Sleeping Bear Dunes and Northern Michigan

Sliding Down the Dunes

Huge Picturesque Barn

Camp Grayling Officer's Club, Circa 1917

After leaving Butch and Ray, we drove north along Lake Michigan in cool weather to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Miles of sandy bluffs that tower 450’ above Lake Michigan, lush forests, clear inland lakes, lovely beaches, and unique flora and fauna make up the natural world of Sleeping Bear Dunes. There are spectacular views across the lake. An island lighthouse, US Life-Saving Service stations, coastal villages, and picturesque farms reflect the park’s rich maritime, agricultural, and recreational history. This hidden gem boasts 64 miles of beaches along Lake Michigan, two islands, 26 inland lakes, more than 50,000 acres of land, and the monumental sand dunes from which it gets its name. At one of the dunes, we noted several people who had slid down to the bottom trying to walk their way back the steep incline. For every three feet they were climbing, they were losing two feet.

Old Barn With Unique Hinges

During the two days were in the area, we also enjoyed the quaint, small towns, historic buildings, wonderful restaurants, bakeries, and boutiques. We drove on to Traverse City and then spent a few nights at the Camp Grayling National Guard RV Park. We had stopped there with 15 Airstreams back in 2001 when we led the Great Lakes—Manitoulan Island Caravan. The little, primitive clubhouse is still there where the guardsmen and their wives had served us breakfast. So is the wonderful old Officer’s Club where we had had a fabulous grilled steak dinner. The post has grown a lot since 2001. One of the things we enjoyed this trip was a picnic dinner along the lake next to the post.

Mackinac Straits Lighthouse

Mackinaw Bridge

Pushing on north, we stopped at the picturesque Mackinaw Bridge. We took time to shoot a lot of photos of the bridge and the lighthouse the overlooks the bridge. The bridge is one of Michigan's largest assets and one of the world's leading suspension bridges. It provides safe, pleasurable, and expedient passage over the Straits of Mackinac for economic benefit and improved quality of life.

Marilynn, Carroll, and Gloria

While we were in the area, we invited Gloria’s brother, Carroll, and wife, Marilynn, to our campground for a wiener roast. They live in nearby Charlevoix in the summer and in Florida in the winter. Both of them have experienced some severe health issues during the past year, so it was good to get to visit them and see that they are functioning well. The weather was perfect for our campfire.

We spent one more night in the Upper Peninsula before crossing into Canada at Sioux Ste Marie. As we crossed the bridge, we could see the famous ship locks and Lake Superior.