Carnegie fires and…read moredairies The first hint of a library in Ludington was in 1872 when a collection of books was shuffled around various places in the town. By 1877 a local hall served as a kind of permanent location but when the hall burned down the books once again became vagrants. Fortunately the incredibly wealthy Andrew Carnegie was tossing around zillions of dollars for libraries at this time and the town of Ludington managed to get their hands on some on the cash. So in 1906 and nice new library was built and stuffed with books and other libraries thingies. It served well until the town start expanding and the library became a bit cramped. So the library had a major expansion and renovation in 1975 and presently is in the process of planning for another spurt of growth. The Ludington Library had a bit of a scandal in 2011 when a librarian wrote a rather candid book called Library Dairies, which exposed what "really" goes on in a library, complete with local drunks, dossers, light skirts and perverts. She ended up getting fired but received a settlement after suing. I didn't see any drunks, dossers, light skirts or perverts when I was at the Ludington Library but I did see a pleasant little library that functions well and is a convenient place for the community to get some books, do some research or just relax.

Welcoming to all and open for much longer hours than you'd expect of a town this size, with a great…read moreaddition on the original vintage building which has been lovingly restored and great free programs throughout the week, the Ludington library is an enormous asset to this community. A friendly atmosphere and coffee out for the patrons on the honor system add to the good vibe. Not much of a book collection, more of a community center. If you're here to study or work, keep in mind there doesn't seem to be any kind of silence policy except maybe in one of the reading rooms.

This was my first time in Ludington. I have heard so much about it, and I was excited to finally…read moremake it here. My friend said this is his favorite westside town. I was impressed my the marina and the great beach. The beach was super busy and we found our way to the lighthouse. It's a bit of a walk so be prepared to bring comfortable shoes. We enjoyed watching the ships come into port. If you happen to be out this way, I highly suggest making a trip out to the lighthouse. Not only is it a beautiful backdrop, it's also a great place to take pictures.

A very tough…read morelighthouse The very first lighthouse in the area was established in 1871 but didn't last very long and was washed away in a huge storm a few years later. Since Ludington was becoming an extremely important harbor a new and stronger light was obviously needed. Debates about whether to put the new lighthouse on the south or north pier raged for years, and the exact kind of lighthouse was also a very contentious subject. So of course nothing got done. Finally around 1924 the present lighthouse was constructed at the end of the half mile north concrete pier. Since the area is know for very intense and powerful storms, the engineers wanted to make sure the lighthouse was strong enough to withstand anything that the howling gales of Lake Michigan could throw at it. So they went all out when they designed and built this light. The lighthouse is constructed with a steel frame in addition to steel plating added to the outside. And to increase the structural integrity of the lighthouse a strange looking prow, similar to that on a large ship, was added at the bottom to deflect the larger waves. Pretty cool looking and when viewed from a distance, almost makes the lighthouse seem like it's sailing across the horizon. The fourth order Fresnel Lens was removed and is passed around to various local maritime museums. The lighthouse can be reached by walking out to the end of the half mile pier but going out they in storms and blizzards is probably not a good idea. During the summer the lighthouse is open and for five bucks the public can climb the 53 stairs to the top. Certainly not the tallest, biggest, oldest or most important lighthouse in Michigan but with the steel plates added over the steel frame and the addition of the cool prow, this is definitely one of the very toughest and strongest lighthouses anywhere.

Beautiful stop on our travels! Would love to be here when the sun sets sometime. Future trip will…read moremake it a goal to do so.

Absolutely gorgeous and picturesque area of the lakeshore with a cool lighthouse…read more This visit was made even more special as I saw a Bald Eagle perched on a branch of a tall tree. This majestic bird was staring out over the water and eventually flew away. Such a special sighting!! The sunset here was so gorgeous as you can see allll the way to your left and right. There are a few covered picnic tables, so a picnic lunch would be a great idea on a nice day!

Big Sable Point Lighthouse was such a fun experience! The walk out to the lighthouse is about 1.8…read moremiles each way, so just under 4 miles round trip. The trail is a wide, sandy path, so it's not difficult, but it is a pretty long walk and definitely sandy. You walk through part of the campground before heading out toward the lighthouse, and the scenery along the way is really pretty. We weren't there during the hours when the lighthouse was open, and we weren't planning on doing the tour anyway, but I believe it was $8 per person to go inside and climb the lighthouse. Even without going inside, it was absolutely worth making the walk out to see it. I also really enjoyed all of the history around the lighthouse. There were informational boards where you could stop and read about the lighthouse, the history of the area, erosion, the sand dunes, and how the landscape has changed over time. I love when places do this because it makes you appreciate what you're looking at so much more. The lighthouse itself is really cute and makes for such a great destination after the long sandy walk. There are also picnic tables around the area, so you can sit and take a break before making the walk back. If you're visiting Ludington State Park, I definitely think the walk to Big Sable Point Lighthouse is worth doing. Just wear comfortable shoes, expect a lot of sand, bring water, and give yourself plenty of time. It's not a quick little stroll, but getting out there and seeing this historic lighthouse surrounded by Lake Michigan was absolutely worth it!

Beautiful place to visit I can't wait to go back in the summer. It's a very serene place to visit.read more

Nice stop over on the side of the road just off Lake Michigan. Gives a tribute to Pere Marquette…read more A big cross overlooks both Lake Michigan and Pere Marquette Lake. Good for a 15-minute stop.

I simply adore post offices…read more What's unique about this one is that its open for 2-hours on Saturdays... 1000-1200. 2-hours, not 5-hours, not 4-hours.. 2 (two) Received outstanding service.