Round Island Lighthouse
Seeing the Round Island Lighthouse up close was a major bucket list item crossed off my list. This is by far one of my favorite Michigan lighthouses. I've seen it multiple times on the ferry to Mackinac Island, but always dreamed of stepping foot on the island and seeing it like this. They were doing yearly tours until conditions became too unsafe and they stopped doing them... but I had no idea you could kayak out to the lighthouse until just this summer. As soon as I saw that was an option, I immediately booked the trip and off we went! It was the best experience. I honestly just stood there for a long time taking in the moment of being there. I felt so lucky that this is such a huge part of who I am... exploring all of these lighthouses. It's honestly meant so much to me.
As cheesy as I am about lighthouses, I truly mean it. It's given my life so much happiness. I just get so excited exploring each lighthouse. No two are the same, and they always require some sort of adventurous spirit. This one was a bit tricky to get to, since there are no boats to it currently! Thankfully we were able to book our trip through Great Turtle Kayak Tours. We had an awesome private tour guide (👋🏻 Anthony!) that led us across the traffic line of the Mackinac Island ferries over to Round Island. It was definitely a little bit of work getting over there! It took about an hour each way to kayak to the island, and the waves were a little intense at times. I'm really glad I did this trip now while I'm actually in shape. Thanks, FLEX!
We docked our kayaks, and walked through the forest for a little bit. It was actually really open on the island, even though it looks super dense from far away. The trees were all twisted and bent because of the winds + rain + snow in the colder seasons, so that was fun to see! My favorite scene EVER was just as you were about to walk out to the lighthouse with the path in full view. It was seriously so pretty. I loved having to walk on the little strip of island to get to the lighthouse. One of my favorite things about this lighthouse is that it's featured so many times in Somewhere In Time. You can see it many times through the hotel window of the Grand Hotel as Christopher Reeve is looking out, and they also row a boat to the lighthouse too! I can't find a great picture online, but here's one for reference! Have you seen the movie?
After walking around Round Island for a bit, and exploring the outside of the lighthouse, we finally had to depart to head back to the main island! I didn't want to leave. It's seriously so pretty. If you ever get the chance to head out to Round Island, I'd definitely recommend it! It was a super fun way to spend our Saturday afternoon, and it got us away from the busy crowds for a bit too. Definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I'm so glad I had the chance to do this! After we got back from kayaking, we were starved, so we grabbed burgers + fries at Chuckwagon, which was probably my favorite meal on the island. Hahaha, it doesn't take much to make me happy. Exploring a new lighthouse + a burger = a happy gal. 😁
Outfit details:
Levi's Wedgie Fit Jeans via Zappo's
Old Navy Tee (similar)
Madewell Indio Sunglasses
Target Sandals (similar)
