Bayfield is nice, and we enjoyed talking to the mayor. People warned us about the flies and bugs, but we never had any problems. I guess we timed it right.

I haven't received a brochure for the tours for 2005, but it looks like their website is up-to-date. http://www.lighthousecelebration.com/ctt.htm

I went to the celebration in 2003. The water can be rough late in September. So, it might be better to go earlier in the month. We had 3 tours scheduled. The tour to Michigan Island was almost canceled due to the weather. On another day, the tour to Devil's Island was canceled. (The sky was blue, but the water was too rough.) I think we did one tour (on my birthday) where we passed 5 lighthouses. We got a good chance to photograph Devil's Island, but the lighting was bad at that time of the day. We didn't spend much time by the other lights.

We didn't do the Sand Island hike during the celebration. However, we did this tour in August 2003, and I loved this lighthouse.

If you go on the grand tour (on the Island Princess?), be sure to sit on the top of the boat if you want to photograph the lights. (I don't know if this is first come, first served during the celebration.) It may not be fun up there if the weather isn't nice. But, we sat below for a cruise in August, and the windows didn't open. For the tour we did in Sept, our tickets were stamped upper deck, and we had very nice weather that day.

Have you considered the tour that Suzanne Murphy is organizing? I'm sure the captain will give people a better chance for viewing and photographing the lights.

Tammy