Iroquois Lighthouse, Lake Superior and Golf

Location: Bay Mills Casino Campground; Brimley, Michigan (el. 615 ft)

click pictures to enlarge 

Route thru stop #9

As I said in the last post, I moved farther north. I'm camped in another Indian Casino Campground. I was pleasantly surprised to find out they give a 25% discount to veterans. I was not aware of that until the clerk was completing the check-in process and he asked if I was a veteran. I sure am glad I got the veteran tag on my Louisiana Drivers License since it is official proof and makes proving it extra easy. 

Water/Electric site with Lake Superior in the background.

After getting Liberty set up, I went in search of the Reuben Sandwich I had heard about at the Sacy's Restaurant attached to the casino. It was very good and came with onion rings fried very crisp. Since I've tried Reubens from many places around the country, I consider myself a semi-expert. This one is made with the conventional Russian dressing instead of the all too often used, Thousand Island dressing. Overall, it is an 8 out of 10 ranking. All for $10.00. As my father would have said, "Good deal, Lucille". 

The casino also gives you $5.00 on their players card. I used it on their quarter slots. I lost, lost, lost until the very last quarter and then bingo, I won $2.50. Uhmmm,,,, I wonder if that was rigged? I cashed out and took that $2.50 to another machine. In total, I guess I played about 45 minutes on the casino's $5.00 before losing. Since I never touched my own money, it was free entertainment. Of course, people watching, is always a good time too. 

The travel day towing was about 170 miles and the campground is on the shore of Whitefish Bay on Lake Superior right at the entry to the Saint Mary's River. The river leads to the Soo Locks at Sault (pronounced Sue) St. Marie, Michigan. Those are the locks used to pass boat traffic from Lake Superior to Lake Huron. We will get up close and personal with those locks during our next stop.

Travel day picture. That is Lake Michigan on the right and I think that is wild rice growing.

The woods changed a little bit and seemed to be more pines. The 18 wheeler had Ontario plates

This field looks a little like the mustard seed fields I've seen out west, but I'm not sure. 

There was something special about this tree but there wasn't any sign or people to ask, so it will stay a mystery.

After eating, I drove north a little bit to the Point Iroquois Light Station. The name raised my curiosity because I had been taught the Iroquois people were located over in the Northeastern part of the U.S. around Lake Ontario and the state of New York. Why would a place in the U.P. of Michigan be named after the Iroquois tribe since the current Indian tribe of the U.P. is the Ojibwa (Chippewa). The history and reason for that is interesting. Apparently, the Iroquois attempted an invasion of the Ojibwa in 1662. The Ojibwa won the battle and the Iroquois retreated back to their home territory. The place of the battle, called "Place of Iroquois Bones", is the location of the lighthouse today. It is often forgotten or overlooked that most of the Indian tribes invaded, fought, killed and/or captured other tribes. The best example I can think of are the Comanche. They are usually thought of as being in the west Texas, New Mexico area. However, that is just where they were when the "whites" showed up. They originated in the Wyoming/Idaho area as part of the Shoshone Tribe. A group broke off and migrated south pushing the other tribes ahead of them until they ended up in their current location. Some tribes were wiped out entirely or absorbed by the more powerful Comanche. This is what the Iroquois was attempting to do to the Ojibwa. But it should also be noted that the Ojibwa came into this area from the east centuries before the attempted Iroquois invasion. It is unknown which tribes if any were pushed out or absorbed by the Ojibwa. 

The need of the lighthouse came about after cooper and iron ore was discovered in the U.P., Wisconsin and Minnesota back in the mid 1840's. That discovery rapidly increased boat traffic on Lake Superior. The lighthouse was first lit in 1857 and protected the area for 107 years until it was replaced with an automatic light located near the shipping channel. 

Point Iroquois Light Station with Lake Superior in the background.

Looking at the lake from the back of the light station. That freighter is headed towards the Soo Locks.

A bench along the trail leading from the lighthouse to the beach.

Lake Superior

Lake Superior with one of many freighters.

A better bench to watch the lake since this one is in the shade.

NOAA has a weather station on the grounds.

Yesterday was a decision day. I could either take a railroad train and riverboat to see some waterfalls or I could play golf. Things to consider in the decision were the next available train/boat trip would not be until Saturday, rain was predicted for today (which it is), and I could drive to the waterfalls on my own later, after the rain. I chose golf and I'm glad I did. The golf course is part of the casino and is a great course spread out over a very large area. There were places where it must have been 1/4 mile between the green and the next tee box. That trip takes you through heavily wooded areas of the course. There aren't any "flat-bellys" walking this course, carts only. And lucky me, I had the entire course to myself. There were holes where I would hit two balls because no one was behind me or in front of me. The temperature was in the mid 70's with low humidity and a cool breeze blowing in off the lake. It was a great way to spend a few hours. I didn't record my score for several of the holes so I would have to just estimate what I shot over the 18 holes. Rough estimate would be somewhere between 50 and 120. That is plus/minus of course.

Nice cart with GPS in the cart. You can see part of the lake in the distance.

Typical looking hole. I think I may have gotten an eagle on this hole or maybe a double bogey. But does it really matter? 

Another green

When I walked up to this green and saw the lake in the distance, I just dropped my clubs and took a picture. That is what is great about my cell phone camera, it is always in my pocket for things just like this.

Looking down on their driving range. The sand traps are in the shape of the suits of cards (clubs, spades, etc)

A great finishing hole. That is the lake and club house in the background. I took my time on this tee box just letting it all soak in. It was a good day.

Ya'll take care of each other. I'll Cya down the road.