the wandering chick

It seems that every town I visited in the lower part of Lake Michigan has a beach, and most have a lighthouse.

And for someone who enjoys photography, it doesn't get better than that.

 

New Buffalo to Holland
... Lake Michigan

 

St. Joseph Lighthouse
St. Joseph North Pier Lighthouse
St. Joseph lighthouse
New Buffalo, Michigan, is a charming little town with its own beach and lighthouse. Above the beach a nice overlook sits atop a sand dune, giving a picturesque view of the area below.
Over the years, beginning in 1832, several changes have been made to the North Pier Lighthouse structure in St. Joseph, seen above and below. Currently, we see the two-piece structure that is accessible by a catwalk. St. Joseph's lighthouse is one of the first ones built on Lake Michigan.
St. Joseph's lighthouse at sunset
New Buffalo beach
New Buffalo beach
Holland State Parkk from Mt. Pisgah
Holland State Park beach
Lake Macatawa from Mt. Pisgah

From Mt. Pisgah at Holland State Park, you can see incredible views in all directions. Above is the Holland State Park beach, and below is Lake Macatawa.

The Holland lighthouse, fondly known as Big Red (below, right) sits protectively at the canal where Lake Macatawa opens to the massive Lake Michigan.

Big Red, Holland's lighthouse
Holland State Park beach
Peony
I was too late to see Holland's well-known tulip fields, but other flowers were in season, including the Allium.
Saugatuck chain ferry

Saugatuck has the only remianing hand-cranked chain ferry in North America. It makes a quick two-minute trip across the Saugatuck harbor, part of the Kalamazoo River.

Saugatuck is more well known for its collection of art galleries and gift shops than it is for the cute little chain ferry. Rivaled only by the larger metropolises, its old town streets are lined with boutiques and restaurants.

Weko Beach, Bridgman
Taps at sunset on Weko Beach
Weko Beach bugler
Weko Beach is located in Bridgman, Michigan, between New Buffalo and St. Joseph.
Weko Beach at sunset
sunset, Kamp Across from the Dunes campground
Some pretty incredible sunsets can be witnessed over Lake Michigan, as this one taken in the Kamp Across from the Dunes Campground in Sawyer, Michigan.

Please visit some of my other travel locations. Feel free to email me if you have questions or comments.

BY CITY: Boston | Coeur d'Alene, ID | Fort Benton, MT | Galveston, TX | Independence, MO | Juliette, GA | Leadville, CO | New York City | Savannah | Seattle | Sedona, AZ | Tombstone | Tucson | Washington, D.C.

BY STATE: Alaska | Arizona | California | Colorado | Georgia | Idaho | Maine| Michigan | Minnesota |Montana | Nevada | New Mexico | North Carolina | South Dakota | Texas | Utah | Washington | Wyoming

BY REGIONS, LANDMARKS AND NATL PARKS, FORESTS AND MONUMENTS: Antelope Island on the Great Salt Lake | Arches NP | the Badlands | Bighorn Canyon | the Biltmore Estate | the Black Hills | Blue Ridge Parkway | Bridges of Madison County | Bryce Canyon | Canyon de Chelly | Canyonlands NP | Death Valley | Devils Tower| Glacier NP | the Grand Canyon | the Grand Tetons | Gulf Shores, AL | Hoover Dam | Hovenweep NM | Kure Beach | Little Bighorn Battlefield | Mackinac Island | Martha's Vineyard | Medicine Bow NF | Monument Valley | Mount Rainier | Mount Rushmore | Mount St. Helens | Natural Bridges NM | Niagara Falls | OK City (bombing) NM | the Olympic Peninsula |Organ Pipe Cactus NM | the Outer Banks | Pictured Rocks NL | Saguaro NP | Shenandoah Valley | Sleeping Bear Dunes NL | Sunset Crater NM | Texas Hill Country | Tybee Island | White Mountains NF | Yellowstone NP | Zion NP

OUTSIDE THE U.S.: Austria | Budapest, Hungary | Canada | Costa Rica | East Africa | Europe, here and there| France | Germany | Greece | Italy | Morocco | the Netherlands | Portugal | Russia | Scotland | Spain | Switzerland | Tunisia | Turkey

OTHER: HOME | My Favorites | the Andreas family, Moab | Vilseck DoDDS teachers' reunions

 

 

 

All images within 'The Wandering Chick' Web site are copyright protected. They may not be downloaded or otherwise copied.

More Michigan images can be viewed by clicking one of the links below:

The upper Lake Michigan, including Traverse Bay and the Old Mission Peninsula

The Mackinaw area including Macinaw City, Mackinac Bridge and Mackinac Island

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (and the Leelanau Peninsula)

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore (on Michigan's Upper Peninsula)

Michigan's Upper Peninsula

Or, to leave Michigan, click one of the locations below.