Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary

If you tell someone you've been to Alpena, usually the first thing they ask you is, "Have you visited the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center"? This 20,000 square foot museum is the pride and joy of the city. When you walk in, it is eerily lit, like an underwater exploration. It is an awesome adventure of the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and you don't even have to get wet in their high definition theater. You learn about hundreds of boats lying at the bottom Lake Huron in the area called "Shipwreck Alley" and see artifacts from many of the doomed sailing vessels. During winter hours, they are open every day except Sunday 10-5pm. And, the admission is free.

St Bernard Church in Alpena

St Bernard church in Alpena houses the oldest Catholic parish between Bay City and Cheboygan. Remember the snowshoe priest, Bishop Baraga? Well, he slogged his way through the snow and ice from Sault Set Marie in 1861 and founded a catholic church in Alpena. Although the cornerstone was laid in 1880 for their new church, the parish split into three. The French retained the original structure and named it St Anne, the Polish faction became St Mary's and then the Irish kept St Bernard which we see above.

Alpena's Sputnik

They call her Sputnik or Little Red in Alpena. She's a cute little lighthouse on the shores of Lake Huron. Believed to be the only lighthouse of this type in the US, it's history goes back to 1914. It is not open to the public.  Your best views are from a boat, or like we did here--walk out on the long breakwater that protects the harbor.