Published October 25, 2007

(Photo by LSJ file photo) The Jacobsville Lighthouse Inn Bed and Breakfast is located on the Keweenaw Peninsula in Lake Linden,

There are three other working lighthouses along Lake Superior that offer overnight stays. Jacobsville Lighthouse Inn Bed and Breakfast Located on the Keweenaw Peninsula in Lake Linden, this lighthouse offers a 360-degree view of Lake Superior, Portage Canal, Keweenaw Bay and the surrounding forests. Built in 1869, it offers year-round accommodations. Visit www.jacobsvillelighthouse.com for details. Sand Hills Lighthouse Inn Located on the Keweenaw Peninsula in Ahmeek, Sand Hills Lighthouse was built in 1917 and originally housed three families. Resembling a castle and filled with Victorian decor, it is open year round. Visit www.sandhillslighthouseinn.com for details. Whitefish Point Light Station Those wanting more of a hotel feel may stay in the restored 1923 Coast Guard Lifeboat Station Crews Quarters next to the lighthouse. Each room has a TV/VCR combination and private bath and includes a tour of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum and Whitefish Pointe Light Station and the 1861 Lightkeepers Quarters. Visit www.shipwreckmuseum.org for details.

By Candy Spiegel
GreatLakesEscapes.com

No doubt about it, being a mom is difficult. It's a demanding, high-pressure, around-the-clock job lacking in sick days, personal time, vacations and other benefits. Although a mom would never dream of giving up her job permanently, a romantic getaway will allow her to recharge and become better able to handle the daily pressures of motherhood.

And, what could be more romantic than spending a few days with someone special at a secluded, working lighthouse?

"Someone once said, 'Lighthouses are to America what castles are to Europe'. That is the attraction to lighthouses," say Jeff and Linda Gamble, owners of Big Bay Lighthouse Bed and Breakfast. "We offer our guests a secluded retreat from the hustle and bustle of their everyday life."

Located about an hour's drive north of Marquette and built on the cliffs of Lake Superior, Big Bay Lighthouse Bed and Breakfast offers a truly relaxing experience away from television, telephones, children and the fast pace of city life.

The light station was built in 1896 and many of the buildings - including the oil house and the privy - remain on the grounds. The main building, originally a duplex, was home for two families who cared for the light. Today, the lighthouse is situated on three acres of lawn with 40 acres of wooded trails surrounding it. Decorated throughout with soft nautical touches, it offers seven guest rooms - each with a private bathroom and each named for one of the families who once cared for the lighthouse - a relaxing living room with a fireplace, a large dining room for family-style breakfasts, a kitchen, a library, a sauna and the light tower.

The Gambles strive to make the stay special with little details everywhere you look. Hand towels in the bathroom, for example, are folded to create pockets that hold soap and Big Bay Lighthouse lip balm. The times of the sunset and sunrise are posted daily in the kitchen. There are heated towel warmers in each bathroom and games, movies and books to enjoy.

Each evening, Linda Gamble leads guests in a comfortable family discussion about the history of the lighthouse. Guests are then invited to tour the grounds, watch a movie in the library, play a game or climb the light tower for a magnificent view 120 feet above Lake Superior.

During the warmer months, a short walk will take guests to a secluded massage hut where spa services are offered. A portion of the hut is screened so guests may experience the cool Lake Superior breezes and hear the waves softly rolling onto shore while being pampered with a massage, body wrap, facial or other spa service. During the colder months, the services are offered in one of the guest rooms.

Each morning, guests are treated to a family-style breakfast featuring fresh fruit, yogurt, cereal, juice, coffee, tea and freshly baked scones, muffins or other treats. Breakfast also includes a homemade hot entree that changes daily. One morning may include lemony stuffed French toast with sausage and the next might be scrambled eggs with herbed brie cheese, bacon and buttermilk biscuits.

The lighthouse is open year round and there is no bad time to visit. The Gambles say the best time to see the Northern Lights or to watch a storm rage over Lake Superior is during the winter months. The nearest town, Big Bay, is known for being a four-season resort town. Independence Lake, forest trails, waterfalls, lazy trout streams, mountains, snowmobile trails, cross-country ski trails, Morel mushrooms, wildlife and Lake Superior offer a variety of activities all year long.

Located a few miles down the road from the lighthouse, Big Bay, which has a population of about 300 people, was once a lumber town where Henry Ford owned a sawmill to make the wooden panels for the Ford station wagon. The town's claim to fame is a murder that took place in 1951. The story was turned into a book and then the movie, "Anatomy of a Murder," starring Jimmy Stewart and Lee Remick, in 1959. Both the restaurant where the movie was filmed (Thunder Bay Inn) and the bar where the original murder took place (The Lumberjack Tavern) offer lunch and dinner.

For more information on Big Bay Lighthouse Bed and Breakfast, visit www.bigbaylighthouse.com.

For information on Big Bay, visit www.bigbaymichigan.com.

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