I'm not sure why, but Lake Michigan has more lighthouses than the other lakes. It seems like every little town along the shore has a river empyting into the lake, with a lighthouse guarding the entrance. Lake Michigan is full of "pier lights," again usually at the mouth of a river.

Starting in Chicago, there are a couple of lights on the harbor, and it's a lot of fun visiting them. About five or ten miles north of Chicago, in Evanston, is the stately Grosse Point Light. Moving north along the Wisconsin shoreline, there are the lights at Wind Point near Racine, North Point in Milwaukee, Manitowoc Breakwater Light, Rawley Point in Two Rivers, the Kewaunee Pierhead Light, and the Algoma Pierhead Light.

Further north, the peninsula that juts out into Lake Michigan east of Green Bay is the famous vacation area known as Door County, which has the most lighthouses of any county in the US, including the very picturesque Cana Island Light, the lights at Sturgeon Bay, and along the north shore of the peninsula, Eagle Bluff Light and Sherwood Point Light.

Heading to the southeast of Chicago, is one of the very few lights in Indiana--the Michigan City Light.

Moving on up the eastern shore of Lake Michigan are a series of pier lights, starting with the St. Joseph Pier Lights. These lights were recently featured on a US Postal Service stamp. Following the shore north, we visit Big Red in Holland Harbor, and then the beautiful Grand Haven Pier Lights.

Futher up, near Shelby, Michigan, there's a traditional 100 ft tower at Little Point Sable, and another 112 ft. tower north of Ludington at Big Point Sable. Again heading north are another pair of pier lights at Manistee and Frankfort. Up at the point that ships would round on their way to or from the Straights of Mackinaw is the picturesque Point Betsie Light. And along the scenic stretch of shoreline along Grand Traverse Bay is the charming town of Charlevoix.

Finally, on the Upper Peninsula the Seul Choix Point Light stands in isolated service.