Show Me The Way!

Along the shores of the Great Lakes of Michigan, there are hundreds of nautical lighthouses that light the way for many sailors navigating the waters of our state. I recently had the opportunity to visit the Pt. Aux Barques Lighthouse which is one of the 10 oldest lighthouses in Michigan and sits on the shores of Lake Huron. This particular lighthouse was opened in 1848 and is 89 ft. tall. The most impressive thing about this lighthouse is that it is still active and operational today. The base of the lighthouse used to host the home of the lightkeeper. The furnishings are still there today, untouched from years ago. They include a kitchen, bedrooms, and even a baby nursery. The climb to the top is 89 narrow curving steps to the base of the beacons. At the base of the beacons, there is a small platform and 6 more small steps to climb. As you can see in the photo, there is also a guarded rail platform outside which I was unable to get to, as visitors are not allowed outside for liability reasons. It would have been great to go out on the platform to look out onto the Lake. This was my first time inside of a lighthouse, and the climb to the top was pretty narrow, but this one has been on my bucket list for a few years now. It was all that I expected to see and more. The history of this lighthouse is spectacular, along with the history of all of the shipwrecks that are still in the waters of Lake Huron. I had no idea that this lighthouse was still operational until I saw for myself that the two beacons are going around every second. I will have to take a trip back at night to see the beacons as they light the way for boaters on Lake Huron. Sorry, there are 5 photos in this post, but well worth a look. Enjoy!



Really Narrow Steps


The Base of the Beacon


Two Light Beacons Going Round