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Be sure to check this out "background big" and also his Michigan slideshow.

by Bill Herd

When you visit a National Park, the proper question to ask the ranger at the information desk is "What should I see and how do I do it?" If you were to ask how to get to a specific attraction, the ranger will tell you but it may not be the best place for you to go or the most productive use of your time. So give the ranger a chance to share his/her knowledge with you. Next, the ranger will ask you how much time you have to spend in the park.

Only about 10 percent of the people who visit Sleeping Bear Dunes National  Lakeshore stay overnight inside the park at one of the campgrounds and will be around for a few days or more. Many stay at a cottage in the local community and may come into the park a couple of times during their vacation. But by far the great majority of visitors are from outside the immediate area and will only spend one day at the National Lakeshore.

So what should those folks who have only one day do with their limited time in the park? You can't do nearly everything, but if you use your time wisely, come early and stay till sunset, you can experience many of the features that make the National Lakeshore so special.

Nearly every article or guide to the Lakeshore will suggest that you begin with the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive, especially if you have limited time.  The scenic drive is a seven-mile, one-way, paved road through the forest and dunes with boardwalks and overlooks. In my opinion, that is the wrong place to begin especially if you have limited time.  Sure you will see more scenery but it will not have the same impact as actually getting into the dune environment.  I suggest that you start at the Dune Climb.

As a park ranger, it was always frustrating to me to hear parents decide to go on the scenic drive because the kids will see more, or because the dune is too high for their kids to reach the top, even after explaining to them the difference between the scenic drive and the dune climb.  So what if the kids only get halfway up.  The Dune Climb is 130 feet high. Imagine a 65-foot high sand box-what kid wouldn't want to play in that? But its not just kids who have fun on the Dune Climb, its teenagers, college kids, parents, even senior citizens. Just remember it's not a competition; just go at you own pace Getting to the top is not the point. The point is to have fun with a huge pile of fine, clean sand that nature has put there. You may not see as much of the Sleeping Bear Dunes but you will keep it in your memory and in your heart longer than by viewing more of it from a boardwalk and paved overlooks.

Now this is important, tell your group not to go so far that they cannot see your vehicle. You will wave when it is time to come down. At the Dune Climb there is always the impulse to see if Lake Michigan is just over the next dune. Hikers get lured into long unplanned treks. It's a mile and a half across the dunes to Lake Michigan over five big hills. It is a great hike if you are prepared with food, water, sunscreen and three hours but it is not for your group today. Make plans to return another time for that adventure. Today, you might spend as little as a half hour or a couple of hours on the Dune Climb depending on how much time you have and how hot the sand is.

Now is it time for the scenic drive?   No, not yet. Remember I am planning to pack as much as possible into your one-day visit to Sleeping Bear so it is going to be a long day. We'll go to the scenic drive later and be there for the sunset. Hopefully you have packed a lunch that you can eat anytime along the way. If not, head into Glen Arbor to grab some quick food but not a sit down meal. That will take too long but you'll get there later for dinner.

Okay, if your family or group got an early start you get a bonus activity others may not have time for on their one-day visit. For many years I have said, "If you can only hike one trail in the National Lakeshore make it the Sleeping Bear Point Trail (No. 9 on the park map, which describes the hike as strenuous, but we are only doing the first quarter).  After a short hike up a hill about as high as the dune climb but not nearly as hard (because it is gradual and you do not slip back with each step), you come to one of my favorite places in the Lakeshore.  Atop the dune at Sleeping Bear Point you are in the most rapidly moving and changing dune area in the park. Here only the most hardy dune plants survive the harsh conditions because the Point catches wind from every quarter. Around you are areas so frequently blasted by the wind that no plant can survive and only wind-sculptured sand occupies the space. From this vantage point you can see most of the elements that define the character of the National Lakeshore.  In addition to the sand dune at your bare feet, you see a ghost forest, the deep blue water of Lake Michigan and the emerald Manitou Island of legend seven miles off shore.

With lighthouse and Morazan shipwreck on South Manitou, the North Manitou crib lighthouse and the Sleeping Bear Point Coast Guard Station just visible through the treetop behind you, recall the rich maritime history of the Manitou Passage. Across the aqua-colored water of Sleeping Bear Bay you see the forest and open fields of the Port Oneida Rural Historic District, and along the water's edge, a strip of sandy beach stretching for miles. On another visit you can complete the loop trail past Devils Hole but for your one-day visit enjoy the view and dunes then return back to your car the way you came. Good news, its all down hill.

