Lighthouses of Lake Superior and the Apostle Islands

Lake Superior is the largest of the five Great Lakes and is home to 78 lighthouses! Three states border Lake Superior; Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. Canada also borders the lake to the North.

The Great Lakes fascinate me! I have seen 3 out of five, and plan on seeing the last 2 someday soon! Lake Superior is the largest of the five Great Lakes and is the World’s largest freshwater lake by surface area. The southern shore is known as the “Graveyard of the Great Lakes”. There have been more shipwrecks in the Whitefish Point area than in any other area in Lake Superior. You may want to visit the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum

FUN FACT: The Ojibwe name for the lake is Gichigami or Gitchigumee which means “Great Sea”.

Wisconsin Lighthouses

The state of Wisconsin has 48 lighthouses. Two-thirds of them are located along the shores of Lake Michigan. For this post, I am concentrating on the 8 lighthouses of the Apostle Islands(Lake Superior), which are located off of Bayfield, Wisconsin.

The Apostle Islands

The Bayfield Peninsula is the northernmost region of mainland Wisconsin and it’s off this point where you will find the Apostle Islands on Lake, Superior. The Apostle Islands are a group of 22 islands, all of the islands, except Madeline Island, are part of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. It is believed that the islands were named by a French Historian after the 12 Apostles of the Bible. We don’t know whether he could not count well, or that he only counted the 12 largest islands.

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Lighthouses in Door County, Wisconsin

18 Comments / Places to see / Cathy

Door County Wisconsin

Door County is the largest county in Wisconsin, it is a very beautiful and unique part of the state. On the map, it’s the little finger(peninsula) on the northeast part of the state. Door County is located on a peninsula located between Green Bay and Lake Michigan. From the city of Sturgeon Bay to Gill’s Rock and Washington Island. You will find a series of quaint small towns with names like; Egg Harbor, Ephraim, Baileys Harbor, Fish Creek, and Sister Bay. Some of my favorite things about visiting Door County are the beautiful views of Lake Michigan, great hiking, outdoor fish boils, and cherry pie! If you are looking for a place to do some hiking, eat great food, or just enjoy the beautiful scenery, Door County is for you! You will have 5 State Parks, 19 County Parks, and dozens of local parks to explore! Don’t forget the 11 lighthouses!

Door County State Parks

Potawatomi State Park, Sturgeon Bay, WI
Whitefish Dunes State Park, Sturgeon Bay, WI
Peninsula State Park, Fish Creek, WI
Newport State Park, Ellison Bay, WI
Rock Island State Park, Washington, WI

I don’t think many people consider the state of Wisconsin when planning their vacations, but Door County would be a great place to add to your Travel Wish list! There are many great things to do in Door County.

With 300 miles of coastline and 11 majestic lighthouses, Door County has one of the highest concentrations of lighthouses in any county in the country.

Door County History

The first inhabitants of this area were Native Americans. The dominant tribe in this area was the Potawatomi.

In the early 1600s, the peninsula saw French explorers and fur traders, such as Jean Nicolet and Father Marquette pass through. Many ships loaded with furs were lost in the treacherous Great Lakes as they made their way back East. This is one of the reasons that Lighthouses were needed!

The British claimed this area from the French, and in 1783 the United States claimed it from Britain.

In 1844, the first permanent white settlers made their home in Little Sturgeon Bay, they eventually moved North to Weborg Point and Fish Creek.

In 1853, Reverend Andrew Iverson and 3 followers set out from Green Bay and walked on the ice to Eagle Harbor where they met others crossing from the opposite direction. There he found a site for his congregation and the community of Ephraim was born.

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5 Lighthouses of Coastal Georgia

14 Comments / Places to see / Cathy

The Coast of Georgia stretches for about 100 miles, with Savannah to the north and the wild horses of Cumberland Island to the south. There are 5 beautiful lighthouses on Georgia’s coastline. There is a gap of several miles between the mainland and the barrier islands. This area is filled with tall marsh grasses and is named the “Grass Seas“. This marshy area stretches out as far as the eye can see! Beneath these grasses is a layer of dense mud, deep enough to swallow up a ship!

