An excellent way to take in many lights is on a tour designed for that purpose. The Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association offers numerous tours, many of them throughout the Straits of Mackinac.
Boat and plane tours from Beaver Island allow viewing of 11 lights in the Lake Michigan archipelago.
On Lake Huron, pack a picnic for a 4-hour excursion to Middle Island Lighthouse, or choose a day trip or an evening cruise to Charity Island, where you'll enjoy a dinner meal on the porch of the lightkeeper's home.
The Keweenaw Excursions Lighthouse Tour out of Houghton includes meals and view of 10 lights; the same boat company's 4-day Ultimate Great Lakes Lighthouse Adventure Special Lighthouse Tour from Houghton to Charlevoix takes in 31 lighthouse and numerous other sights between. New this year, the Keweenaw Star will offer a 1-day lighthouse tour out of Charlevoix.
Landlubbers can take a self-guided driving tour with the aid of the free Lake Michigan Circle Tour & Lighthouse Map or a michigan.org Maritime Tour.
Port Huron is home to the U.S. Lightship Huron, which now operates as a museum moored on the St. Clair River. The floating light station was built in 1920 and for 50 years protected vessels in Great Lakes waters too difficult or dangerous for permanent lighthouses.
Celebrate lighthouses at the 14th annual Great Lakes Lighthouse Festival, October 8-11, 2009, in Alpena. Lighthouse fans enjoy tours, presentations, vendors, artists, writers, photographers and musicians who share a love of lighthouses.
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