Cape Emmaline...err Hatteras...Lighthouse Check out this adorable lighthouse! Our little lighthouse lover is thrilled with her Halloween costume for this year. We're going to put a light in the lantern room for Trick-or-Treating so the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse can be seen for blocks!

Sand Point Lighthouse, Beach by Seul Choix, Seul Choix Lighthouse, Peninsula Point Lighthouse

Fall Excursion On October 8, we decided we wanted to do a fall color drive. We were trying to think of someplace to go, when I remembered that I still wanted a full tour of the Seul Choix Lighthouse in Gulliver, MI. We had been there when Emmaline was four weeks old, but we didn't get to tour the lighthouse because Emmaline started crying. Being new parents, we panicked and left! While it was a good 3 to 3 1/2 hour drive one way, we had had no problem doing it in a day back then, so we decided to give it a shot. This time we left at 9:00 AM and didn't get home until 10:00 PM--a VERY long day of driving. It turns out that when your child is 3, potty breaks, picnics, and playing in the park add a lot more time to a trip! No matter. We had a gorgeous drive, enjoyed a picnic by the Sand Point Lighthouse in Escanaba, and finally toured all of Seul Choix! Emmaline loved climbing the 86 (or is it 96?) steps to the top of the tower, and we all enjoyed the incredible view. We were a little disappointed that we couldn't smell the resident ghost's cigar smoke in the tower though. After Seul Choix we went to Peninsula Point. This was pretty special because this was the very first lighthouse Emmlaine ever saw. Now at least she'll remember it! Our plan was to picnic there; however, dusk was rapidly approaching, and we still needed to get home! We enjoyed the beautiful tower in its very fall-like surroundings and left the serenity behind for hamburgers at McDonalds! Again, a long but awesome day!

Keweenaw Peninsula Trip: July 10-14, 2006 Our latest lighthouse trip was to the Keweenaw Peninsula in Michigan. We arrived on Monday, July 10 and stayed through Friday, July 14. On the way to our cabin near Eagle Harbor, we stopped in Ontonagon to see the lighthouse there.

Even though this light was situated in the middle of the Smurfit paper mill, we hardly noticed. They are doing such a fabulous job of restoring it, that we were able to put ourselves back in time and really enjoy the tour. We were also able to see the Ontonagon Pier Light. After settling in at our cabin between Eagle Harbor and Copper Harbor, we enjoyed the spectacular Lake Superior shoreline right outside our door.

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The next day we took the ferry out to the Copper Harbor Lighthouse. This lighthouse is nearly identical to the Ontonagon Lighthouse, having been built from the same plans and in the same year. Again, a great light, but because everything was behind glass, it didn't have that feeling of going back in time that the Ontonagon light did. Back on shore, we went to Ft. Wilkins State Park to find the old rear range light. It's not in very good shape, and supposedly it's being used as a residence for the manager of the state park. Leaving Ft. Wilkins, we went to the end of Highway 41. It was strange to see it end as a gravel road because we travel a portion of Highway 41 in Wisconsin all the time. After checking out this spot, we went to Bete Grise to see the Mendota Lighthouse. We enjoyed the view of the light while we picnicked across the channel from it. Before heading back to our cabin, we checked out the Delaware Mine. Our three-year old girl thought going underground was pretty neat. That evening we enjoyed the lakeshore--throwing rocks, watching feighters go by, and witnessing an incredible sunset.

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On Wednesday we drove down to McLain State Park to see the light on the breakwater. We also enjoyed wading in the water at the beach. After leaving McLain, we went to see the Keweenaw Lower Entrance Light as well as the Jacobsville Lighthouse. We really enjoyed walking out on the breakwater to the the entrance light--the view of Keweenaw Bay was beautiful. From Jacobsville we drove to Houghton to bike along the Portage River. On the way back to our cabin we stopped at the Eagle Harbor marina to look at the Eagle Harbor lighthouse from across the harbor.We ended the evening by skipping stones, swimming, and watching the sunset by our cabin.

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On Thursday we checked out the Sand Hills Lighthouse, which is a bed and breakfast. What a fortress! We can't wait to go back sometime without Emmaline so we can stay! We also found the Eagle River Lighthouse. We spent a little time swinging in the park up the hill, which afforded us an incredible view of the lantern room against Lake Superior. When we had had enough swinging, we went to Eagle Harbor to see the lighthouse and rear range there. The Eagle Harbor Lighthouse is very charming, and we enjoyed sitting on the nearby deck eating ice cream. And since it got so hot up there, we even spent time at the beach in Eagle Harbor with a few quick dips in the water!

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On Friday we had to go home. After a week of incredible weather, the sky turned black and opened up on us when we were on the road for a half hour. What timing! The rain even let up enough for us to get out and photograph the Sand Point Lighthouse in Baraga.

Our next lighthouse hunting trip will be this summer. We will be heading up to the Keweenaw Peninsula in Michigan. We will be staying in Eagle Harbor and exploring the many lighthouses the peninsula has to offer. Stories and pictures to follow!

