Snowy Range Pass

Snowy Range Pass

Friday, August 31, 2018

Point Betsie Light House and Sleeping Bear Dunes


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.












3 comments:

Paul and Marti Dahl said...

Nicely done museum, almost makes you feel you're back in time. :c)

Phyllis said...

When people ask me where is my favorite place we visited, Michigan is right up there. I can't even imagine climbing those dunes. We saw one solitary man. His wife was waiting at the top. Smart lady.

Sherry said...

I love lighthouses especially when the keepers quarters has been maintained furnished. This one looks great. I can't remember if we visited it or not when we were at Sleeping Bear. We loved it there. Looks like you climbed up from the pictures. It's quite a haul. I went up one side, down the other and then back up and back down. Might do it again if I ever return there. Thanks for the memories.