Water & Bridges

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Blue Water Bridge and St. Clair River  TOP

A panoramic view of the park and walkway, the two Blue Water Bridges and the St. Clair River.

The 100 passenger cruise ship Clelia II enters the St. Clair River under the two Blue Water Bridges. The cruise line caters to Europeans with a one week cruise of the Great Lakes ranging from $6,400 to $13,000 per person double occupancy. 

 

The 750' Algolake bulk carrier upbound into Lake Huron for another load. The vessel was launched in 1977 and is a self-unloader.  She is owned by Algoma Central. 

An unidentified self-unloader laker travels upbound under the single span 1938 bridge into Lake Huron. This photo was taken from the Peerless Cement Plant which occupied the site where the riverfront park and trail and the Thomas Edison Museum and Thomas Edison Inn now are sited.

 

Cruising in style under the Blue Water Bridges. Lee Stevens' 1928 24' Chris Craft Runabout. The boat has been in the Stevens' family since the early 1930s. Allen B Stevens, father of the boys purchased it from Louie Foster. Lee is one of Classmate Allen Stevens' two younger brothers and is a prominent architect. More photos of the Wave Trotter Chris Craft can be found in the Cruising the St. Clair River section below.

Near span - completed in 1999. Original span - completed 61 years earlier in 1938 and renovated in 1998. Both cantilever bridges complement each other in style and function.

Both carry 3 lanes of traffic. The new bridge traffic flows into Ontario; the old carries traffic into Michigan.

RIGHT: The original span under construction in 1938.

 

 

BELOW: The walkway along the St. Clair River. 

 

Cruising the St. Clair River  TOP

Port Huron Municipal Office Center. 

 

Sailing school in Sarnia Bay.

St. Clair Inn, St. Clair Michigan.

Charley's River Crab Restaurant on the St. Clair River between Marysville and St. Clair. Among the best seafood in Michigan! The site was formerly Stu Cunningham's Fisherman's Wharf when we were in High School. Some of us had dinner at Stu's before the Prom in 1961.

 

   

Left to right: Lee Stevens, Tim Ritter and Matt Clor. Matt is an architectural designer working for Lee.

Tim Ritter and Lee and Allen Stevens have been lifelong friends. Tim is the son of the late Jerry Ritter who operated Jerry Ritter Appliances on Military Street in downtown Port Huron. 

It doesn't get much better than this! Beautiful day, beautiful weather, beautiful scenery and a beautiful fast 80 year-old classic mahogany boat! These 'action shots' of the Wave Trotter were taken from Palmer Park in St. Clair between the St. Clair Inn and Voyager Bowling Lanes and Restaurant.

 

  

 Chris-Craft boats were built in Algonac, Michigan by Chris Smith & Sons Boat Co. 

 

Cruising Black River  TOP

 

The Huron Lady II with a capacity of 110 provides river cruises. Our 50th Reunion will probably include opportunities to enjoy this voyage. 

Port Huron Yacht Club on the North side of Black River. 

 

  

Passing under the Military Street Bridge after entering the Black River. 

Looking astern towards the St. Clair River after passing under Military Street Bridge.
 
The Seventh Street Bridge has been closed (to vehicle traffic) for over a year - awaiting manufacturing of a very large gear. 
 
 
Condominium housing along the south side of Black River between Seventh and 10th Street Bridges. 
 
 
About the time we were attending Port Huron High School, the Black River was polluted and in sad shape. Raw industrial output poured into the river upstream. 

Port Huron has several city-owned boat mooring sites along the Black River for locals and visitors who come by boat.

 

 

Pine River & City of St. Clair   TOP

 

Palmer Park along the St. Clair River (Above and below.)

 

The Voyager Restaurant, Bar and Bowling Lanes anchors the south end of Palmer Park. The St. Clair Inn anchors the north end. 

Homeland Security refueling at the fuel dock in Pine River.

 

 

Lake Huron Scenes  TOP

Sunrise over Lake Huron from near the old Gratiot Inn site.

ABOVE: a self-unloader passes the marker buoy which replaced the Lightship HURON in lower Lake Huron. The HURON was decommissioned in 1970 and now has a permanent 'mooring' at the north end of Pine Grove Park. CLICK HERE for a discussion about the Lightship HURON.

 

 

 

 

 

Two sailboats head for home on Lake Huron. 

The 2009 Port Huron to Mackinac Race featured a method of tracking each boat via GPS. This image shows the tracks of the entrants from the starting line to about White Rock. Colors designated the different classes of entrants. 

A curious gull watches the photographer; the curious photographer watches the gull. Lake Huron near the old Gratiot Inn site.

 

 

Color Photographs Copyright John Chidester and may not be used in any way without permission.