Lighthouses we have explored...lighthouses we have explored...lighthouses we have explored...lighthouses we have explored Crisp Point, Lake Superior; Point Clark, Lake Huron; Holland Harbor, Lake Michigan ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; Lighthouses We Have Explored

Lake Superior: Whitefish Point, MI * Crisp Point, MI * Au Sable Point, MI * Grand Marais Range Lights, MI * Munising Range Lights, MI * Grand Island Harbor Rear Range, MI * Marquette Harbor, MI * Big Bay Point, MI *Sand Point, MI* Jacobsville Lighthouse, MI *Keweenaw Waterway, MI* Mendota Lighthouse, MI *Copper Harbor, MI* Copper Harbor Rear Range, MI *Eagle Harbor, MI* Eagle Harbor Rear Range, MI *Eagle River Lighthouse, MI* Sand Hills Lighthouse, MI *Keweenaw Upper Entrance, MI* Ontonagon Lighthouse & Pierhead, MI * Ashland Breakwater Light, WI * Michigan Island Lights, WI * Raspberry Island, WI * Outer Island, WI * Devils Island, WI * Sand Island, WI * Wisconsin Point (Superior South), WI * Minnesota Point Ruins, MN * Duluth Harbor Pier & Breakwater Lights (3), MN * Two Harbors Lighthouse, MN * Two Harbors East Breakwater Light, MN * Split Rock, MN Lake Huron: Huron Lightship, MI * Fort Gratiot, MI * Port Sanilac, MI * Harbor Beach, MI * Pointe aux Barques, MI * Port Austin Reef, MI * Round Island, MI * Round Island Passage, MI * Pointe au Baril, ON * Nottawasaga Island, ON *Cape Croker, ON * Lion's Head, ON * Cabot Head, ON * Big Tub, ON * Chantry Island, ON * Saugeen River Range Lights, ON * Kincardine, ON * Point Clark, ON * Goderich, ON * Lake Michigan: Big Sable, MI * Ludington North Pierhead, MI * Little Sable, MI * White River, MI * Muskegon South Pierhead, MI * Grand Haven, MI * Holland Lighthouse, MI * South Haven, MI * St. Joseph North Pier, MI * Old Michigan City, IN * Michigan City East Pier, IN * Chicago Harbor, IL * Chicago Harbor Southeast Guidewall, IL * Grosse Point, IL * Kenosha Lighthouse (Southport), WI * Kenosha North Pier, WI * Racine North Breakwater, WI * Harbor (Root River) Light, WI * Wind Point, WI * Milwaukee Pierhead, WI * Milwaukee Breakwater, WI * North Point, WI * Port Washington Breakwater, WI * Old Port Washington Light, WI * Manitowoc, WI * Two Rivers North Pierhead, WI * Rawley Point, WI * Kewaunee Pierhead, WI * Algoma Pierhead, WI * Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal, WI * Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal North Pierhead, WI * Old Bailey's Harbor, WI * Bailey's Harbor Range Lights, WI * Cana Island, WI * Plum Island Range Lights, WI * Pilot Island, WI * Pottawatomie, WI * St. Martin Island, MI * Poverty Island, MI * Eagle Bluff, WI * Chambers Island, WI * Sherwood Point, WI * Peshtigo Reef, WI * Grassy Island Range Lights, WI * Menominee North Pier, MI * Cedar River, MI * Sand Point, MI * Minneapolis Shoal, MI * Peninsula Point, MI * Manistique East Breakwater, MI * Seul Choix Point, MI

Pointe au Baril Lighthouse Ontario, Canada

In 2001, we went to Bayfield, Wisconsin, for our third wedding anniversary. While there, we took an Apostle Islands Lighthouse Cruise, and fell in love with the idea of seeing lighthouses. Growing up in Wisconsin, we have always been blessed with the Great Lakes, and lighthouses were always present. Since that cruise we came to realize that we had been taking these impressive structures for granted, so we began traveling to Lake Michigan, Lake Superior, and Lake Huron to seek out these incredible historical treasures. While in Bayfield, we were also lucky enough to see a folk band called "Tanglefoot" playing at Big Top Chautauqua. Tanglefoot is an exciting Canadian folk band that sings about the Great Lakes and Canadian folk lore, culture, and history. They sang a beautiful song entitled "Emmeline," which is about Emmaline Madigan, the last lighthouse keeper of the Pointe au Baril Lighthouse in Ontario. The song tells about Emmaline keeping the light alone after her husband died and children moved away. She would climb up the tower each night to light the lamp. While she waited to make sure the light stayed lit, she would play her violin over the waters of Pointe au Baril. We thought this was the most beautiful song because it spoke of music and lighthouses, two of our passions. Three years later, when our baby girl was born, we knew that "Emmaline" was the perfect name for our beautiful baby. After her birth, we contacted Emmaline Madigan and shared our story with her. The next summer we drove to Pointe au Baril, Ontario, to meet our daughter's namesake. We had an incredible time. Emmaline Madigan took us out to the lighthouse in her boat and shared stories of her time there. We continue to stay in contact and hope to go back in 2007.