The lighthouse, now retired from service, has been carefully restored. A guide, dressed in a period costume led us through the house and up the cast iron stairs to the lantern area itself. From that vantage point we could see about 20 miles in all directions. The guide explained how the color of the light (red) and the duration of the blink (10 seconds) would identify that lighthouse from the rest in the area. The light was retired after the construction of the Mackinac Bridge which had its own lights.
The second lighthouse we visited was about two miles away on the other side of the spit of land at a place called McGulpin's Point. This one was built first, but could not be seen from all sides, which prompted the building of the light at Mackinac Point. This one has been reactivated to service and the building was in the process of being restored by volunteers. We were able to climb to the lantern area where a modern light fixture was in place.
The third lighthouse was about an hour away, down the shore of Lake Huron at 40 Mile Point. This lighthouse is also still active, but only the light with a 19th century Fresnel lens is owned by the Coast Guard. The rest of the property has been bought by the county and turned into a park. The building was carefully restored and staffed by friendly volunteers who happily provided a history and the lore of the light. It seems this area was particularly dangerous and the locale of several shipwrecks due to storms with high winds.
Our day has ended with a visit to Frankenmuth, MI, a small town originally settled by fifteen German immigrants from Bavaria in 1845. The town has retained and embraced its cultural heritage with a fervor, its downtown area looking like a cross between an Epcot Center village and Cape May, NJ. One of its many commercial enterprises is the world's largest Christmas store. That is on the agenda for Day 12.
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