Vernors Michigan Lighthouse Cans Return in 2019

The partnership between Pure Michigan and Vernors expands into 2019 to feature more Michigan lighthouses on the popular ginger ale cans. Vernors traces its history back to Detroit in the 1860s and is a Michigan staple, now owned by Dr. Pepper Snapple Group.

 

This partnership began in 2017 featuring images of five Michigan lighthouses on Vernors cans. Those lighthouse were:

• Crisp Point (Lake Superior)
• Eagle Harbor (Lake Superior)
• Grand Haven (Lake Michigan)
• Tawas Point (Lake Huron)
• Big Sable (Lake Michigan)

In 2018, the Vernors Michigan lighthouse cans returned with seven cans in the series. The featured lighthouses were:

• Forty Mile Point (Lake Huron)
• Old Mackinac Point (Lake Huron)
• Point Iroquois (Lake Superior)
• Point Betsie (Lake Michigan)
• Little Sable (Lake Michigan)
• St. Joseph (Lake Michigan)
• Fort Gratiot (Lake Huron)

Listed below are the lighthouses that are featured on the 2019 Vernors Michigan Lighthouse cans. Nearby city and Great Lake are also listed along with photos and links where relevant.

Harbor Beach Lighthouse – Harbor Beach (Lake Huron)

Harbor Beach lighthouse quickly became one of our favorite Lake Huron lighthouses after making the short kayak trip out to get up close photos of this sparkplug lighthouse. While we brought our own kayaks for this trip, we would recommend the folks at Harbor Beach Kayak, where you can rent kayaks and stand-up paddleboards to make a trip to the lighthouse and past several shipwrecks in the area.

Tri-Centennial State Park Light – Detroit/William G Milliken State Park (Lake Huron)

The Tri-Centennial State Park Light is one of the newest lighthouses in Michigan. This lighthouse, which resembles Tawas Point Lighthouse, was built to celebrate the 300^th birthday of Detroit.

Big Red (Holland Harbor Lighthouse) – Holland (Lake Michigan)

The Big Red lighthouse in Holland is one of the most recognizable lighthouses, especially to those in West Michigan.

Au Sable Point – Grand Marais (Lake Superior)

Au Sable Point Lighthouse is part of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, which remains one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Upper Peninsula. A 1.5 mile hike can take visitors out to this lighthouse. Along the way, you can see several shipwrecks in the water and along the beach.

Detour Reef – Detour Township (Lake Huron)

The Detour Reef lighthouse is one of the many Michigan lighthouses you can stay at. This lighthouse is located in a remote region of Lake Huron in the Upper Peninsula. Be sure to check out their overnight keeper program.

Pointe Aux Barques – Port Hope (Lake Huron)

The Pointe Aux Barques Lighthouse dates back to the 1850s and is one of several lighthouses in Michigan’s thumb region that helped guide ships around shallow water.

South Haven – South Haven (Lake Michigan)

This popular West Michigan lighthouse is one of only a few to still have an attached catwalk, which was a necessary item for lighthouse keepers to get to the light when waves were high.

Port Austin Reef – Port Austin (Lake Huron)

The Port Austin Reef is one of several Michigan lighthouses that is undergoing preservation efforts. You can find out more and about ways to visit the lighthouse here. The lighthouse is also visible from Veterans Waterfront Park with a short walk to the end of the breakwater.

The Au Sable Point and Port Austin Reef lighthouses are featured on Diet Vernors cans. The other six are featured on regular Vernors cans. The cans come in 12 packs of Vernors or Diet Vernors. Each 12 pack features the same lighthouse on every can, meaning you will have to get multiple 12 packs to complete the set or find someone to trade with. If the 2019 Vernors Michigan Lighthouse cans follow other years, they will be available in stores from mid-July to October. No word on if the cans will be available outside of Michigan.

If you are keeping track, the count now stands at four Lake Superior lighthouses, seven Lake Huron lighthouses, and seven Lake Michigan lighthouses. The cans feature some of the most easily recognizable Michigan lighthouses, but have also surprised us with some lesser known lights. Twelve of the cans have now featured Michigan lighthouses from our Michigan Lighthouse Bucket List, which highlighted 25 lighthouses that are our favorites or we think are the ones people should visit.

We are already looking forward to collecting the whole set and taking pictures of the Vernors Michigan lighthouse cans at their respective lighthouses. If you would like more information on viewing Michigan lighthouses, be sure to check out our road trip guides for the Lower Peninsula and Upper Peninsula. Each guide features maps, some directions, and guides to the lighthouses and area attractions.