BLOSSOM SEASON WINDS DOWN

 

 

 

 

 

 

TRILLIUM FILL THE WOODS

 

 

CHERRY BLOSSOMS POP

 

 

DID YOU KNOW?

  

A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned the Crystal Highlands corridor, the strip of land between Platte Lake and Crystal Lake. But did you know it’s also the site of a proposed scenic road that would run between U.S. Highway 31 and M-22?  This gateway road, dubbed the Benzie Scenic Road, will eventually take visitors from Beulah into Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.  While part of the Park Service’s original plan, this road has been slow to develop because the land must be acquired from willing sellers rather than by government purchase and condemnation, as with the early park.  Still, the whole idea of another scenic road has piqued my interest, and I’ve been exploring the corridor’s backroads as they currently stand.  The land is mostly dense hardwood, very hilly, with spectacular glimpses of the lakes and distant dunes.  With only 50% of the land currently purchased, I know the Benzie Scenic Road won’t be built in my lifetime, but it’s been fun getting to know the corridor anyway.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NATURE’S PALETTE

 

 

DUNE GRASS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE MILL POND AT SLEEPING BEAR

 I love visiting this scenic spot in the spring, where many birds visit during migration.  But on this sunny morning, I only saw geese, a trumpeter swan, and a noisy grackle.  Then, I spotted two sandhill cranes herky-jerking through the long grasses at the edge of the pond.  Oops!  Turns out there were three, and their loud bugling made it clear they weren’t happy to see me.

 

SOMETHING NEW EVERY DAY

SEEKING PIPING PLOVERS

 I headed to Tiesma and Peterson Beaches to photograph the returning Piping Plovers.  I followed back roads through the Crystal Highlands corridor that I hadn’t traveled before.  Trees were leafing out, and I saw some new barns hidden in the hills.  Arriving at the Lakeshore, I scoured the dunes for these beautiful little birds but didn’t find a single one.  Still, the beauty of these beaches and wetlands made the drive worthwhile.