5 Lighthouses in Georgia

You will find 5 lighthouses on the coast of Georgia;

Cockspur Island Light
Tybee Island Light
Sapelo Island Light
St. Simons Island Light
Little Cumberland Island Light

The Marshes of Glynn

**Fun Fact: The poem by Sidney Lanier, “The Marshes of Glynn”, was written about the marshes in Glynn County, GA. You can read more about it by clicking on the link below.**

The Marshes of Glynn
Sidney Lanier - 1842-1881
The creeks overflow: a thousand rivulets run 
'Twixt the roots of the sod; the blades of the marsh-grass stir; 
Passeth a hurrying sound of wings that westward whirr; 
Passeth, and all is still; and the currents cease to run; 
And the sea and the marsh are one.

Bubba73 (Jud McCranie), CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons — Marshes of Glynn – Bubba73 (Jud McCranie), CC BY-SA 4.0

Cockspur Island Light

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9 Lighthouses in Florida

4 Comments / Places to see / Cathy

Lighthouse Series – Florida’s Atlantic Coast

Florida Lighthouses

There are 29 lighthouses that line the coast of Florida, from the Amelia Island Lighthouse in the North down the Atlantic Coast to Key West at the Southern Tip of Florida and up the Gulf Coast to Pensacola. Of the 29 lighthouses in Florida, only 6 are open to the public. Florida has many historic lighthouses. The first lighthouse built was at Key West in 1825. The oldest existing lighthouse in Florida is Amelia Island Lighthouse it was built in 1839.

Florida lighthouse History

When the United States took possession of Florida in 1821, no lighthouses existed. Florida had become the nation’s busiest highway for commerce. The Appalachian Mountains made it impossible for produce from the Nation’s farmland to reach the cities on the East Coast. The produce had to be shipped by sea. Timber, grain, and livestock were floated down the western rivers(including the mighty Mississippi) in flatboats to New Orleans. From there, the products were loaded onto sailing vessels bound for the Atlantic coast or to Europe. The voyage took ships around the southern tip of Florida, which was very treacherous, many ships, cargoes, and lives were lost.

Clearly, something had to be done to warn ships away from Florida’s dangerous shoals and headlands. The first lighthouse built was to mark the Florida Keys. In 1825 a 65-foot brick lighthouse was built at Key West. By 1826, four other lighthouses were built at; Garden Key, Sand Key, Cape Florida, and the Dry Tortugas. In the next few decades, lighthouses were built at the mouth of the St. Johns River. Amelia Island, Cape Canaveral, and Jupiter Inlet. The new lighthouses made navigation safer and reduced the number of shipwrecks.

NOTE: There may be some evidence that the Spanish may have built the first lighthouse in Florida. Shortly after the U.S. acquired Florida in 1821, they sent a team of inspectors to examine an old and mysterious tower near St. Augustine. The inspectors believed that the Spanish may have used the three-story structure as a lighthouse. Since St. Augustine was a leading port, Congress wanted a navigational light established there. Using the old Spanish tower, the officials ordered a lantern be placed atop the third story as a temporary light for mariners. But, after further inspection, they declared the structure unstable and decided it must have been a watchtower and not a lighthouse.

Sand Key Lighthouse, Florida Memory / Public domain

Lighthouses of Florida’s Atlantic Coast

Amelia Island Light
St Johns River Light
St Johns Light
St Augustine Light
Ponce de Leon Inlet Light
Cape Canaveral Light
Jupiter Inlet Light
Hillsboro Inlet Light
Cape Florida Light

Amelia Island Light

In 1820, a 50-foot tower was built on Georgia’s Cumberland Island. It marked the mouth of the St. Mary’s River, which forms a natural border between Georgia and Florida. Following the annexation of Florida as a US territory, the officials decided the lighthouse would provide better service on the south bank of the river. It was dismantled and moved to Amelia Island. The height was increased by 14 ft. to become the 64-foot lighthouse seen today. The 68 step staircase is unusual, it was made of granite which was shipped from New England. The lighthouse has been renovated twice. It stands 2 miles from the north end of the island and 1 mile from the town of Fernandina. It is still in use today!

Access: The lighthouse is located in a residential section of town and is closed to the public. You will find an excellent view of the lighthouse from Atlantic Avenue!

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