After spending two nights each in Cleveland and Detroit this week I felt like I needed to cover some ground today. My original estimate of a total of 12,000 miles to complete the trip is probably low as, based on the estimated route, I should have covered 2850 miles to get where I am but, in reality, I have driven 3,370 miles. If that ratio holds up then the complete trip will be close to 14,000 miles so I am not even a quarter done.

Today, I drove from Detroit to Cheboygan (see the map for details) which was wonderful once I got off the highway. As I drove east towards the shore of Lake Huron the scenery was very rustic and included some tree-lined county roads that were a joy to drive. The colors of fall are beginning to show and will only get better. After arriving at the coast I turned north along highway 23 which, although not designated as a scenic byway, has frequent views of the lake.

The only tourist stop of the day was at the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center in Alpena, MI. This is operated by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) which does research and educational outreach from here. There is also a visitor’s center that describes the development and importance of shipping in the Great Lakes, preserves historical artifacts and chronicles day-to-day life on board. A major focus is on the hundreds of shipwrecks that have occurred near its location in Thunder Bay (the Lake Huron version, not Lake Superior) and explaining how wrecks are mapped, artifacts recovered and history is preserved.

The map and video of today’s 326 mile segment are here.

Exhibit at the Maritime Center.

Poster describing the dangers of sailing the Great Lakes.View of the river from my hotel balcony in Cheboygan.