Ah, summertime in northern Michigan…
We have a tradition of going up north for my birthday. Last year we went to Mackinac Island and this year we went to Sleeping Bear Dunes. Two times is enough to call it a tradition, right?
If you’ve never heard the Chippewa legend of Sleeping Bear Dunes, grab a tissue and read this:
Long ago, along the Wisconsin shoreline, a mother bear and her two cubs were driven into Lake Michigan by a raging forest fire. The bears swam for many hours, but eventually the cubs tired and lagged behind. Mother bear reached the shore and climbed to the top of a high bluff to watch and wait for her cubs. Too tired to continue, the cubs drowned within sight of the shore. The Great Spirit Manitou created two islands to mark the spot where the cubs disappeared and then created a solitary dune to represent the faithful mother bear.
If you don’t find that story moving, I think you must be made of stone. Inspired by the legend, I’ve had Sleeping Bear Dunes on my list of Michigan places to explore for a very long time. So we packed a picnic lunch and set off to see one of the most beautiful places in America.
One way to spend a day at the Dunes is on the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive. With twelve official stops, it provides breathtaking views of all the natural beauty found here on the shore of Lake Michigan. The National Park Service distributes a brochure to all who travel the trail with the history and current information about each stop.
At the Lake Michigan Overlook, we rolled out a blanket and enjoyed a picnic lunch on the beach of the Dune. What you see here is not camera trickery, the Dune really was that steep!
We admired the ambition of this young man climbing up the Dune, but for us, it was just too hot to attempt!
After lunch, we explored the area a little, amazed by each view we encountered.
When we returned to the car, Justin had a surprise for me – a little heart-shaped brownie birthday cake. It was half melted from sitting in the hot car and it completely melted my heart.
We left the Dunes behind to visit the nearby Point Betsie lighthouse and walk along the shore.
As the sunset approached, we got a huge plate of nachos to go and found a spot in the sand on the Frankfort beach. A sensational view and a delicious meal… not a bad way to celebrate a birthday, if I do say so myself!
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