If the day is hot, next, you will want to head to a Lake Michigan beach next, but first check the time. I want you to visit both the Glen Haven Historic Village and the Sleeping Bear Point Coast Guard Station Museum. For a quick visit you will need an hour and a half and they close at 5 PM.  The beach is always open so plan your time accordingly. The good thing is that they are all right together. You can break up your museum tour with a little beach time at either location. The beach at the museum and the village are as nice as any in the Lakeshore, and both have modern restroom facilities. The Glen Haven restrooms even have benches and hooks for changing into to your bathing suit.

The Sleeping Bear Point Coast Guard Stations Life-Saving Museum has exhibits about local shipwrecks and rescues. The station was one of three Life-Saving Service Stations that guarded the Manitou passage. The Coast Guard was called the Life-Saving Service before 1916. A highlight of the museum is the boathouse that contains all the rescue boats and equipment just as it would have been in 1902 when the station opened.   Glen Haven is one of the best surviving examples of a Great Lakes village. While there, watch the blacksmith, visit the boat museum and shop at the general store.

After that you may be hungry, so head the car towards Glen Arbor or Empire for a leisurely sit-down dinner.  After dinner check the time again. You will want to enter the Scenic Drive about an hour before sunset. If you have a little time to spare, you could take a drive through the Port Oneida Rural Historic District five miles north of Glen Arbor, or you could go to the beach on Little Glen Lake across from the Dune Climb, or maybe back to Lake Michigan beach in Glen Haven. Each of these spots is calm and relaxing in the early hour of evening.

When you enter the scenic drive, get the booklet that describes the features. One person can read aloud and act as tour guide. When you exit there is a sign that reads "Return Brochure Here." It should read  "Return Brochure Here if you do not wish to keep it." I can guarantee you that you are welcome to keep the booklet if you wish. (I will work on getting the sign corrected.) There is a new service this year. You can use your cell phone to hear a message about the view you are seeing from the overlooks. Look for the information along the drive.  Get out at each of the overlooks. Hopefully by now everyone in your group is too tired by the events of the day to be tempted to go down the steep bluff at the Lake Michigan overlook. If someone is still considering it, lock him or her in the car! The climb back up makes the Dune Climb seem like a mole hill and you could be there for hours waiting for their return.

Enjoy the sunset over Lake Michigan and the pink glow of the dune sand. Congratulate yourself. By carefully planning your one-day visit to the National Lakeshore you have experienced six (and maybe seven) of my top ten things to do at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

Photo Credits

• Naomi by GH Patriot
• Sleeping Bear Dune Climb by Kerry Kelly (NPS)
• Little Kids & Big Sand by Andrew McFarlane
• The D.H. Day Store by .jowo.
• Point Oneida Farm by rdmegr

Rows of blossoms, photo by newsgirl23

News from the Week

Stories this week included an overview of the nationally significant features of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (part of our summerlong feature on the Lakeshore), the upcoming and inaugural M-22 Challenge, a feature & photo on this weekend's relighting ceremony at the South Manitou Lighthouse and a sweet photo of the Barratt Barn on Port Oneida.

The Week's Weather

This week we finally got some heavy rain but we also enjoyed a beautiful Memorial Day weekend. Lilacs were out and cherry blossoms too! Leave your comments about the news, events or anything else about this week below!

May 21, 2009: Rain & 80 (80/51)
May 22, 2009: Partly sunny & low 60s (65/48)
May 23, 2009: Mostly sunny & 70s (74/45)
May 24, 2009: Sunny & 60s (65/41)
May 25, 2009: Mostly sunny & 70s (72/34)
May 26, 2009: Rain & 50s (59/49)
May 27, 2009: Heavy rain (1.65 inches!) & 50s (56/48)

Get more events (and add your own) at the Leelanau Calendar. Check out today's weather and the Leelanau News Archive from May 2008.

Leelanau Almanac for the Week of May 14-20, 2009 and the Leelanau Almanac for the Week of May 28 -  June 3, 2009.

To those unfamiliar with Leelanau County, M-22 is just a road on a map. To Keegan and Matt Meyers, two kite-boarding brothers from Old Mission, this majestic highway is the call sign of their hearts. Attuned to the frequency of summer, the lakeshore along M-22 beckons the brothers back from far off adventures. Again and again they return to their home and heart, along the dune sloped shores of Lake Michigan, meeting the waves and wind with incomparable appreciation. This mutual reverence motivates them to share their love of the region by offering the M-22 Challenge – a three sport, action adventure event focusing on the splendor of the area.

