In Algoma (a photo gallery)

June 11, 2021

We’re surprised at what a charming place Algoma is. It’s a small town with a population of about 3,000, situated at the mouth of the lazy Ahnapee River on the shore of Lake Michigan. Settled by German, Scandinavian and Belgian immigrants in the mid-1800’s, the town’s architecture has a somewhat European character. And, of course, they were the newcomers. The Potawatomi were the native people here, and Ahnapee is a rough equivalent for their term for ‘Land of the great grey wolf ’.

The town had a larger industrial past, when it was connected to the grid by a now defunct rail line that has since been converted to the Ahnapee bike trail. There’s some small industry here now - a winery, a brewery, and according to our neighbors at lunch there’s a plant that manufactures product labels, such as for wine bottles - but the most visible enterprise might be the fleet of salmon fishing charter boats in the marina. Back at Fat Boy’s in Abbotsford, the group at the neighboring table were back from a salmon fishing outing in Algoma and proudly showed us a photo of the 28 pounder they’d reeled in.

It’s pleasantly quiet, not very touristy at all. I wonder if it isn’t sheltered a bit by the fact that it’s just south of the Door County line so it doesn’t get included in all their tourism literature. There is plenty to see, both in its small downtown and along the waterfronts - just right for a stroll before and after dinner.

Steele Street, looking toward the harbor.

The Algoma Pierhead Lighthouse, shining its beacon and blowing its foghorn since 1908.

Worth a second look. Worth a third one too I’m sure, if I could just drag myself out of bed in time to catch the sunrise.

I know now that this is dame's rocket (aka damask-violet, dame's-violet, dames-wort, dame's gilliflower, night-scented gilliflower, queen's gilliflower, rogue's gilliflower, summer lilac, sweet rocket, mother-of-the-evening, Good & Plenties, and winter gilliflower). But what’s that fluffy white thing behind it?

Rate this entry's writing	Heart	5
Comment on this entry	Comment	0