Split Rock Light

   Image Sizes: 20 x 16 & 24 x 20

I am intrigued by lighthouses.  Erected in locations of great peril, they often stand in settings of remarkable beauty and drama as well.  Where nature is most powerful, it can also be most majestic.

That is especially true of "Split Rock Light" erected on the towering cliffs of Lake Superior's north shore in Minnesota to light the way for the massive ore carriers that moved a rich treasure of iron ore through from mines in Canada and the U.P.  As I gaze on this beetling cliff, I begin to understand the legend of Sirens, whose wild and beautiful song drew ships to wreck on their perilous rocks.  Surely, such beauty might call even a plodding ore barge to its ruin.

Split Rock Light was built in 1910 and continued to guide ships through stormy waters until 1969, when the Minnesota park service took over its management.  Now perhaps the most visited lighthouse in the U.S.  Guests who make the long drive are rewarded by a breathtaking view of the rugged limestone light overlooking a majestic promontory.

  ~Thomas Kinkade