The said "Broneah Brothers" conceptualized the M-22 Challenge, hoping to translate their passion for the area into an event that could be shared with others. Assembling an all-star cast of coordinators, including their father Matt Meyers, local athletes and promoters, plus the support of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, this event has the makings of a long-standing ritual for both locals and visitors. Participation in this event entitles contestants to an intimate view of the Park and the surrounding lakes. There is no way to possibly be more up close and personal with Northern Michigan than to take on this challenge.

The M-22 Challenge is scheduled for June 20th. The event begins with a two mile run, starting with a 100 yard climb up the steep sand dunes, within the boundaries of the Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore. For the second leg,  contestants will transition to their cycles, taking a 17 mile spin around the Glen Lakes before hitting the water for an exciting finale – a one mile kayaking circuit. The "Challenge" is open to all levels, but the top athletes are expected to complete the course in about two hours.

Participation will be capped around 200 contestants, but there are still spaces available and time to join in the fun. Check out the M-22 Challenge website for complete access to details of the race, including maps depicting the exact run, bike, and kayak courses. Additionally, volunteer opportunities abound. The next volunteer meeting is scheduled for May 26th. If you are curious and want to be involved, but prefer not to race, don't be shy! Inquire about volunteering. Either way, be sure to be involved in this event.

Photo: Glen Arbor Men by Andy McFarlane

KAScott_20081011_8056_trailsb, photo by Ken Scott Photography

This Saturday (May 30) the National Park Service invites you to officially celebrate the relighting of the South Manitou Island Lighthouse. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore installed a replica third-order Fresnel lens in the completely refurbished lantern room of the lighthouse last fall, a historic event was made possible by a partnership between the park service, Manitou Islands Memorial Society, Manitou Island Transit, and Electro-Optics Technology, Inc. The light was tested then, but it was too late in the season for the a formal ceremony.

Starting at 9:00 PM at the Maritime Museum in Glen Haven, a National Park Service ranger will present a half-hour interpretive program about the history of the Manitou Passage and the shipwrecks that made it necessary to install a lighthouse to guide mariners through its hazardous waters. Following the program, Superintendent Dusty Shultz and representatives from the partner groups will provide brief remarks and recognize the numerous donors who made this project a reality. Light refreshments will be served and when it's dark enough, the light will be illuminated.

Ken's photo of the South Manitou Island Light features a collection of 350, 30 second still images stacked to create startrails. Check it out bigger in Ken's sky stuff slideshow.

This image is available for purchase as a fundraiser to help pay off the relighting renovation bills. Contact Ken at Ken Scott Photography for more information.

More about the relighting of the South Manitou Light…

• Light from the South Manitou Lighthouse (includes a cool slideshow)
• A Time-lapse of the relighting by Ken Scott
• South Manitou Light Shines Again (with photos of installation)
  
• A new light for the South Manitou Lighthouse (photos of the lens)
• South Manitou Island Lighthouse Project (details and donations!)

Don doesn't seem to have a ton of shots from Leelanau, but I don't think I've ever seen a better photo of the Barratt Pig Barn in the Port Oneida Rural Historic District of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

See it bigger in his slideshow.

by Bill Herd

It's always fun to go to a park, whether it's a local park with swings and a ball field, or a state park with camping, hiking, and fishing. But National Parks are different. Sure there are still lots of ways to have fun there, but that is not the main reason for their existence. In the U.S., when citizens determine that some place is so important to us that it absolutely positively must be saved for future generations, it is frequently entrusted to the National Park System for preservation.

As a park ranger at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, I routinely greeted groups of visitors with an introduction to the park and the National Park System. I found that for elementary school kids "preservation" is an unfamiliar word. But even lower elementary grade students understand the concept if you ask them whether they have something they like so much that they are trying to make it last forever. Surprisingly, the majority have some object, an old toy, doll, blanket, or model that has special meaning to them and that they want to last. They already know that to make it last they need to be extra careful. They may play with it but not as roughly as they play with other toys.

