Lighthouses

The Forgotten Coast: A Lighthouse Tour of Michigan’s Thumb

July 2, 2012

Today on our blog, Jerry Roach, published photographer, historian, lecturer, preservationist, tour guide, and author of three books on the lighthouse of Michigan, takes us on our tour of some of Michigan’s many lighthouses. For more on lighthouses in Michigan, visit michigan.org.

When you think about all the lighthouses in Michigan, where is the first region you think of that has the most lights? Probably the Upper Peninsula, maybe the Lake Michigan shoreline comes in a close second right? The Upper Peninsula does have the most lighthouses coming in at an amazing 57, but truth be told, the sunrise side of the Lower Peninsula comes in second with 34 lights. If you remember your history this all makes sense, because most of Michigan was developed by pioneers and explorers that arrived by ship, thus they arrived at the east coast first.

We will begin our tour in Port Huron. As a matter of fact, the first lighthouse built in Michigan was the Fort Gratiot Lighthouse. With the expansion of the St. Lawrence Seaway in the early 1800’s, larger ships could now begin to explore and ply the waters of the Great Lakes. That increase in ship traffic directly led to the need for navigational aids, which gave birth to hundreds of lighthouses which dot Michigan’s shoreline. The lighthouse arrived at Fort Gratiot in 1825, eleven years after construction on the Fort had concluded. There were two different towers that served this light and all of them stood at different heights. After decades of this light being closed to the public, the Port Huron Museum has assumed control of the operations and it can now be visited on a daily basis. While you are in Port Huron don’t forget to allow some time to explore the Huron Lightship just south of Fort Gratiot. Lightship 103 was built in 1920 at a cost of $147,428. This National Historic Landmark is dry docked in Pine Grove Park. The expertly restored lightship is open daily throughout the summer for tours. By the way, you may find this interesting; the Huron Lightship was the only lightship that remained on post during World War II.

Heading north on M-25 you will come to the city of Port Sanilac. The lighthouse here became operational on October 20, 1886. While the lighthouse is privately owned, there are excellent views of the light from the road. As we continue on our journey we arrive in Harbor Beach. Tours are available of the light by registering on the Harbor Beach Lighthouse website. You can also get great views from many of the parks in town. This area was developed as a harbor of refuge; an area where ships could escape the wrath from storms on Lake Huron. The Harbor Beach Lighthouse was built in 1885.

About 13 miles north of Harbor Beach, near the town of Port Hope is the Pt. Aux Barques Lighthouse. Loosely translated, Pt. Aux Barques means, point of boats. It is in this area where the lighthouse is located that the boats would begin their turns to either head south towards the St. Clair River or navigate the tip of the thumb to continue the voyage through Lake Huron. This very important lighthouse became operational in 1848. A very active preservation society has done a remarkable job restoring this light. Tours are available.

The remaining lights of the Thumb can only be viewed via public venues. The Port Austin Reef Light was built in 1878, and one of Michigan’s newest lights, the Caseville Harbor Light was constructed on July 25, 2001. Both are along M-25.

Why not plan your visit to these lighthouses during some fantastic summer celebrations? During July there is the Offshore Powerboat Races and the start of the Port Huron to Mackinac Yacht Race in the Port Huron area, and a Civil War Re-enactment near Port Austin. When August rolls around don’t forget to spend some time at the Huron County Fair near Harbor Beach, the Maritime Festival at Pt. Aux Barques, and who can forget the Cheeseburger Festival near Caseville.

So the next time you’re looking for something to do on the weekend, or a couple of days during the week, take a nice relaxing trip along M-25 and explore Michigan’s forgotten coast and the lighthouses of the Thumb.

Jerry Roach is a published photographer, historian, lecturer, preservationist, tour guide, and the author of three books on the lighthouse of Michigan. His books called the “Ultimate Guide” series include the The Ultimate Guide To West Michigan Lighthouses, The Ultimate Guide To East Michigan Lighthouses, and The Ultimate Guide To Upper Michigan Lighthouses. You can explore lighthouses of the world and especially the Great Lakes by visiting his website, view thousands of photos at his gallery, or follow him on Twitter and Facebook.

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Fan Photos: Pure Michigan Lighthouses

June 15, 2012

in Outdoors,Posts by Region

We asked fans on Facebook to share photos of lighthouses in Pure Michigan this week, and received an overwhelming response! Here’s a roundup of some of our favorites.

For information on lighthouses in Michigan, visit michigan.org.

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Fall for a Pure Michigan Road Trip

October 10, 2011

in East Central,Events,Northeast,Northwest,Posts by Region,Southeast,Southwest,Upper Peninsula,West Central

The leaves are changing in the Great Lakes State, which can mean only one thing: Fall is here in Pure Michigan!

Now is the perfect time to hit the road and marvel at Michigan second-to-none annual color show of reds, golds, oranges and yellows splashed across the state. No matter where you are in Michigan you’re never more than 85 miles from a Great Lake, and with so many other natural and man-made wonders, from waterfalls to museums, it’s easy to plan a fun-filled road trip that is Pure Michigan.

