By Adrienne Brown-Reasner
West Michigan Tourist Association
The Ludington Area Convention & Visitors Bureau is making it easy to visit its Lake Michigan resort community in West Michigan virtually with custom video conference backgrounds.
Whether conducting a Zoom meeting with colleagues or a virtual happy hour with friends, people at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic can jazz up their video meeting backgrounds with one of six iconic Ludington themes.
“During this important time of staying home to stay safe, we want to transport you to our beautiful West Michigan region of unspoiled woods and water,” said Brandy Miller, executive director of the Ludington Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Enjoy one of these breathtaking sights now, and plan a visit for later when we can travel freely again.”
Six Ludington background images are available (located at pureludington.com/virtualbackgrounds):
- S.S. Badger sailing by Ludington North Breakwater Light (photo credit: ToddandBradReed.com) – Ludington is home to the last coal-fired steamship in operation in the United States, crossing Lake Michigan to Manitowoc, Wisc., daily in season. A National Historic Landmark, the S.S. Badger was first operational in 1953. At the 410 feet long, the Badger accommodates 600 passengers and 180 vehicles.
- Ludington North Breakwater Light (photo credit: ToddandBradReed.com) – One of two historic lighthouses in Ludington, the 1924-era Ludington North Breakwater Light is at the end of a half-mile walk along the breakwall from Stearns Park Beach and is open for tours and tower climbs in the summer.
- Big Sable Point Lighthouse (photo credit: ToddandBradReed.com) – At 112 feet tall, Big Sable Point Light is the second tallest lighthouse on Lake Michigan’s eastern shore and one of the oldest continuously working in the state. Built in 1867, it still serves as a U.S. Coast Guard aid to navigation, though it was fully automated in 1968. On the Michigan State Historic Sites and National Register of Historic Places, this lighthouse is one of only 15 on Lake Michigan open to the public to climb the tower. The light is reachable via a two-mile trail in Ludington State Park.
- Sailboat in Ludington harbor(photo credit: ToddandBradReed.com) – Ludington is an ideal place to experience by boat, featuring two marinas – the Ludington Municipal Marina and Harbor View Marina – both a short walk from downtown. These public marinas have slips available by reservation, with a variety of amenities. Don’t have your own boat? Contact the Ludington Charter Boat Association, home of 45-plus charter fishing captains.
- Sunset at Stearns Park Beach – Named by USA Today Travel as one of the “Top 50 Great American Beaches,” Stearns Park Beach is one of Ludington’s favorite vistas for watching a Lake Michigan sunset. This stunning strip of sugar-sand beach is full of family-friendly amenities: a bathhouse, food concession and boat rentals, plus adjacent shuffleboard courts, mini golf course and skate park. A grassy park area has free grills and picnic tables for public use. This free city beach in walking distance to downtown also features free sunset beach bonfires three times in the summer.
- Skyline Trail in Ludington State Park – This 5,300-acre crown jewel in Michigan’s State Park system, Ludington State Park boasts 24 miles of hiking trails including the heart-pounding Skyline Trail. Climb a tall wooden staircase and follow a half-mile wooden boardwalk along a dune ridge for breathtaking views where you can see as far as 20 miles on a clear day. You can even run down a sand dune.
Below are instructions for downloading the #PureLudington backgrounds and using with the Zoom video communications platform:
- Select your favorite background at pureludington.com/virtualbackgrounds and click “download” to save to your computer or mobile device.
- When you are in a Zoom meeting, click on the “up” (^) arrow in the bottom menu bar and select “Choose Virtual Background.”
- Press the small plus (+) sign and select “Add image.”
- Select the #PureLudington photo backdrop that you saved to your device.
- Voilà – you are instantly transported virtually to Ludington!
For further instructions on setting up your virtual background, see Zoom’s official guidelines.
