It's getting closer to the re-lighting of the South Manitou Island lighthouse in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. After being dark for 50 years, the lighthouse will soon be lighting the way through the Manitou Passage again. Thanks to the efforts and fundraising of several groups, an exact copy of the original Fresnel Lens that went out in 1958 has been installed.
The lighthouse was constructed in 1839 as it's importance was recognized as marking a safe haven in the 300 miles from the Mackinaw Straits to Chicago. For more information on this lighthouse and South Manitou Island check out Great Lakes Education , Grace Dickenson Johnson's memories of life on the island, Lighthouse Friends, Leelanau.com, and Terry Pepper for alot of historical info.
photo by David Hooper. For more of his photos check out his photostream at Flickr .
Fall is in the air in Leland. The summer crowds are gone and things are at a more manageable pace. This is actually a wonderful time to visit Leland in particular and northern Michigan in general. While a few businesses may have scaled back hours most are still open through the fall. Traffic on the roads is lighter and lodging is now at fall rates and generally easier to find.
The Leland Heritage Celebration is scheduled for September 20. It is sponsored by the Leland Historical Museum, the Old Art Building, and the Leland Chamber of Commerce. Some of the highlights are the Leland Classic, a exhibition of classic cars sponsored by Van's Garage, Wooden Boats on the Wall, classic boats on display in the river, and activities in historic Fishtown. This year, there will also be a historical walking tour through the village and I also heard that the Leelanau Conservancy will be doing something in the village green.
Oh, as a side note…Leland Wine and Food Festival posters are now on sale at the Leland Chamber of Commerce website.