A personal journal of lighthouse roads, shorelines, and the moments in between. This five-day journey visits 45 lighthouses in Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
Read the first stop
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Sign up for new storiesBy the Beacon is a place to collect my adventures to the lighthouses of the Great Lakes: the roads that lead there, the views from shore, and the details I want to remember.
Some stops may be iconic. Others may be a surprise found along the way. Either way, the journey deserves its own story.
I’m Todd, a Michigan-based traveler and photographer. What started as a personal challenge to photograph every lighthouse in Michigan has grown into a goal of exploring the lighthouses of the Great Lakes—with a few stops in other states along the way.
By the Beacon is where I share that ongoing exploration through photographs and stories from the road. There’s a goal to work toward, but the places and moments along the way are just as much a part of the journey.
On July 18, I landed in Milwaukee with a four-month plan, seven remaining Michigan-border lights, and one big worry: heat and haze from Canadian wildfires. My Wisconsin route began at Milwaukee Pierhead and Breakwater, then continued through North Point, Kevich, Port Washington, then inland to Calumet Harbor, Fisherman’s Road, and Fond du Lac on Lake Winnebago.
I planned a 45-lighthouse journey through Wisconsin and Michigan rather than an eight-hour drive each way to the U.P. This is where that journey begins.
Day 1 Stops Day 2 Stops Day 3 Stops Day 4 Stops Day 5 Stops
Wisconsin → Upper Peninsula