A two master, a lighthouse and a selfie

Location: Lampe Marina and Campground, Erie, Pennsylvania

Erie is the home port of the brig, U.S. Niagara. A brig is a two-masted, square sail ship. The original Niagara was built in 1813 at Erie, PA for use on the Great Lakes. It was built

U.S. Niagara outbound

just in time to participate in the War of 1812 against the British (again). She served as Commodore Perry's flagship when his fleet captured the British Fleet in the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812. It is the battle where Perry famously says, "We have met the enemy and they are ours". His victory removed all British influence on the Great Lakes thereby helping to ensure an American victory in the war.

Today the U.S. Niagara (reconstructed) serves as a museum piece and a training ship for Coast Guardsmen being trained

U.S. Niagara inbound

in the art of square sail seamanship. The campground I'm staying at is next to the seawall channel connecting Presque Isle Bay and Lake Erie. The Niagara passes through that channel on her way to and from the Lake. Yesterday I

U.S. Niagara

was lucky enough to catch her in both directions. As I was leaving the campground for the day's exploring, she was outbound. Later in the afternoon, after exploring a few things I stopped of at the health food store Walmart on my way back to the campground. As I was pulling in to the campground, there she was again, on her way back to port. 

She sails mostly on Lake Erie which is the shallowest of the five Great Lakes  at an average depth of only 62 feet compared to the next shallowest at 195 feet for Lake Huron.

Freedom on the left, lighthouse in the distance

It is said the Great Lakes were dug out about 10,000 years ago by the retreating glaciers from the last Ice Age. They were filled up by the melting glaciers. Some glaciers were miles in thickness. I wonder what caused that global warming? Twenty one percent of all surface fresh water in the world is contained in the Great Lakes. Impressive. 

I went to the Presque Isle State Park located on the peninsula of land that juts out into Lake Erie. The farthest point of the

Lighthouse at the end of the seawall

isle is the opposite seawall for the channel that runs by my campground. I tried to take a picture of Liberty from the opposite side but I was too far away and didn't have my fancy camera. I did get some pictures of the automated lighthouse at the end of the seawall. This lighthouse guides ships to and thru the channel during the night and bad weather. Just looking at the lake it is hard to believe it is freshwater and not an ocean. Also on the isle is a small bay where several houseboats anchor up. I was told that people live on the houseboats and

Houseboat neighborhood

use a smaller boat to go into Erie to work. Erie is also the place where their cars are parked. I'm not sure I would like to live like that. On a chilly, windy rainy day and having to run a small boat a few miles to work, I don't think so.

I also found out my cell phone, which I use to take most of the pictures for the blog has a reverse camera to be used for taking those selfies I hear about. I tried one today while I

Retiree

was out at the lighthouse. The beginning of the Mr. Natural look. I'll try to take a better one, the next time. 

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