Illuminating the Darkness

Under Island Stars: A Dark Sky Experience

Step away from the glow and rediscover the beauty of an unspoiled night sky. Join us for an immersive 3-night Dark Sky Experience that blends luxury glamping, starlit exploration, and inspiring conversations with astronomers, astrophotographers, and dark-sky advocates.

Reconnect with the Night

From guided star-viewing sessions to thought-provoking talks about the importance of natural darkness, this retreat offers a rare chance to see the Milky Way in all its brilliance at one of the darkest night skies found in the world!

Reserve your tent today: How to book your stay!

Space is limited. Step into the quiet, look up, and let the stars remind you what darkness was meant to be.

1. Book any three nights between 9/13 and 9/20, with 9/20 final checkout date.
2. The promotional rate will display at checkout.

Photo Credit: Cynthia Hector Johnson

Your 3-night Package Includes

• 3-Night Minimum Stay – Double occupancy in our signature luxury safari tents

• Daily Continental Breakfast – Fresh pastries, fruit, yogurt, coffee, tea, and juices each morning

• Evening Snack Bar – Enjoy light bites before the stars arrive from 7–9 PM on Tuesday, Friday, an Sunday nights

• Dark Sky Educational Packet – Learn how to make your own home dark-sky compliant

• Private Conversations & Q&A Sessions – One-on-one access to our guest speakers, including professional astronomers and professors

• Night Sky Viewing sessions with professionals
  
• $50 Gift Certificate to apply at any restaurant or gift shop
  

• Complimentary Concierge Service – We’ll arrange your travel, ferry or flight, and rental car reservation

Meet the Experts

Our guest lineup features some of Michigan’s most passionate and knowledgeable dark-sky experts, advocates and astronomy enthusiasts:

• Robert Andrew Parish - Robert Parrish learned the stars from his father, whose memory inspired him to secure the certification for Dr. Lawless International Dark Sky Park. As a Delegate to Dark Sky International, Robert hosts presentations on light pollution education. Over the years, he has transitioned from visual astronomy to primarily astrophotography.
  

• Robyn Porteen – Robyn is a Delegate to Dark Sky International and Founder of DarkSkyMichigan.org. A statewide leader in light pollution education and dark-sky preservation, Robyn brings inspiring insight into how communities can protect the night. Her passion is night sky photography and her world travels and photos have been published in Professional Photography Magazine, British Vogue, Shutterbug Magazine, USA Today and many more. You can find her inspiring and unforgettable work by visiting PorteenPhotography.com

• Steve Kush – Member, Michiana Astronomical Society. Steve’s enthusiasm is contagious—he’s forgotten more about astronomy than most of us will ever know. Steve will be bringing his professional equipment for hands-on night sky exploration.

• Ken Walczak - managed the Far Horizons - a research and engineering program engaging students and volunteers in hands-on participatory science - at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago for over 16 years.  He has worked on the design and implementation of innovative instruments for light polution research and has authored numerous papers on the subject. He helped lead the successful international designation of the world's largest Urban Night Sky Place; the Palos Preserves, southwest of Chicago. He owned a lighting and furniture design company, is a trained photographer[her, an avid public policy advocate, as well as an experienced science and astronomy communicator. He is a board member of the Dark Sky International, co-found the DarkSky Chicago Chapter and a member of the illuminating Engineering Society (IES). He owns Night/Light Consulting, LLC.

• Eric Schreur – Former Planetarium Director, Kalamazoo Valley Museum. If confirmed, Eric will share a storyteller’s view of the stars, connecting celestial science with the wonder of the human experience.

• Tony Miller is from Ottoville, OH, and privileged to grow up in a pretty dark place. His aunt Jane was in Neil Armstrong's HS class, and Apollo 11 landed when he was 10. Pretty sure those things influenced his eventual entry into astronomy. A graduate of BGSU in broadcast journalism, he never studied theatre or astronomy but wound up running two historic theatres in Ohio, and then began chasing aurora, then got a telescope, and it was all downhill from there. After getting into serious dark-sky viewing and learning from knowledgeable people in the field, a few years later began taking scopes to bars, restaurants, festivals, and public spaces, following in the footsteps of John Dobson's Street Astronomy, calling it Barstronomy. Circumstance stuck him with the nickname "Duke Skygawker". In 2020, cancelled vacation plans led him to Beaver Island with telescopes. He got recruited by the Beaver Island Dark Sky Project, providing telescopes for public programs. That positioned him to become the Camp Host of the St James Township Campground, where he's now in his 5th season.