White River Light Station, 6199 Murray Rd, Whitehall MI

This picturesque light house was built in 1875, deactivated in 1960, and opened as a museum in 1970. It was not open on the day of our visit so we appreciated it from the outside.

We took a walk down along the channel to check out the waves on Lake Michigan,

and were surprised to find the bones of an old ship lying on the beach.

The ship has apparently been buried in the sand for decades and makes its occasional appearance (1942 and 1974, previously). Shipwreck experts cannot agree on whether the remains are the 1878 Woodruff or the 1882 Contest. Either way, it's pretty cool to see.

The very first lightkeeper here was Captain William Robinson III and he remained there until his death in 1919 (ghost and haunting stories abound). We paid our respects to him in the nearby Mouth Cemetery.

More photos from Mouth Cemetery

Next time we hope to view the museum artifacts and climb the tower of this beautiful, historic light station.

 

The Heidelberg Project, 3600 Heidelberg, Detroit

We went to Detroit for a weekend a few years ago and walked through this outdoor art environment. And it is stunning and amazing. People either love it or hate it but no one is indifferent. Regardless of your view, it is an important statement about abandoned neighborhoods. Back in 1986, artist Tyree Guyton found his old neighborhood in shambles and littered with drug dealers.

He started cleaning up the vacant lots, turning them into art projects. Empty houses became sculptures. The creation continued to grow and here is where it stood as of about five years ago.

It is fascinating to walk up and down these few blocks and appreciate the creativity and humor that went into it all with found objects.

Love it or hate it, the neighborhood has been transformed by people reclaiming it in their own way. Detroit fights back.