Shipwrecks have taken some 6,000 ships and 30,000 lives on the Great Lakes over the past 250 years. The maritime museums that dot the shorelines are replete with tales of fierce storms and dense fog, bravery and bravado, negligence and incompetence. Divers can explore the remains at more than a dozen watery sanctuaries. And several glass bottom boat vendors offer glimpses of wrecks located in lakeshore shallows.
The itinerary of our three-week visit to the Midwest last spring did not include getting wet. So, we confined our shipwreck explores in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to a morning at the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point, MI, and a pasty-fueled cruise aboard a glass-bottomed boat in the shallows of Lake Superior near Munising, MI.
Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum
The museum sits at the end of a lengthy dead-end road on the grounds of the Whitefish Point Light Station. The nearest town is Paradise, MI, a tiny Upper Peninsula crossroads about 10 miles south.
The iron ore freighter Edmond Fitzgerald broke up and sank about 15 miles offshore on Nov. 10, 1975. Singer/Songwriter Gordon Lightfoot immortalized the wreck with a haunting ode to the 29 crew members who perished. The museum helps preserve the memory of not only the the Edmond Fitzgerald but scores of other Lake Superior wrecks.
Each featured shipwreck has its own exhibit. Most include a well-written narrative, artwork by renowned ship artist Ken Marschall, and artifacts from the ships themselves. The Edmond Fitzgerald ship’s bell is on display. You’ll also see equipment used through the years to locate and explore the wrecks. We thought it was all fascinating and very tasteful.
Elsewhere on the grounds, visitors can check out exhibits on daring Lake Superior rescues and walk through the light station residences and boat house. The residences have been painstakingly restored and dressed. They also contain startlingly lifelike mannequins that resemble the long-deceased light station personnel and children whose photographs adorn, walls, shelves and desks. Creepy? A bit. But really well done.
Glass Bottom Shipwreck Tours
The glass bottom boat tour out of Munising was exactly as billed – a cruise past the150-year-old East Channel Lighthouse with stops to gawk at the wreckage of the Bermuda (1860-1870) and Herman H. Hettler (1890-1926) through greenish polarized glass at the bottom of a row of viewing wells below deck. Blackout curtains are drawn as guests view the remains in two shifts.
- The Bermuda: The two-masted canal schooner and its load of iron ore sank in an October storm in Munising Bay in 1870. Thirteen years later a salvage crew refloated the wreck but it sank again in Murray Bay when the lifting chains slipped. The last of the ore was stripped from the ship’s hold decades ago, but the ship itself remains relatively intact . The deck and related debris are visible beneath 12 feet of water.
- The Herman H. Hettler: A lumber hooker with a capacity of about 1 million board feet, the 36-year-old ship met its fate in a snow squall on Nov. 23, 1926, with a load of 1,100 tons of table salt. The ship’s robust prow was particularly adept at cutting winter ice on Lake Superior but failed to withstand a head-on collision with a rock reef near Munising Harbor in white-out conditions. Attempts to salvage the ship and its cargo failed. Several years later the hull was dynamited as a navigation hazard. The glass-bottom boat tour glides across the debris field.
Pasties: An Upper Peninsula Staple
We stopped at Miner’s Pasties & Ice Cream before our shipwreck cruise. The young man behind the counter recommended the classic “yooper” for a true taste of the Upper Peninsula. Turns out the Upper Peninsula tastes like root vegetables – potato, rutabaga, onion, carrot – mixed with ground beef and pork, all wrapped in a flaky crust. It was pretty good! And provided fine ballast for our glass-bottomed cruise.
We spent three weeks enjoying friends, family and the wonders of the Great Lakes region of the United States in May and June 2023.
My sister and brother-in-law LOVE lake freighters and frequently visit “the Soo” to “chase” the ships before, during and after they pass through the locks. I have joined them a few times, and during one of those trips we visited the museum. I found it fascinating. We are all fans of pasties, too. Now that I have finished “My Life With Words,” I look forward to our heading north this summer. (In between trying to market the book, which is my least favorite task.)
Congrats on the latest book, Barb! While in the UP, we also recommend the Adventure Copper Mine tour near Greenland, MI. And look for an upcoming post on Duluth and Minnesota’s North Shore.
(Verse 1)
In Cornwall’s land where pasties reign,
A true delight for every grain.
But across the pond in Minnesota’s hold,
A different pasty tale is told.
(Chorus)
Cornish pasty, oh so fine,
Filled with flavors, divine.
Minnesota pasty, a quirky treat,
With surprises, oh what a feat!
(Verse 2)
In Cornish fields, the beef does roam,
With potatoes, swede, in its home.
But in Minnesota, don’t be surprised,
To find wild rice and meats disguised.
(Chorus)
Cornish pasty, a classic dish,
Served on every Cornish wish.
Minnesota pasty, a twist of fun,
Bringing joy to everyone.
(Bridge)
From St. Ives to Duluth’s shore,
Pasties bring a hearty lore.
But whether filled with lamb or venison,
Both bring joy, a tasty vision.
(Chorus)
Cornish pasty, tradition’s pride,
In Cornwall’s heart, it resides.
Minnesota pasty, a fusion flair,
Bringing smiles everywhere.
(Outro)
So raise your pasty high and true,
In Cornwall’s hues or Minnesota’s view.
For whether Cornish or a Minnesota gem,
Pasties unite us, from end to end!