The Lighthouses of Michigan

Hello friends and welcome to this week's blog on the lighthouses of Michigan! 

According to Michigan.gov the state of Michigan has the largest fresh water coat in the world with approximately 3,288 miles of fresh water coast! In times of old, ships navigating around our beloved "Mitten"state needed guidance by night and during storms so that they might find safe harbor and also a means of preventing ships from running aground. Since that time many changes have occurred in marine navigation and the many lighthouses that are speckled along the coast of Michigan serve as a tribute to a time where we relied on our fellow man to keep the flame burning to guide us home.

The first of these many beacons was built in 1825 in Fort Gratiot, Michigan.Initially there was thought to be around 247 lighthouses around Michigan's coastline, but today there are only 154 lighthouses that are in good standing condition.   All of Michigan lighthouses, to my knowledge, were built by what was originally referred to as the Bureau of Lighthouses, but would later become part of the U.S Coastguard in 1939 under President Franklin Roosevelt according to a an article by Central Michigan University.  

The beacons had many years in service and kept safe many a ship during their years in service which came to an end 1983 when the Point Betsie light became fully automated thus relieving the last of many lighthouse keepers of their duty. As it stands now many lighthouses are open to the public, some are privately owned, and some are off limits to visitors. 

Seeing as there are too many to list  I have provided a link that shows the names and locations of the lighthouses throughout Michigan. I myself have only visited a handful, but I hope to visit nearly all of them someday starting with the White Fish Point Light Station in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

I hope you have enjoyed this article and now feel inspired as I do to explore our great "Mitten" state  one lighthouse at a time! Be sure to share any stories or pictures you have with us by commenting below or emailing us at explorethemit@gmail.com. Explore on friends! 

Photo Credit: Michigan Nut Photography, Indeed.blogspot

Great Lakes Shipwrecks

We are now rolling into the second week of May in the “Mitten State” and as the water temperature rises on the Great Lakes, so do many scuba divers ambitions as they plan their summer dive locations.

The Great Lakes are world renowned for their shipwrecks as clear fresh water means well preserved wrecks that stand the test of time and nature. The Great Lakes truly never get "warm" which works in favor of shipwreck enthusiasts as some of the earliest documented wrecks are in great shape!

Great Lakes diving is a topic close to my heart and has been a consistent growing interest for many years now. I myself am not a diver, but it is one of my life goals which I am to complete this summer. I am looking forward to experiencing and sharing stories of my own, but in the meanwhile there are many exciting stories of mystery and adventure recorded by Great Lakes divers which are worth looking into.

Growing up I spent my summers on Lake Huron with  a cheap diving mask and a snorkel diving for golf balls hit in by a neighbor whoe was practicing his swing. My interests only escalated from there as my dad and older brother earned their diver's certificates and would return home with pictures of the ships they visited, namely the Eliza H. Strong.

It was then I started reading the Great Lakes Diving Guide by Kris Kohl which really gave me some great insight on some of the most interesting wrecks near me. Below I've borrowed a list from escapehere.com of some of the top Great Lakes shipwrecks worth visiting based on your level of diving abilities:

9. Charles S. Price (1913): Lake Huron

8. H.M.S St. Lawrence (1832): Lake Ontario

7. Miztec and Miron (1919 & 1921): Lake Superior

6. Lady Elgin (1860): Lake Michigan

5. S.S Regina (1986): Lake Huron

4. C.B Lockwood (1902): Lake Erie

3. Mary B. Alice (1975): Lake Huron

2. John B. Cowle (1909): Lake Superior

1. Edmund Fitzgerald (1975):Lake Superior

Out of this list my all time favorite is the Edmund Fitzgerald which substantial amounts of information, pictures, video, and even a museum at White Fish Point, MI is dedicated to this wreck. 

Again, this is an exciting topic for me and it is my goal to share my insight on the topic with you so that you might in turn develop an interest in Great Lakes Diving and its shipwrecks as I have. Be sure to share any stories or pictures you have with us by commenting below or emailing us at explorethemit@gmail.com. Explore on friends! 

Photo Credit: http://www.scubadiving.com/, http://bit.ly/1q7OFyK, ,http://bit.ly/1q7OKSX

Tulip Time!

It's here! The long anticipated month of May has finally arrived and what better way to celebrate spring then at the  Tulip Time Festival in Holland, Mi!

Photo source:http://swtourandtravel.com/

Yes, it sounds a bit quirky, but it well worth the visit. The Tulip Time festival is a week long celebration of spring and the Dutch culture  which takes place every year in Holland during the first or second week of May. This year the festivities take place May 7th-14th when the tulips are in full bloom.
 During this week long festival there is an abundance of events, culture, sightseeing , and fine foods to be had. Events include traditional Dutch dancing (in handmade wooden shoes!), parades, a festival, live music, an arts and crafts show, and much more !

Photo source: http://www.languagedoor.com/

For a full list of all the events be sure to check out: http://www.tuliptime.com/daily-events/