On our last full day in Michigan, we went to the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
We started at the Sleeping Bear Life Saving Station. It was a foggy morning, so it was a perfect time to be there as we could see first-hand why it needed a Coast Guard presence. The fog was so thick that we could barely see the buildings, and barely see the shore. But I thought it made for some cool pictures.
From the Life Saving Station, we headed south to the place where you were allowed to climb the sand dune. The Dune Climb is a pretty popular. I didn't intend to climb on it, but we'd had such a heavy rain the night before that had packed down the sand so it was pretty stable and easier to walk on. So I went about halfway up before turning around.
Next we went to the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive. We used DH's national park pass for the entrance fee ($25). This is a one-way 7.4 mile drive that has 12 stopping points where you can park, pull over, and even go for a hike at some of them. They also have beautiful views of Lake Michigan and the Sleeping Bear Dunes. Here are some of the pictures we took.
Because we started from the north end of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, we ended our time at the Visitor Center. There's a film that explains the history, culture, geology, and geography of the area. There's a display area that highlights the natural habitats including wildlife and plants of the region. And of course a gift shop where I bought postcards and also some sour cherry candies since I didn't get anything at Cherry Republic the night before.
DH says that Sleeping Bear Dunes was the coolest thing we saw up to that point, and as I'm writing this from Gatlinburg, Tennessee, near the end of our trip, I just confirmed that it is still the coolest thing we saw! Big shout out to my internet mom friends who highly recommended we take the time to go!
Have you been to Sleeping Bear Dunes? Did you climb the dune? Did you drive the scenic route?
~ Cindy D.
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