Silent Night Memorial Chapel

Silent Night Memorial Chapel is an inspirational landmark which stands at the south entrance to the City of Frankenmuth, Michigan's "Little Bavaria." It is a part of the 27 acre Bronner's CHRISTmas Wonderland complex. The chapel, built in 1992, is an authentic replica of the Oberndorf, Austria, Silent Night Memorial Chapel. No services or ceremonies are held here. Rather it stands simply as a tribute to God and the the world's favorite Christmas carol.

Silent night! Holy night!

All is calm, all is bright.

Round yon Virgin Mother and Child!

Holy Infant so tender and mild,

Sleep in heavenly peace!

Sleep in heavenly peace!

The original chapel in Oberndorf, near Salsburg, was built on the site of St. Nicholas Church, where the hymn was first sung at the Christmas Eve Mass, 1818. The six stanzas were written by a young priest, Joseph Mohr, and the choir sang the simple melody accomanied by a guitar. Today the song has been translated into hundreds of languages and is the most enduring of all holiday hymns.

The chapel is open daily for prayer and meditation. Admission is free.

Sand Point Light House, Escanaba, Michigan

This pretty little one and a half story lighthouse on Lake Michigan seems to have been built backwards, its tower facing the town instead of the water. Established in 1868, and inactive since 1939, the completely restored structure now serves as a museum operated by the Delta County Historical Society. The museum highlights the life of Mary Terry, the first light keeper who served for 18 years. She was one of the first female light keepers on the Great Lakes.

Marquette Harbor Lighthouse, Michigan

Perched atop a massive rock like a castle on Lake Superior, the Marquette Harbor Light, Marquette, Michigan, is clearly visible from the downtown harbor front. It was first established in 1853 and the current square/integral brick structure built in 1866. Because it is an active Coast Guard station, the lighthouse is not accessible to the public - but we got close. One can park at the local maritime museum and then walk to the spot from which we took these photos.

Seven Gables of Huron City, Michigan

Huron City was a "company town", associated with the lumber industry and developed in the mid-1800's by entrepreneaurs Langdon and Watson Hubbard from Connecticut. A steam powered saw mill was here and a horse drawn tram which carried the lumber to a dock on Lake Huron for loading onto ships bound for the company's lumber yard in Sandusky, Ohio., on Lake Erie.

The present buildings were constructed in the 1880's after devastating fires, in 1871 and 1881, destroyed the earlier town.

In 1995 Huron City was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is owned and operated by a private foundation. Preserved are the magnificent old Victorian mansion, Seven Gables, an 1885 General Store, the 1883 Community House Inn, Huron City Church, an 1837 log cabin (which survived the fires), antique barns, and a carriage shed. Also the Pointe Aux Barques Life Saving Station has been moved to this location for preservation.

Tahquemenon Falls, Michigan

Located in Michigan's sparsely populated Upper Peninsula, surrounded by the Great Lakes, Tahquemenon Falls State Park is a world apart. Geographically it is much more akin to the wilds of Northern Ontario than to the industrial enclaves of Michigan's southern cities.

The Upper Falls, the Lower Falls, and 13 miles of the clean but tannin stained Tahquamenon River are preserved in this 40,000 state park. The centerpiece is the Upper Falls, pictured here. It plunges 50 feet, is 200 feet wide, and has a maximum flow of 50,000 gallons per second, making it one of the largest falls east of the Mississippi River, second only to Niagara. The river and falls were immortalized by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's epic poem, The Song of Hiawatha.

Thahquemenon Falls State Park offers opportunities for boating, fishing, hiking, sightseeing, picnicking and camping. Karen and I camped here in the summer of 2003, and made this our base for exploring more of the many wonders of Michigan's fabulous Upper Peninsula.

The park is open year round, and the falls freezes over in winter. I would love to see it then.

Big Sable Point Lighthouse, Michigan

Visitors may only reach Big Sable Point Lighthouse by taking a 1.8 mile hike from Ludington State Park. There are two different trails which lead to the lighthouse, or one may walk along the beach when weather, wind and waves permit. Karen and I have hiked to this lighthouse twice. The first time was in the summer of 2001. Most recently we were there on July 5, 2008. Both times we walked to the lighthouse along the trail and returned by way of the beach.