October 4-7,2020: Sleeping Bear Dunes

 

You can see the little dot of a human figure in the middle of the photo along the horizon. The dunes stand up to 100 feet in height. 

Sleeping Bear 

There was once, says the legend, a terrible fire or as

                       some will recount it a famine and
            a mother bear with her two cubs was driven

into the lake. They swam for many hours until the
                       smaller of the cubs began to weaken and,
            despite all the mother could do, was drowned,

then the second cub also, so when the mother reached
                       the shore which then as now belonged
           to a land of plenty she lay down with her face

to the shimmering span whose other side was quite
                       beyond her powers of return. The islands
           we call Manitou, the one and then the other, are

her cubs, she can see them, we go to them now by ferry.
                       And maybe that’s what we mean by
           recreation, not that everything lost—remember

the people to whom the legend belonged—shall be
                       restored but that it does us good
           to contemplate the evidence. The lake,

the dunes, the broken ships, the larger-than-we-are
                       skeins of time and substance in which
           change might be—we’ll think of it so hostile but a kindness..

Linda Gregerson (1950)

The Ojibwa legend is that a mother bear searched from the top of these dunes, now a national park and seashore, for her cubs. To console her, North and South Manitou Islands were formed to commemorate her lost children. We were also told that the native Americans thought the dunes looked like a sleeping bear as they passed them on the waters of Lake Michigan. No matter how they got the name, Sleeping Bear Dunes are a beautiful area with many stunning views of the ocean-like Lake Michigan. We were lucky to spend some time there with the lovely town of Glen Harbor as our base. 

Our lovely home compliments of Carl and airbnb. Just dandy!

The predominant attraction here is hiking, biking and enjoying the scenery and in our case, also the fall leaves in the  National Park area. 

Several deer greeted us when we arrived at our Airbnb in Glen Arbor!

The Pirate on the shores of Lake Michigan late in the day.

The Dunes are either bare or populated with fragile grasses. Note the turquoise color of Lake Michigan near shore in the background. The pale sands accented the blue colors of the sky and waters. Far in the background, the remaining Leelanau Peninsula stretches far into the lake.

There are "ghost forests" within the dunes. Trees that grow and flourish for a while are sometimes overcome by the sand and winds.

The dunes area was really windy the day we were out there. We had to stop and protect ourselves at times against the cutting sands that blew into our faces. Still, as you see, it is quite stark and beautiful. There are many places to see stunning views of Lake Michigan- deep blue and to the left on the horizon here. South Manitou Island is seen in the far horizon.

Climbing dunes, which is actually a bit challenging, is a favorite activity in the park. The most popular site is called unimaginatively, Dune Climb, and consists of a couple of miles climbing amongst the dunes. We opted for a less popular site a bit further away from the crowds called Sleeping Bear Point. It was a very windswept experience, but many great view of Lake Michigan, dune grasses and ghost forests. The end of this hike was through a white pine forest in a big loop. I wish I could transport the lovely aroma of those trees to anyone reading this but you will have to go experience that for yourself.

In the evening, finding a meal wasn't completely  challenging, but many places are closed Sunday through Tuesday (of course, while we were there!) in the "off season." We had some Detroit leftovers that sufficed in a pinch one night and we made breakfast in our Airbnb.  But we did find nice meals at Good Harbor Grill,  Blu and LeBecasse restaurants. Blu was a pricey and worth it French Bistro. Due to Covid, we had to eat outdoors, and although a bit blustery, a good coat, a heat lamp and a lovely sunset made it all right! LeBecasse which has been in nearby Maple City for over 40 years was also interestingly run by a French trained chef. It is located in a small house. Really nice food and great wine list as well. I think the waiter was drunk, but oh well! Still a little slice of eater heaven in a tiny little community. Who knew? 

This little restaurant in walking distance from our airbnb (really everything in Glen Arbor is walkable) serves mostly local lake fish, chili and such. The night we were there was "Italian takeover night." We were happy to find any food on  a Sunday night in the "off season." 

The outdoor seating at Blu. If in Glen Arbor, go there, even if you have to sit outside in the wind and darkness. Totally worth it.

LeBecasse in the very unassuming burg of Maple City. Open for over 40 years!

Sunset as observed from Restaurant Blu

We hiked many, many miles and probably gained weight due to all the great if limited dining options.

