The Shrine of the Pines is a Log Cabin that has a bunch of furniture made out of tree trunks,…read moreroots, and fallen logs. A lot of the work took place in the 1920's. It is a fairly intresting place in a very beautiful setting near Baldwin, Michigan. The furniture is all extremely well made. There is a $5 oral tour about the creator and his creations. I actually found this mostly boring. However that could be because the tour guide was very blah. It is worth a visit if your already in the area. Not really worth a drive though. I give it a solid 3 stars.

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!

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.

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.

Always there to help. im a senior and have been through something no one should be. i call our…read moreChief ,Laude Hartrum and he was here right away as always. Put my mind at ease that he would look into this. We are so very lucky here to have him, I truly feel he will be there to help.

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.

Andrew staircases and…read moreladies As with many towns and cities, the first hint of a public library in Manistee started in around 1885 when an enlightened group of women decided the town needed a place where the citizens of the town could have public access to books. So they just sort of started storing the small collection of books wherever there was room but realized a more permanent location was needed. So in around 1903 the women get serious and managed to get funds for a library from the famous philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. By 1905 the grand library was open for business. The library was designed by the famous architect G Harvey in a cool Beaux Arts Classicism style. The building featured a grand and massive entrance as well as elaborate staircases and other interior detailing. The library of course has changed a lot throughout the decades and now has the latest computers and digitalized materials. However it still features the elegance and aesthetics of the original design. The library has friendly and knowledgeable people working there and a very logical and easy to use system to locate books or other materials. Lots of places to sit and read or just loiter around. A wonderful library that has a unique appearance and a spacious interior that allows the visitor to be comfortable while conducting business or research.