorgeous lighthouse. Lucky park managers. Glad you got to see the falls. Your pictures are wonderful.
Those are some nice quarters by the light house. Lucky park managers, indeed!
Enjoyed both parks. You need to visit Magnus SP and see the Devil's Pit.
Nice accommodations for the keepers. I always enjoy lighthouse visits.
I read a story once about a family who lived in a lighthouse and ever since finishing it I've been fascinated with the people who upkeep them and/ or possibly once lived in them.
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