And so it is with Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Folks have determined that there are important natural and historic features here that need to be preserved as part of our national heritage and passed on to the next generation. We can still have lots of fun in the National Lakeshore but in some areas we need to be more careful so that our fun activities do not harm those features that we agree to protect for our children's children. Visitors to a National Park area need to know what physical features are considered especially important and why. They can plan their time in the park to experience these resources, learn about them, and get the full value from their travel and vacation experience.

Every employee of a National Park should be able to list and explain what features make that national park unit important to our national heritage. Several years ago I prepared this list of nationally significant features of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore to train our seasonal staff. Some of these significant features were identified in the legislation passed by Congress that created the National Lakeshore. Other nationally significant features have been identified later by required inventories, new discoveries, or new understanding of known features.

1. Lake Michigan Lake Michigan is the largest body of freshwater totally within the boundaries of the United States. Its size and water quality makes it a national treasure. However, because of human impacts, it is subject to major changes to its ecology. The park extends 1/4 mile out into Lake Michigan. Of course Lake Michigan can be seen from many locations within the Lakeshore.
2. Lake Michigan Shoreline In the 1960s the primary motivation to create Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore was to protect a large section of pristine Great Lakes shoreline for future generations. The National Lakeshore protects 35 miles on the mainland and another 33 miles around North and South Manitou Islands –68 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline altogether. The park provides public access for recreation and enjoyment. The natural shoreline processes of erosion and deposition continue mostly un-impeded. The shoreline includes special features such as the mouth of the Platte River (the last natural river mouth of any size on the Michigan side of the lake, and one of last on the Great Lakes), a bar lake at North Bar, sand spits at Gull Point and Dimmick's Point and sometimes at Sleeping Bear Point. The shoreline also provides critical habitat for the endangered piping plover, a small, sand-colored shore bird that nests and feeds along sand and gravel beaches.
3. Sand Dunes The eastern shore of Lake Michigan has the world's largest collection of fresh water sand dunes. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore has the greatest concentration and variety of dunes and the largest dune field of any site along this shore. Perched dunes are a rare type of dune formation worldwide and the park has one of the best examples of this type of dune anywhere in the world. Dune types in the park include: shore dunes, perched dunes, falling dunes, dune and swale, dune and swale with river, linear, and parabolic.
4. Vegetated Dunes (Dune vegetation zones) From active dunes to hardwood forested dunes, Sleeping Bear has excellent textbook examples of plant succession on dunes. In fact, the first ecology textbook was conceived after field work at Sleeping Bear and North Manitou by Henry Cowls. The variety of dune types provides the basis for a variety of vegetation habitats on dunes.
5. Historic Maritime Landscape The National Lakeshore includes several maritime related historic districts connected by the waters of the Manitou Passage. Within these districts you will find three Life-Saving Service Stations, a lighthouse, two coastal villages, summer cottages, island farms, and a shoreline that remains undeveloped. Mostly outside the National Lakeshore, but part of this maritime landscape, is the Manitou Passage Underwater Preserve which protects a couple dozen shipwrecks. Together these maritime structures and features create one of the best remaining historic maritime landscapes in the nation.



6. Historic Agricultural Landscape The Port Oneida Rural Historic District, which contains 18 farms and 3,000 acres of land, is the largest intact historic agricultural landscaped fully protected from development in the United States. In addition, the park has two more agricultural districts on the mainland and another on each island. While already significant, these historic agricultural districts will become even more important in future years as older farm buildings across the Midwest disappear and rural areas undergo modern development
7. Glacial Landscape Knowledgeable geologists say that the park has the best examples of the effects of continental glaciations of any unit of the National Park System. The glaciers retreated from the park 11,000 years ago. This is a young land and the marks of the glaciers are still fresh. Of course the park's major landscape features, such as Lake Michigan, the inland lakes, and the rolling sand-deposit hills found here, are the direct result of the glaciers. Glen Lake was formed when glacial waters melted and the Earth rebounded, closing off the bay entrance.Often it is the smaller almost unnoticeable marks on this young landscape that geologist find most exciting. For example, marks in the hillsides, such as the Alligator's snout on Alligator Hill indicate the shorelines of ancient ice border lakes. Another example is the ridge in the open fields south of Empire, which reveal the meander bend of a huge melt water river. A long little hump behind the parking lot at the Dune Climb, small ravines in the field by the Windy Moraine parking lot, and a clay pit near Devil's Hole all have important meanings to geologists and those interested in the Earth's history .



