Iosco County (pop. 25,887) is on Lake Huron, south of Alcona County.

The county seat of Iosco County is Tawas City (pop. 1,827), which is known for its collection of statues of cartoon characters.

SpongeBob

The nearby city of East Tawas (pop. 2,808) is the home of the 70-foot-tall Tawas Point Light Station.

Built in 1876

The lighthouse is within Tawas Point State Park – “The Cape Cod of the Midwest.”

At the end of the sand spit that forms Tawas Bay

The Family Theatre in East Tawas is about 70 years old.

Still showing first-run movies

The unincorporated community of Oscoda is the home of the 14-foot Lumberman’s Monument (1931).

A Forest Service visitor center is open in summer.

The state of Michigan has declared Oscoda as the official birthplace of Paul Bunyan.

Paul Bunyan statue, Oscoda

From 1923 to 1993, a U.S. air base was just northwest of Oscoda; it was named Wurtsmith Air Force Base beginning in 1953. Today it has a public airport and a variety of other tenants, including Alpena Community College.

The 379th Bomb Wing was there.

The 22-mile River Road National Scenic Byway runs along the Au Sable River, ending in Oscoda.

Established in 2005

In the city of Whittemore (pop. 384), the quarter-mile Whittemore Speedway has hosted summer races since 1948.

Michigan’s oldest operating speedway

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