Wednesday, September 7, 2016

Lights That Shine Michigan's Eastern Shores




Before GPS and all the other navigational available at a watercraft's reach these days, lighthouses played an integral role in guiding the way along the coast. While many lighthouses now have private owners, they still operate as beacons along the shores as well as functional historical sites overseen by the US Coast Guard. One of those is the Port Sanilac Lighthouse. The octagonal shaped structure, built in 1886, stands 59 feet tall and has been opened for tours only once. Until this Saturday, September 10th, that is because the public is invited to the Port Sanilac Lighthouse Open House and Tour to celebrate it's 130th birthday from 10am-6pm. This rare opportunity gives visitors a chance the original 1886 classical lighthouse Fresnel Lens that has sat on top of the tower one last time as the the US Coast Guard will be replacing it with a new LED light in the following weeks.

If you'd like to visit more than one lighthouse this weekend, you can also take the boat taxi ride in to take the Harbor Beach lighthouse tour from 10am-1pm on Saturday or climb the 94 steps to the top of the Fort Gratiot Lighthouse in Port Huron Friday through Sunday between 11am and 5pm.

Other Blue Water Area events this weekend include The Port Huron Hobo Fest on Friday and Saturday, The Fall Craft Show in St Clair, Algonac's Annual Car Show and the Great Lakes Tattoo Expo at the Blue Water Convention Center in Port Huron.

Find out more about the many things happening around the area at our events page.