Local Sightseeing

Who knew the Marquette area had such an extensive shipping and boating history? That is what my sister and I found out almost three weeks ago when we visited the Marquette Maritime Museum and Marquette Lighthouse. When my sister comes up from Wisconsin to visit, we're always looking for new things to do locally. When she stays at my house, I try to make it so she's not too bored and this time around, I think I succeeded in making her stay pretty enjoyable. Back when I was in college, one of the walks I would take passed right next to the Maritime Museum and Coast Guard Station. I've been always curious to see what the museum had to offer and it hasn't been that long since the museum also offered tours of the lighthouse. So it was one of the destinations we decided to check out earlier this month, and I'm glad we did.

It was Labor Day weekend and although many people had the weekend off, I wasn't expecting too many people to show up for the tour. We arrived right when the museum had opened at 10 a.m., and the first tour of the lighthouse didn't start until 11. We weren't expecting the tour of the museum would take all that long and we had another event planned for later that day, so we didn't want to take too much time at the museum. So we decided to only tour the museum at that point and see how much time we would have to wait before the lighthouse tour began. Before we got through everything inside the maritime museum, including watching the historical perspective of the history of Marquette's maritime past, it was quarter to 11. It wouldn't hurt us to wait another 15 minutes.

I wouldn't call the tour of the lighthouse exceptionally glamorous - but it definitely was interesting considering the history the lighthouse has had with Marquette's maritime history. For those of you unfamiliar with how the lighthouse looks, it's a two-story building with the lighthouse facing the waters of Lake Superior. It's painted a bright red color, so it's easy to spot. And the piece of land that juts out into Lake Superior is appropriately named, Lighthouse Point. The building has certainly stood the test of many harsh U.P. winters but the structure is quite sturdy. The red color of the lighthouse is a bit faded up close, but you can't tell from far off. The inside of the building had been kept up fairly well. We walked through the basement and through the first and second floors. Only recently had the lighthouse been left vacant as it housed individuals from the Coast Guard there. So the interior was still in pretty decent shape. The group from the maritime museum was in the process of restoring the second floor. And the Coast Guard still operates the lighthouse beacon itself, even though it's just an automated beacon now. We couldn't actually go up and see the lighthouse, unfortunately; just peak up at it through the circular staircase. But all in all, it was an enjoyable experience and for those of us locally, it was finally nice to be able to check out this facility that's right in our backyard. Our tour group was comprised of about 12 people which the people from the museum declared as being one of the biggest this late in the season. And most of the individuals were either from out of state or two-or-three hours away.

It just goes to show you that a person doesn't need to travel long distances to find something scenic or interesting, especially when it's right in your own backyard. I know it's nice to get away from time to time from the hustle and bustle of every day life, yet it isn't always necessary to travel far. And in these tough economic times, it'll save money in your pocketbook to stay closer. And I think at times, we take for granted what our local areas offer in the tourism department. For the Upper Peninsula in general, tourism is a large part of what drives our economy. So in times like these, it's important for us Yoopers to help out our own cause.