Manistee County in Michigan offers plenty of natural beauty and historical lore from the days when logging, lumbering and salt mining were in full swing. In fact, the entire town of Manistee, known as Michigan’s “Victorian Port City,” is listed on the National Register of Historical Places.

Much of the downtown Manistee public and commercial buildings are from the 19^th century era when logging was at its peak. The town has 25 miles of sandy Lake Michigan shoreline, three Lake Michigan harbours, inland lakes, 270 miles of rivers and four-season fisheries. Farms and orchards dot the landscape with thousands of acres of Manistee National Forest and quaint villages surrounding the main city.

Uniqueness aside, wherever you are in the world, there is nothing quite like watching the sun set over water. It is magical. The only problem, perhaps, from the perspective of a keen amateur photographer are other people! Oh, my word, do they get in the way of a potential award-winning picture …!

Manistee’s Lighthouse illuminated by the setting sun.

To make access to the light safer during stormy weather, the new light was outfitted with an elevated wooden catwalk running from the shore to the lighthouse.

Located on the west end of the north pier, the light was replaced in 1873, when the new structure was augmented with a combination fog signal and light tower at the end of the wooden north pier.