8. Two Large, Undeveloped Fresh Water Islands: North Manitou and South Manitou Large islands in fresh water lake are uncommon worldwide and publicly accessible large, undeveloped islands in fresh water are rare. Because of their isolation, islands have their own ecology, history, and mystique. They provide an opportunity to protect fragile resources and natural processes.
9. Diverse Habitats The Lakeshore's many landforms create a variety of habitats that support a large array of plants and animals. The Lakeshore provides critical habitat for rare, threatened and endangered plants and animals, and the Lakeshore has more species of nesting birds than any other unit in the National Park System.
10. Non-threatening Habitats that Encourage Visitor Interaction Sand dunes, beaches, forest trails, gentle streams, and open fields invite visitors to get out of their cars and experience the natural environment. For several years, Sleeping Bear Dunes has been voted the best family nature vacation spot in the Midwest. Our park's natural environment is fun and welcoming. This non-threatening natural environment can support a wide variety of outdoor recreation. More than most National Parks, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore provides safe opportunities for families with limited outdoor skills to have fun and adventure outdoors. Fun outdoors is the greatest single factor in persuading people to take a greater interest in protecting the environment.

There are the ten features of national significance. Later I will discuss each one in more detail with specific information about how and where to best experience each feature.

Photos:

• Sleeping Bear Dunes by StacyN – MichiganMoments
• Big Blue by Bean in Sylvan Lake
• Ghost forest by mfophotos
• Paddock Candy by smartee_martee
• Kayaking to South Manitou Island by cedarkayak

Blue Moon in Cedar, photo by Pentax K1000 Gal

News from the Week

In addition to the introduction of our new Guide to the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, we also had a feature on the release of the completed Grand Vision document and a cool cherry blossom photo.

The Week's Weather

The week's weather was great – lots of sun, some much needed rain and temperatures that made it feel like summer is right around the corner. Which it is.

May 14, 2009: Rain & 60s (63/47)
May 15, 2009: Sunny & 70 (71/35)
May 16, 2009: Early rain, then partly sunny, breezy & 50s (31/36)
May 17, 2009: Sunny, breezy & 50s (57/30)
May 18, 2009: Mostly sunny, breezy & upper 60s (69/43)
May 19, 2009: Mostly sunny, breezy & upper 60s (69/47)
May 20, 2009: Sunny, windy & 80s!! (87/48)

Post your comments about the week's happenings – news, events, whatever below.

Explore Leelanau News & Events

Get more events (and add your own) at the Leelanau Calendar. Check out today's weather and the Leelanau News Archive from May 2008.

Here's the Leelanau Almanac for the Week of May 7-13, 2009 and the Leelanau Almanac for the Week of May 21-27, 2009.

Hey! There's also the annual Cedar Plant Sale on Saturday, May 23 from 9 am-4 pm next to the river in Cedar. This is a major fundraiser for the Cedar Area Community Foundation and their 256 dates of free activities throughout the year. Healthy perennials and wildflowers, inspected, are ready for planting in your garden. Prices start at $2!

The Annual Plant Sale on the Village Green in Leland is coming! Last fall and this spring the Leelanau Conservancy Wildflower Rescue Committee dug up, potted and whisked native wildflowers out of the path of impending development. Now is your chance to purchase unusual natives like ferns, trout lilies and trillium, along with a huge selection of nursery perennials.

Sale begins Friday, May 22 and runs 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday and Sunday noon to 4 p.m. All proceeds help maintain the Village Green.

In addition to being sold in this sale, many rescued plants have been donated to public gardens such as The Old Settlers Park in Glen Arbor, The Leland Children’s Center, The Old Art Building in Leland, Munson Hospice House in Traverse City, and The Leland Village Green. If you know of a site where wildflowers might be saved, or are planning to excavate your own property, call Rescue chairs Patty Shea: 256-9249 or Joanie Woods: 256-7154.

Village Green Plant Sale – Photo by Keith Burnham, Leland Report

Leland Public School students will present LEELANAU REMEMBERS, a video presentation featuring excerpts from oral history interviews completed with ten Leelanau residents over the past year. The presentation will take place in the Performing Arts Center at Leland School at 7 PM and is free to the public.

The project is sponsored by the Leelanau Historical Museum and interviewees include Susan Cordes, Judy Egeler, Dick Ristine, Charlie Stander, John VanRaalte, MaryEllen Gould Hadjisky, Bud Anderson, Jeanetta Gibson (pictured), Ardith Bugai, and Bruce Price.