MICHIGAN: To the Lighthouse

If you ever get the time or the inclination to do so there's a gorgeous lakeside scenic road tour around Lake Michigan which we happened to drive along on a day trip out from Traverse City. At times you'll forget they are even lakes they are so vast, their stretch seems endless like the seas which ultimately lead the lakes to be also known as the Sweetwater Seas. Making the drive north we headed along the lake side to Leelanau State Park to visit the Grand Traverse Lighthouse one set in a popular beauty spot, tourist destination and growing wine region. 

Many take the time to visit not only do the Lake Michigan circular tour, but to stop at all the lighthouses along the way - in fact Michigan has more lighthouses then any US state with 115 still standing although many are now decommissioned. Lighthouses and foghorns during the late 1800's when many of them were built marked and signaled the only way to guide ships through the Great Lakes that surround Michigan, guiding ships between Chicago and out towards New York, you might be surprised to hear that the Great Lakes are some of the most treacherous waters out there.

The Grand Traverse Light built in 1858 guards the entrance between Lake Michigan and Grand Traverse Bay right on the very tip of the Leelanau Peninsular and now sits within the Leelanau State Park. While decommissioned in 1972, for a small fee you can now climb your way to the light and gaze out to a further two lighthouses in the far distance. Climbing down onto the beach we were met with a mass of stone snacks, some featuring some incredibly well balanced arrangements of stones marking people's visits over the years. a modern man made monument striking in it's volume although I can imagine many fall victim to rough winter storms.