Longing for the Great Lakes

About one year ago, at the end of April 2004, my dad and I took a lighthousing expedition along the Seaway Trail of New York, from Ogdensburg to Barcelona. Actually, we planned to go to Maine. But, my dad had to make a business call in Buffalo on Wednesday, making Maine impossible without missing another event I wasn't missing.

The Queen Elizabeth 2 and Queen Mary 2 were going to be in New York together for the first time. For 40 years, since the liners' original namesakes did so, there have not been two Queens in New York at the same time. (Of course, there havn't been two Queens, either, but that's PR for ya'.) I'm a huge liner buff, and I wasn't missing seeing my two favourite ships together.

Good thing Buffalo is on the Great Lakes.

We loaded up the Rover with cameras, clothes, and maps. Monday, we were off to Ogdensburg, battling rain to the tune of Norah Jones and The Eagles. We hit our first light, Selkirk, and went up the St. Lawrence River.

Here I'd like to stop and comment. The St. Lawrence Seaway is one of the most beatiful places I have ever seen. The entire Great Lakes area is beautiful, but especially the St. Lawrence. I think it's the fact that it's so....unpopulated. This probably isn't so if it isn't freezing cold April, but I feel like I went to places where about 10 people go a year.

Now, back to our scheduled programme....

The next day, we headed from O'burg to Buffalo. I had one of my best ever lighthousing days. I broke 100 lifetime lights. I saw some of the most amazing lighthouses I ever have. I think that it is tied with November 5, 2004 - the day I saw 21 lights in a day - as my best ever lighthousing day.

The Great Lakes always will hold a special place in my heart. And the fact that I have so many lights to go there means that there are many more memories to be made!