Today we took a tour of Fort Wilkins and some local mining towns. We also stopped at Eagle Harbor and visited the lighthouse, still manned by the Coast Guard. Awesome! The house looks a lot like the McGulpin one (from an earlier post--Mackinac), so I wasn't going to bore you with more pictures.
The fort was only in business for about 3 years. It was built because of the copper boom and wanted to ensure peace between the Ojibwa Indians and the locals (not necessary, since they were a peaceful people). Then the Army was sent to Texas for the Mexican war, where the troops were needed. They used the fort shortly after the Civil War as a rehab facility, then locals would come here and camp. In 1923 it became a state park. Here are some pics:
officer's quarters
Officer's outhouse 
view out towards Lake Fannyhooe
Sutler's store (the post's WalMart)
married and enlisted quarters
an aerial view of the fort
After the fort we went to Eagle Harbor. This is their lighthouse and some views from the harbor.
We finished by a little place called Central Mine. There are a number of buildings still available in this little boom area, including a school, fancy house, and church. We couldn't get to the school or powder house due to a steep hike over 1mi. Maybe some other time. So here's the history of the mine.
On the way back from Eagle Harbor to Central Mine, we saw these lovely natural features: a falls off the side of the road and a grouse. Tomorrow is a travel day to Lake Gogebic State Park. We will be there till Monday. The Porcupine Mountains are the next adventure near the state park. There are supposed to be some pretty falls and lakes in that area. Enjoy!
the King is looking for Big Foot to take a water break
Why did the chicken cross the road??
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