Split Rock Light House

Split Rock Light House

I mentioned I was underwhelmed with the Grand Marais light house. That was probably not totally fair as up close, it too is a unique work of labor that kept hundreds of ships and their crew safe for decades before modern maritime tools and equipment were presented. Since Saturday though was as lovely as Friday and we had looked at most of the shops, we decided to venture back south to Split Rock Light House. Built in 1909 after the federal government authorized a whopping $75,000, this beautiful piece of architecture is a wonder to see when you approach traveling north along the shores of Lake Superior. We chose to park and paid the $7 daily state park pass, and the $10 a person admission for the tour and to go into the lighthouse and other buildings. We could have just walked the path tot he beach for photo's but the fees go to support the site and it seemed a good use of our funds. I don't know why we do not have a state park pass-something to add to our plans for next year perhaps. We both remembered it being closer to Grand Marais, but it took well over an hour to drive, so we made the most of the afternoon.

Grand Marais Light House. The hike out was not as docile as it
looks as it weaves around rugged rocks starting behind the coast
guard station

View of Coast Guard station from the Grand Marais lighthouse.

 I'm not a historian, but to tell the story short, the Split Rock light house came to be after the horrific November 28, 1905 storm where 116 sailors on 30 different vessels were killed. While this particular storm accounted for the most loss of life and property, throughout the years others have also met with  terrible ends. The site is a Minnesota Historical Society property and they have a very interesting 13 minute movie that explains the history and the building process where the lighthouse, outbuildings, and three homes for lighthouse keepers and assistants were built. The light house was only accessible by boat until the 1940's when highway 61 came through heading north out of Duluth. The tourists came with the highway and the hard working keepers and their families were expected to manage the tourists as well, sometimes over 1,000 in a day. My words cannot do justice, so if you would like to learn more visit  Split Rock official site.  I'll just leave you with a few of my pictures.

Beacon that rotated every 10 seconds to warn ships of the rocky ledge.

Three Keepers house's, all identical. The perk of the job.

Some of the rocky shore.

The view from the light house.

View of light house from beach.

We stopped on the way back to Grand Marais at Cascade Falls and snapped a few pictures. I lost track of how many state parks were on our route, but from this brief weekend experience, including what I'll share tomorrow, I want to challenge myself to visit all Minnesota state parks in the next  decade-it might take at least that long to achieve. The UK has national trust properties with beautiful gardens and iconic views, and no doubt I would like to explore all of those. I live near a few state parks that we visit on occasion, but I have not been taking advantage of the riches in my own back yard. If you find yourself in Minnesota, I highly suggest you get a state park map and include a few in your visit.

Cascade Falls-as seen from the main road bridge.