35. RVing the Great Lakes, Shipwrecks, and the SS Edmund Fitzgerald

Rocking the RV Life

Learn more about some of the sunken ships that linger under the surface of the Great Lakes in this week’s episode of “Rocking the RV Life.”

Podcast hosts Jeff and Patti Kinzbach have been exploring the Great Lakes in their RV this summer, and recently stopped by Whitefish Point in Michigan: an area which hosts the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum.

Whitefish Point is famous for a lighthouse built in 1849, as well as the museum. It is approximately a 1.5 hours drive from the Mackinac Bridge. The museum features superb exhibits of shipwreck artifacts, artwork, and shipwreck models.

On November 10th, 1975, the Edmund Fitzgerald and another vessel, the SS Arthur M Anderson, departed ports on western Lake Superior to begin their voyages east to the Sault Ste. Marie locks and eventually the lower Great Lakes. The Anderson was about 10 miles behind the Edmund Fitzgerald. Both ships were in constant contact via radio when they encountered the storm.

The Edmund Fitzgerald sank 17 miles away from Whitefish Point, killing all 29 crewmen aboard. The shipwreck later gained infamy, even inspiring Gordon Lightfoot’s hit song “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.” One of the museum’s most iconic artifacts is the SS Edmund Fitzgerald’s original bell.

Jeff and Patti interviewed the museum’s historical interpreter Andrew Schneider to hear more about the history of the shipwreck.

Special thanks to Sarah Wilde, Operations Manager of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum. The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum is a non-profit organization and is supported by ticket sales, merchandise, and public contributions.

Learn more about the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at https://www.shipwreckmuseum.com/

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