Beaver Island, Michigan, USA: Come hear the ghost stories of the Lake Michigan lighthouses on historic Beaver Island, October 18-19. The West Michigan Tourist Association (WMTA) and the Beaver Island Boat Company (BIBCO) have once again teamed up to provide an unique weekend get-away called "Haunted Lighthouses of Lake Michigan."

For $80 per person, you'll receive round trip ferry service to Beaver Island, including a viewing of the "Haunted Lighthouses of Lake Michigan" slide show presented by Dianna Stampfler, WMTA Marketing & Media Director.

This Beaver Island package also includes a guided 3-hour historic tour of the island, including a view of the Beaver Head Island Light. Due to ongoing renovations and construction, guests will not be able to climb the tower at the lighthouse.

"Considering our trip is in October, it should tie in nicely with the lighthouse ghost stories that I''ve collected over the years," Stampfler said. "We offered this trip last year in late October and it was a sell-out. We''re optimistic that we''ll have the same response this year."

The travelogue-style show spotlights the historic lighthouses, keepers, legends and ghost stories associated with the official Lake Michigan Circle Tour route. Each traveler will receive a copy of the 2003 edition of the Lake Michigan Circle Tour & Lighthouse Guide, which maps out more than 115 beacons along the 1100-mile route through Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana.

Beaver Island is the most remote inhabitable island in the Great Lakes. The history of Beaver Island can be roughly divided into three periods: Indian, Mormon, and Irish. Beaver Island has fewer than 550 year-round residents who call the town of St. James their home.

Guests are advised to first make reservations with the Beaver Island Boat Company at 888-446-4095, as a limited number of seats are available. The entire $80 package cost is due at the time of reservation. The full amount will be refunded if weather stops the Emerald Isle from making the trip to the island.

Lodging and meals are not included in the $80 per person package price. On Friday night, accommodations are available at the Weathervane Terrace Inn & Suites in Charlevoix at the specially-discounted rate of $99 for a standard room, $109 for a patio room or $129 for a suite. Call 231-547-9955 or log on to www.weathervane-chx.com for details.

For Saturday night on the island, the Emerald Isle Hotel is offering one-bed efficiencies for $59, two-bed efficiencies for $75 or a two-bedroom suite for $85. An additional sleeper sofa is available in the suite for $15 for the night. For reservations, call 231-448-2376 or log on to www.emeraldislehotel.com. Be sure to mention that you''re participating in the WMTA/Beaver Island Boat Company lighthouse weekend get-away to received the discounted room rates.

For additional information, contact the Beaver Island Chamber of Commerce at 231-448-2505 or log on to www.beaverisland.net; or contact the Charlevoix Chamber at 231-547-2101 or log on to www.charlevoix.org.

The 32-mile trip from Charlevoix to St. James harbor on Beaver Island takes two hours. Departure from Charlevoix will be at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, October 18, with arrival at 1:30 p.m. on Beaver Island. The return trip has a 11:30 a.m. departure on Sunday, October 19 from Beaver Island with an 1:30 p.m. arrival time back in Charlevoix. Guests should arrive at the boat dock one hour before departure. For more information about the Beaver Island Boat Company, log on to www.bibco.com

WMTA has been promoting the official Lake Michigan Circle Tour route since it was created in 1987. In the past 16 years, more than a million copies of the official guide to that route - the Lake Michigan Circle Tour & Lighthouse Guide - have been distributed free of charge. Founded in 1917, WMTA is the oldest continually-operating tourist association in the nation. Representing 42 counties from the Michigan-Indiana state line north to Mackinac Island and covering the entire west half of the Lower Peninsula, WMTA is dedicated to proving that "Nobody Knows West Michigan Like We Do!"