Take a cruise down these fall color driving routes that follow winding, two-lane roads to scenic spots, historic sites, small towns and recreation areas around the state. Bring the binoculars to wildlife viewing areas along the way, like Pigeon River Country State Forest – home to the largest free-roaming elk herd east of the Mississippi – or venture to the Upper Peninsula to catch a glimpse of free-ranging moose.
For those a little less adventures, there are numerous historic covered bridges throughout the state, including White’s Covered Bridge over the Flat River in Ionia County that dates back to 1867. Don’t forget to plan a shoreline tour to see some of Michigan’s 115 Great Lakes lights and lighthouses; you can even stay at a choice of lighthouse Bed & Breakfast inns overlooking Lake Superior.

While you’re on the road, make sure to stop along the way and taste the many flavors that Pure Michigan has to offer. From cider mills, wineries, artisan breweries, and foodie tours, Michigan has something to please every palate. Microbrew enthusiasts will want to be sure to check out the Detroit Fall Beer Festival at the city’s Eastern Market on Oct. 22, and wine lovers won’t want to miss The Round Barn Winery’s Jammin’ in the Vineyard each Saturday and Sunday through October.

For more events and activities, visit michigan.org and sign up for the free Pure Michigan eNewsletter for updates on fall colors, festivals and events, special promotions, and more.

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15 Incredible Photos of Michigan Lighthouses

August 24, 2011

in Beaches,Nature & Parks,Outdoors

Copper Harbor Lighthouse

Over 115 lighthouses dot the Michigan coastline. Some of them still guide boats to safety, some welcome visitors to spend the night in unforgettable surroundings, and all of them are stunning sites to behold, at any time of year.

We sorted through over 700 photos in our Flickr archives to unearth some truly stunning images of lighthouses across the state. Have a photo of your own to share? Post it on our Facebook page or send us a Tweet!

Don’t forget to check out the rest of our lighthouse images in our special Flickr photoset. Read more…

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Up North Road Trip

May 20, 2010

in Pure Michigan Ads

Thank you to Katie Dennis for this guest blog post on the road trip she took with her husband for their one year anniversary. Remember – we are always looking for guest bloggers, so send in your Pure Michigan stories!

My husband and I got married last spring at one of Michigan’s most popular places, Mackinac Island. It was more than a dream come true and so special to both of us.

Katie and her husband under Arch Rock on Mackinac Island

For our 1st Anniversary, we decided to go back to Mackinac and maybe hit some wineries and lighthouses while we were at it. We moved to the east coast last winter and so it took us a good 12 hours to get up to Traverse City. After a good night’s sleep, we drove up the Old Mission Peninsula and found the Old Mission Point Lighthouse. It’s apparently one of those that you can apply to be a lighthouse keeper for and our delightful hosts were doing just that! We climbed the tower, got some great photos then started off to the wineries. We hit four delightful vineyards before we finally stopped at Chateau Chantal, a sprawling mansion of a chateau perched on a hillside with jaw-dropping views. My husband later surprised me with a romantic nights stay at their wonderful B&B.

The next day we drove up M-119, aka ‘Tunnel of Trees’ and saw not only the tunnel of trees forming above us, but the forest floor carpeted white with glowing trillium. We stopped to gape at the houses on the bluffs in the ever charming Harbor Springs and continued north to Mackinaw City where we found stellar views of the Straits of Mackinac at McGulpin Point Lighthouse.

Whitefish Point Light Station

The following day we went to Mackinac Island and traveled the 8 mile stretch around it’s perimeter on M-185 – me on my bicycle, and my husband running. Even though it was a snowy, chilly day, the magic of the Island got to us. It’s incredible when you get out of ‘downtown’ and find the secluded parts of the Island that seem to call to you. We spent a few days on the Island, hiking, petting horses, celebrating our anniversary and reminiscing.

Crisp Point Lighthouse

When we got off the Island, we started across the Mighty Mac bridge to the U.P. and went north to Sault Ste. Marie. We were lucky enough to get there just in time to see two freighters go through the Soo Locks. Afterwards, we drove through the quaint town of Paradise to Whitefish Point where we met up with the Whitefish Point Lighthouse. We soaked in the views of the ‘Graveyard of the Great Lakes’ and then went to the Upper Falls of Tahquamenon Falls. After hiking around and getting refreshingly misted by the updraft of the falls, we went to what turned out to be my favorite lighthouse…Crisp Point. This was the most fun lighthouse to find, through gravel and dirt roads winding through the U.P. When we finally got there it was so beautiful, secretive and secluded. Certainly as they advertise, Michigan’s Best Kept Secret.

We had such a great road trip to Michigan, now I can only hope to come back again soon and start another adventure!

To read a more detailed account of Katie’s journey, visit her blog, Monday Travels.

Katie Dennis grew up in northern Wisconsin vacationing for years with her family into the U.P. of Michigan. She’s now living on the east coast with her husband and starting up a wedding planning business with a bit of blogging on the side. Share your thoughts and feedback with Katie by leaving a comment below.