Port Austin

If you ask a Michigander where he or she is from, you'll get "the hand".

Guaranteed.

Yep. They will raise their right hand and point to the place they call home.

That's right. On their hand.

You see, Michigan - at least the lower peninsula - closely resembles your right hand. Check a map if you want, but we're absolutely correct on this one. Some Michiganders will position their left hand perpendicular to their right with their fingers nearly touching. The left hand is supposed to represent the upper peninsula.

Yeah. Right.

Anyway, we've made our way from the "tip of the mitt" to the "tip of the thumb", Port Austin. We're here for a few days to see our friends Pat and Ed, whom we met it Port Aransas. And, we can see why they love to call this place home. It's something special, indeed.

Pat and Ed showed us around Port Austin and many interesting parts of "the thumb". The jewel of Huron County is the Pointe aux Barques lighthouse on the shores of Lake Huron. The lighthouse was originally commissioned in 1848. After a fire in the keeper's house, the house and tower were rebuilt and this lighthouse has been shining since 1857, making it the oldest continuously operating lighthouse on the Great Lakes.

Port Austin is a cute town that is working hard to keep itself lively and vibrant. As Pat and I browsed through a lovely gift shop above the town hardware store, this little plaque caught my eye.

Thanks, Pat and Ed for your wonderful hospitality. We look forward to seeing you down the road soon.

We are definitely enjoying the journey!