There are very few days that my parents and I all have the day off. Usually if we do it means we have some sort of family function. Near the end of July, we all happened to have the same Saturday off, with no other plans. So, we decided to do a family day trip to the east side of Michigan (more specifically the thumb). For those of you who don’t know Michigan is shaped like a mitten.
My dad really loves the Great Lakes (me too) and we hadn’t been to any of the lakes yet this summer. A day by the lake was in order.
There are over 100 historic lighthouses along the Michigan coastline. And sadly, before this trip I may have only visited 2 and those haven’t been in years. Working at the Michigan Women’s Historical Center and Hall of Fame, I am surrounded by historic lighthouse everyday (they are one of our current exhibits). On our family trip, we ended up stopped at two historic lighthouses that once had women lighthouse keepers; Port Sanilac and Pointe aux Barques. The lighthouse at Port Sanilac is still privately owned, so the outside was all we could see.
Pointe aux Barques have been made into a museum, focusing not just on the history of the lighthouse, the great storms that have rocked the east coastline. Personally, I would have liked more on the house, the area, and the rescue center that used to be there, but the view was still beautiful. Pointe aux Barques is also a campground, with beautiful waterfront views.
Not sure if I will return to these two lighthouses, just because there are so many more to see.
Notes:
Visit the Michigan Women’s Historical Center and Hall of Fame at http://www.michiganwomen.org/home.aspx. Open 7 days a week
Visit Pointe aux Barques at http://www.pointeauxbarqueslighthouse.org
Port Sanilac https://www.portsanilac.net/port-sanilac-tourist-attractions/port-sanilac-lighthouse/
Exploring the History 