LUDINGTON, Mich. — Chuck and his team take us on a bucket list trip to the majesty, mystery and fun of beautiful Northern Michigan.
They stand strong.
They are sentries against danger, safety in the eye of the storm and pure beauty. They are the lighthouses of Michigan.
This state, because of its peculiar geography, is home to more than 120 lighthouses on four of the Great Lakes, Lake St. Clair and several waterways that lead to the lakes.
They were first established 195 years ago and despite age, time and GPS, 50 of the lighthouses remain operational.
No two lighthouses are exactly the same and whether they are short and stumpy or tall and majestic, these lighthouses have played a part in keeping people safe in an area with more than 3,200 miles of shoreline.
Ludington's Big Sable Point Lighthouse
Producer Megan Simpson, photojournalist Steve Rhodes and I made a trip to Ludington's Big Sable Point Lighthouse on a windy and wet day to see what life was like in this once isolated place 150 years ago.
The climb to the top was a real workout, but the payoff was a sweeping, breathtaking view of Lake Michigan. I grew up on the other side of the lake and thought I had seen Lake Michigan at its most beautiful, but this view was like nothing I had ever seen. At the towers top, we gazed in awe at the high waves and violent whitecaps.
The black and white lighthouse is 112 feet tall and provides a beacon of light that can be seen 14 miles away. There is no telling how many shipwrecks this lighthouse, which is still operational, has prevented not just now, but since 1867.
The lighthouse is different now, though. In 1987, the Big Sable Lighthouse Keepers Association started work on a seawall, replaced the Fresnel lens with a more modern mechanism and updated the facility.
Big Sable Point Lighthouse
The biggest change though, is the operation of the facility. Volunteers apply with the Sable Points Lighthouse Keepers Association, and if accepted, they sleep and eat, keep the place clean, perform maintenance and give tours. The competition is intense to get one of the treasured volunteer positions.
Bob and Gail Turnwald have made living in the lighthouse for two weeks out of the year part of their lives for 25 years. They work hard while on duty with their assigned chores, but Bob says it is worth it.
"It's an adventure. It tires you out when you hit the bed; you sleep in the wind and the waves," Bob said. "It's just soothing, puts you to sleep. The nice thing about it is you feel like you've accomplished something at the end of the day.”
Gail also appreciates meeting people who visit from around the world.
"A lot of them thank us for doing this nature thing and keeping as we like to say, keeping the lights open and going and available for tourists to come and visit," Gail said.
Those visitors see what life was like for the isolated lighthouse families and even get a chance to climb to the top.
Peter Manting of the Sable Points Lighthouse Keepers Association keeps a protective hand over several Michigan lighthouses.
He is keenly aware of the necessity of keeping the rich history of these towers alive, but he says there is a reason why the Coast Guard still keeps 50 of them operational.
"It is very important to have lighthouses on the lake," Peter said. "You know, if GPS goes out on the ships, that type of thing. You know that the lighthouses are there for protection, and they are there on the smaller boats, so they don't have the GPS services."
Peter's association hosts over 2,000 students a year — free of charge. It's important the legacy of the lighthouses is continued to the next generation.
Part of that mission is carried out by the volunteer keepers who come from around the country. They have 420 people for their three lighthouses from 42 states.
White River Light Station
We also visited Matt Varnum at the nearby White River Light Station.
Matt keeps the facility up, gives tours, does historical research and loves every minute of it.
"I feel it's important to keep this history alive so that those who are unfamiliar with lighthouses, since they are becoming more and more unnecessary, unfortunately, that it shows the importance of them," Matt said.
We met Diana Stampfler, who has written a book on the paranormal aspect of Michigan's lighthouses and speaks on the topic to groups.
We also saw tourists taking pictures and videos of these giant sentries of Lake Michigan.
White River Light Station
I have to say, this was a wonderful part of the Big Adventure for me. To see these majestic towers, to reflect on lives lost during violent storms and to hear the stories of lives saved, was a wonderful bucket list moment.
Do your research, and plan a trip. There are several tour companies that give wonderful trips to Michigan lighthouses and some even offer bed and breakfast accommodations. Wow, what an adventure!