SLEEPING BEAR BECKONED

 

I had my long time friend Catherine from Lansing visit this past week and we spent a lot of time at the Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore. 

Our first stop on the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive was the Covered Bridge, a popular spot for picture-taking.

At the Glen Lake Overlook, you get views of Little Glen Lake in the foreground and Big Glen beyond that, divided by M-22.  Alligator Hill runs along the left side of the scene.

 

 The Dune Overlook provides majestic views of Lake Michigan, Pyramid Point, Sleeping Bear Bay, and tiny D.H. Day farm…all from atop a 200-foot high sand dune platform.

 

 You also see a variety of dune ecosystem features, such as sandy ridges, stabilizing plants, and blowouts.  The Manitou Islands are visible in the background.

 

 Our last stop on the Scenic Drive was the North Bar Lake Overlook.  The lake was formed behind a sand bar that separates it from Lake Michigan.  Empire Bluffs are seen to the South.

 

 We next moved on to another part of the National Lakeshore, the small village of Glen Haven.  Beautiful beaches are located there with gorgeous dune grass, making for good pictures.

 

 Glen Haven is a step back to a time when small villages and docks supplied fuel to steamers along the Great Lakes.  Restoration of buildings is happening there and one that is especially striking is the Cannery Boathouse.  Once a cherry cannery, it currently houses a museum of historic boats.

 

 Leaving Glen Haven, another striking dunescape unfolded before us.

 

 Our last stop of the day was the D.H. Day farm, the same farm we saw from the Dune Overlook on the Scenic Drive.  Up close, the architectural symmetry that defines this farm is evident.  While the property is privately owned now, it once was a hog farm, creamery, and bull barn.  

On Sunday, Gracie and I will head to Grand Marais in the Upper Peninsula for nine days of relaxation, writing, and Lake Superior birding and picture-taking.  Look for more of my trip on my blog and Facebook Page next week.