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A view of Burnt Bluff signals you're close to Fayette |
Dan had done lots of cruising on Lake Michigan, so we asked his opinion: Should we go down the east shore (many cute towns, marinas spaced a day's travel apart, interesting sand dunes, beaches etc.,) or the WEST side? (somewhat less of all of the above, but safer water for our boat).
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Bald eagles nest on cliffs. They feed on fish. Could this bit of real estate be any more perfect? |
So that's where we headed, as we left Manistique Friday morning under gray skies, sailing past the blood-red lighthouse into fog and chop and committing ourselves to a trip down the west side of Lake Michigan.
By midday we had warm sunny weather and a gorgeous view of Burnt Bluff, the towering limestone cliff that signaled we were close to our destination. A whole family of bald eagles cruised the cliff--mom and dad looking spiffy and navigating adroitly among the sharp rocks, the kid grungy and a little awkward in his motley brown feathers.
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Twin furnaces for iron smelting and an old lime kiln (the brick beehive at left) |
We negotiated the entrance to Snail Shell Harbor--the shore curls like a snail shell here, under another set of high bluffs, to make an extremely well protected harbor--and there before us were austere limestone buildings that suggested the remains of a fortress, or an ancient church.
They're not THAT old! But going to Fayette IS like traveling back in time. It's a Michigan State Park where you can tour an old steel-smelting town, established just after the Civil War and abandoned a mere 26 years later as the technology for steel-making changed. In its heyday Fayette was a wonder, a perfect site for a company town--with a deepwater harbor so that boats loaded with ore could deliver their cargo, access to timber for charcoal in the surrounding hills, and limestone (needed for the steel-making process) easy to quarry from the bluff a few hundred feet from the furnaces.
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From left: Machine shop, grand hotel, company offices |
At its peak Fayette had 500 souls and was a local destination, a place you could go to shop, or to absorb culture (it had an "Opera House," or music hall, that booked popular touring acts including a ventriloquist and a dog circus!) It had the finest hotel for miles around, with gourmet food and (I'm not making this up) a two-story outhouse for the convenience of guests.
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Appearing at the Fayette Opera House for one night only: The amazing Dr. Bill! |
We were docked at the one small, modern wharf, built over the snag-toothed remains of a massive pier that once saw big schooners pull in with loads of iron ore. We spent a peaceful night and the next day, as we were sitting at the table in our salon, we looked up to see a young man in a straw hat walking down the boat toward me, holding a little girl in his arms.
It was startling. Boat people know it's a very serious breach of protocol to step aboard someone else's boat uninvited. Bill stood up. "Yes? Can we help you? What do you want?
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The Dragonfly docked in Snail Shell Harbor. |
Another great day aboard the Dragonfly! What beautiful pictures and quaint, quiet settings. Just imagining what these places were like originally is so much fun for me. I love the stories. Thanks so much, again, for sharing.
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