Category: Lighthouses

  • Exploring the Historic Pointe Aux Barques Lighthouse

    Exploring the Historic Pointe Aux Barques Lighthouse

    If you love lighthouses and their history, you must visit Pointe Aux Barques Lighthouse in Michigan’s “upper thumb”. This is one of the oldest lighthouses in Michigan and is still active today.

  • The St. Joseph Lighthouses

    The St. Joseph Lighthouses

    The St. Joseph Lighthouses are located at the mouth of the St. Joseph River on Lake Michigan in the southwest corner of the state.

  • A Lighthouse in the Shadows: Mackinac Point

    A Lighthouse in the Shadows: Mackinac Point

    The Mackinac Bridge is an iconic symbol of Michigan. It is the gateway that connects two peninsula over miles of water. Nestled on its southern shore is a lighthouse that has been a beacon for ships long before the bridge began to shine.

  • Visiting Historic Whitefish Point

    Visiting Historic Whitefish Point

    Known as the Graveyard of Ships, Whitefish Point is home to the Great Lake Shipwreck Museum and Whitefish Point Light Station. Visitors can take in views of Lake Superior, search for Agates, and learn about the 240 ships that have been lost to Lake Superior.

  • The Red Lights of Muskegon

    The Red Lights of Muskegon

    There’s something special about red lighthouses. Maybe it’s because there aren’t very many of them around. Maybe it’s because of their story. Regardless of the reason, the red Muskegon Lighthouses are some of my favorite lighthouses to visit.

  • The Guiding Light of Frankfort

    The Guiding Light of Frankfort

    There is nothing fancy about the Frankfort Light. It is a simple, pyramidal tower built in 1912. At 67 feet, its neither the tallest nor shortest lighthouse on the Great Lakes. There is nothing fancy about the town it resides in or the harbor it watches over. Yet for some…

  • Exploring Pictured Rocks: Au Sable Lightstation

    Exploring Pictured Rocks: Au Sable Lightstation

    Buried within the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is a picturesque lighthouse known as Au Sable Lightstation. This 144-year-old active lighthouse provides visitors with beautiful views of Lake Superior and a history of the area. Built in 1874 on Au Sable Point, this lighthouse was intended to not only eliminate a “dark…

  • Michigan’s Finest: Point Betsie Lighthouse

    Michigan’s Finest: Point Betsie Lighthouse

    With 3,200 miles of shoreline, it’s no wonder why Michigan claims more lighthouses than any other state in the country. Point Betsie is one of the most unique and arguably the most beautiful of them all. Built in 1858, Point Bestie is one of the oldest lighthouses in Michigan and the…

  • A Lighthouse and Shipwreck: 40 Mile Point

    A Lighthouse and Shipwreck: 40 Mile Point

    On October 19, 1905, a wooden steamer towing a schooner-barge encountered rough waters. The two ships rolled in opposite directions, causing the schooner-barge to break free. The wooden steamer lost part of its stern and got stuck on a sandbar. The captain and the ten crewmen were able to make…

  • The 2 Lighthouses of Presque Isle

    The 2 Lighthouses of Presque Isle

    New Presque Isle Lighthouse 130. That’s how many steps there are to reach the top of the New Presque Isle Lighthouse. Built in 1870 on the Presque Isle Peninsula in lower Michigan, this lighthouse soars 113 feet high. It is one of the tallest lighthouses on the Great Lakes and…

  • A Weekend at Big Bay Lighthouse

    A Weekend at Big Bay Lighthouse

    My mom loves lighthouses so when my sister and I had the opportunity to get her a mother’s day/birthday gift to one of the few bed and breakfast lighthouses in Michigan, we took it.

  • An Easy Hike to Big Sable Lighthouse

    An Easy Hike to Big Sable Lighthouse

    If you’re looking for an easy hike that takes a couple of hours or for a place to have a picnic and hang out, Big Sable Lighthouse is a great location. The hike is around 2 miles, each way, down a sandy but well-worn path that starts at Ludington State Park.…

  • A Wintry West Coast Trip: Little Sable Point

    A Wintry West Coast Trip: Little Sable Point

    Every year I look forward to visiting Lake Michigan in the winter. There is something very special about this time of year. Yes, it’s freezing (and I mean freezing) with bone chilling wind but the ice formations on the lake and lighthouses are masterpieces sculpted by nature and well worth…

  • A Journey to Crisp Point Lighthouse

    Michigan has some pretty unique lighthouses. Designed to withstand the raging storms of the Great Lakes, it’s hard to not be impressed. Even if lighthouses aren’t your thing. Crisp Point Lighthouse, once inaccessible by car, is one such unique structure.

  • An Icy Trip to Lake Michigan

    An Icy Trip to Lake Michigan

    There is something other-worldly like about visiting one of Michigan’s great lakes in the winter time. The ice in particular creates these beautiful formations. Wind swept, weather eroded and fractured iced. Mountains line the beaches, and chunks float in the water, growing and shrinking as they collide with other sheets…