4 Aug 2018
Our first
stop on our tour of the western shore of Michigan was Point Betsie Light, which
went into service in 1859 with a lifesaving station added to the site in
1875. The station is open for tours which
includes the buildings remaining on the property. It is one of the most photographed lighthouses
in the country.
The site
also has a grave stone but no grave, which is explained by a nearby marker.
You can see
a number of buildings in the same style just off the site. These were part of
the lighthouse property during its operational period and have since been sold
to private interests as homes and commercial properties.
Next stop was
the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Seashore established by an act of Congress in
1970 to preserve its natural features including the dunes and glacial
formations. There are also many other
things to do within the boundaries of the lakeshore site. A
national pass covers the entrance fee. The sand dunes are amazingly steep in
places along the shore. Our visit was on
a very windy day with some great views.