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Lighthouses
of the Western Great Lakes
In the Shadow of the Lights
Apostle
Islands National Seashore/Bayfield/Apple Festival
The cluster of the Apostle Islands off Wisconsin’s Chequamegon Peninsula were
formed as glaciers receded from Lake Superior. However, early Native Americans attributed
the birth of these islands to the first man who walked the earth. He was chasing
a buck, and when he couldn’t catch him, he grabbed a handful of earth and threw it
at the disappearing animal. Where each clod of dirt fell, an island appeared in Lake
Superior. The stunning beauty of the Apostle Islands National Seashore, which was
created in 1970, and today includes 21 of the 22 islands in the archipelago, makes
it one of the most popular destinations on the Great Lakes for boaters, hikers, campers
and photographers. The nearest little town is Bayfield, that has a year round population
of 650. Designated a historic district, it is a beautiful little fishing village.
In the first week of October, a popular Apple Festival takes place, drawing 20,000
people per day.
Tulip
Festival in Holland
Settled by Dutch immigrants in 1847, Holland retains the image of a Dutch town.
The 12-story De Zwaan, a 225-year-old country windmill, spins over downtown. Millions
of blooming tulips in the parks and neighborhoods provide a spectacular floral display
in May. The Tulip Time Festival, its flavor distinctively Dutch right down to the
street scrubbing, coincides with the peak bloom in early to mid-May.
Mackinac
Island
Native Americans called it Michilimackinac or "Giant Turtle," but the
island’s name has been shortened over the years to Mackinac. The island is three
miles long and two miles wide, with high cliffs fronting the shore, dotted with ravines,
caves and strange rock formations. Arch Rock and Sugar Loaf are scenic points. In
June, the lilacs, many grown to the size of small trees, bloom among gingerbread-trimmed
inns and shops. Mackinac Island State Park is very attractive in mid-June when the
Lilac Festival takes place.
Visitors arrive to the island by ferry or private boats. Transportation on the
island is by horse-drawn carriage, bicycle or saddle horse, which immediately sets
a slower pace and a reminder of bygone days. Though there are other lodgings on Mackinac
Island, The Grand Hotel sets the tone. The hotel, with its stately pillars, sits
on a hillside between the Governor’s summer mansion and a row of elaborate Victorian
"cottages," overlooking the strait connecting Lakes Huron and Michigan.
There is a slightly faded, shabby elegance to the Grand -- most rooms are not air-conditioned,
the elevators are slow and some of the carpeting has seen better days. Yet the tone
is definitely upscale -- signs remind you that GENTLEMEN ARE REQUIRED TO WEAR JACKETS
AND TIES AND LADIES WILL DRESS IN THEIR FINEST after 6:00 p.m.
In nearby Mackinaw City, the Mackinac Bridge connects the Upper and Lower Peninsulas.
This five mile bridge is one of the longest suspension bridges in the world. On Labor
Day, some 50,000 people participate in the Mackinac Bridge Walk from St. Ignace to
Mackinaw City.
When the bridge was opened in 1957, it not only eliminated tremendous (23 mile)
lines of cars awaiting ferry passage across the straits, but also the need for the
Old Mackinac Point Light, built in 1892. Boats that used to rely on 40-foot high
light to cross the Straits of Mackinac, began ranging on the bridge’s lights instead.
The attractive Mackinac Point Light now houses a maritime museum.
Michigan’s Big Sable Point Light was built not only to protect sailors, but to
relieve the good people of Ludington from having to blast a steam locomotive whistle
whenever the fog rolled in.
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