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This was
one of the attractions I couldn't wait to see while staying at the
Tawas
Point State Park Campground. I've always been attracted to and
fascinated by Victorian style almost anything, so I wasn't about
to miss the "sole representative of a true Victorian-era style
station on the Great Lakes."
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This
beacon was put in operation in 1876 and is still a functioning
lighthouse that is lit every night to help mariners avoid the
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Have
you ever wondered what it would be like to live and work at
a lighthouse? Well, here at Tawas Point, you can actually
BE the lightkeeper! As part of their "Guest
Keepers Program" you can stay inside the restored
lightkeeper's quarters, work, and pay for the privilege!
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That's
what Jim and his wife, Royetta, have been doing for the past
week. Here he shows me the dining area. |
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They
had read an article about the program in their local Lambertville
paper and heard it would be a great experience and that they
would learn a lot. "Being retired teachers, we know how
to learn." He added, "And where else can you stay
at an 130 year old lighthouse?" Point well taken, Jim...
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To
get to the top, you go up 85 steps that are broken up by 3
landings.
When
it ran on oil, the keeper would have to come up every 3 hours
to refill. Since it was converted to electric in 1935, everything
is much simpler now - except for the climbing the steps part..
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Up at the top, Royetta cautions climbers to "watch your
head coming up those last few steps" as it's a pretty tight
fit. But the climb and the caution is worth it for the view
once you get here... |
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Here
we see the Fresnel lens - I think it's amazing that this technology
was developed in the 1820's and is still basically state of
the art today!
In
talking more with Royetta, she said the best part of her experience
here was the quiet at night. "I never expected such utter
quiet - I don't think I've ever heard absolutely nothing before!"
She
said they're on duty from 12-6 so there's lots of free time
and they didn't find the work to be overly burdensome and
they enjoyed meeting people and conducting the tours.
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The
top of the tower stands 70 feet in the air and from here you
can see about 16 miles onto Lake Huron. |
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Lighthouse
Keepers for Tawas Point Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Keepers Expectations and Responsibilities
"As
a lighthouse keeper, volunteers would primarily be responsible for
greeting guests, leading visitor tours, providing guests with historical
information about the museum and the area, working in the museum's
gift shop and performing light maintenance of the buildings and
grounds. Volunteers will also be required to learn basic historical
information about the lighthouse."
The Park
Supervisor, Chuck Allen, told me they have had single women be guest
keepers before. Except for the fact that I prefer sleeping in my
own bed than anywhere else, I bet this would be a great experience!
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