Our second day, we opted for a much longer loop hike called Platte Plains Loop Trail. This was a (mostly) gentle but lengthy sojourn through both pines and hardwoods and around a swampy lake area. At the end, it wandered out onto Lake Michigan for about a half mile of "on the beach" walking (and dodging waves!) This was much different than the dunes. We didn't see very many people at all except as we passed through the camping area. Nice hike. Again, great forest aromas. 

Platte Plains Loop is pretty flat and forested mostly. It was about 8 miles round trip.

We didn't see tons of wildlife. We did see nonpoisonous snakes, squirrels and this nice little frog.

This trail is exceptionally well signposted.

The portion along Lake Michigan. A less windy day and lovely clouds.

Warm enough that the pirate ditched his jacket. 

There are several wineries in Glen Arbor, but we only tried one-- Glen Arbor Wines. (Yeah, they aren't very inventive naming anything in this region!)  Currently, Michigan wineries are avoiding COVID transmission (in theory) by instead of offering a "tasting," offering a "flight" of 1 oz pours. Fine with me! Most offer anywhere from 3 to 5 wines in a "flight." At Glen Arbor, Paul ordered a flight of mostly reds and I ordered white and sparkling. Thusly, we managed to "taste" samples of most of their production. They had three sparklings, all of which were great, and an amazing ice wine. The chardonnay was so-so. 

One other good thing is that there was plenty of social distancing! Michigan seems to take slowing the spread of COVID very seriously. The pirate did EVENTUALLY remove his mask for a sip or two.

Our last day in the area, we decided to make a journey to the very end of the peninsula where the Grand Traverse lighthouse sits. 

The Leelanau peninsula extends a long finger into Lake Michigan on the extreme western coast of the lower part of the state.

The Airbnb owner suggested we visit a rural installation similar to Cades Cove called Port Oneida. This was quaint farmland and buildings Michigan style. They didn't look like Cades Cove but we understood the comparison. Some are still in use. From there, you can access Pyramid Point for a fantastic look at Lake Michigan!

Pyramid Point demands a little walk through the woods--most of it UPHILL on the way out.

We encountered wildflowers on every hike.

Pensive Pirate Paul considers the beauty of Lake Michigan and South Manitou Island from his perch on the sandy bluff at Pyramid Point. 

Port Oneida Farms Heritage Center is part of Sleeping Bear Dunes Park

From here, we made our way a bit further up the Peninsula to Whaleback Recreation Area. There is a conservation movement in the Leelanau Peninsula to buy and preserve public lands and this area is a part of it.

Part of the preserve

Lake Michigan and NORTH Manitou Island from a break in the trees. This was as good a view as we got of the North Island.

Vineyards beside the trail---private property but the trail was well marked.

We did finally make it out to the point to the Grand Traverse lighthouse which had Halloween decor about. We noticed that the state parks decorate heavily for Halloween here in Michigan!

Grand Traverse Lighthouse built in the mid-1800

Pirate Paul communing with a thin visitor to Leelanau State Park

On the way back, amidst all the Biden and Bye-Don and the Trump political signs, we did spot one  that was purely geographic and had to commemorate our arrival at this auspicious location.

Cool!

I do believe that nearly every yard in northern Michigan had a sign proclaiming their voting proclivity!

I haven't seen this one in Tennessee, but it was rampant in the Leelanau peninsula. 

But the good news is, we didn't come here for politics. We came here for to see Michigan-- or  at least part of it. And to celebrate the pirate's 59th birthday. Thank you Michigan for being a scenic and gracious host.

Si Quæris Peninsulam Amœnam Circumspice, "If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you," which is the official state motto.

Paul's Ponderings:   We had a great time in this very diverse area.....the weather was pretty cooperative other than getting stung by sand and wind on the one hike on the dunes.   Unlike "urban Michigan", this area has always been a combination of tourism, farming, and perhaps a bit of logging.   So, the economic impact of the auto industry evolution is less evident here.    That said, Glen Arbor in particular is a lovely town and has the advantage of being hemmed in by the national park, which avoids too much growth.    In the end, we felt like we did the area justice and had a nice variety of experiences.   Perhaps we shall return one day....now it's on to Traverse City for a day as we sort of start our return homeward.