Leelanau.com Blog
leelanau county news • traverse city news • michigan news

Here's a great video by Andrea Maio with naturalist Susan Fawcett about the work of SEEDS Youth Conservation Corps this summer on South Manitou Island. The Youth Conservation Corps is modeled after the Civilian Conservation Corps of the 1930s New Deal and works to help them build "green collar" job skills.

You an also see a video of their work on barn preservation on the Island.

SEEDS Youth Corps/South Manitou Island from andrea claire maio on Vimeo.

"It looks like nothing else in America."
~Josh Elliot of Good Morning America

Good Morning America has named the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore as their Most Beautiful Place in America!

Tens of thousands of viewers voted online for this Michigan park, which is one of the nation's best-kept secrets. The 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.

..."GMA" viewer Jim Madole of Grand Rapids, Mich., nominated Sleeping Bear for its natural beauty.

"It is peaceful and serene, a place for gazing out into the world, night or day, and realizing that the universe is truly a magical, majestic mystery, and humans are just a very small part of it all," he wrote in his submission. "Here at Sleeping Bear, I sit in awe and wonder at the perfection of Mother Nature."

Click through to see what Mario Batali has to say about the Sleeping Bear Dunes and explore it in depth at the official Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore website and in our clairvoyantly titled section,  America's Lakeshore: The Sleeping Bear Dunes! Get some amazing photos in the Sleeping Bear Dunes slideshow from the Leelanau.com group on Flickr!

Photo Credit: Visions in the Manitou Passage by Happyhiker4

Over on Absolute Michigan Bob Lovik has a great feature on Spring Hikes in the Grand Traverse Region that features photos from frequent Leelanau.com contributer Mark Lindsay.

Bob talked with two of of the region's hiking experts: John Heiam, president of the Grand Traverse Hiking Club (GTHC), and Dick Naperala, field trails coordinator with the GTHC. John & Dick highlighted some great hikes in our region. For "most overlooked hike" they tapped on of my favorites - head up the Dune Climb in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and walk to Lake Michigan (that's where the shipwreck washed up late last fall). They add:

If you are looking for wildflowers, and those aforementioned trilliums, mid-April and May are generally the best times to hit the trail. And head to North and South Manitou Island for the most diverse and unique wildflowers in our region. Ferries depart to the island from the town of Leland on the Leelanau Peninsula. South Manitou is more scenic with a lighthouse, shipwrecks and dunes while North Manitou provides better opportunities for backpacking and multi-day trips.

Photo Credit: Sleeping Bear Sandunes by Happyhiker4

This photo by m•cole•m is so awesome (see larger in her slideshow) that I had to post it with the Legend of the Sleeping Bear. The tale is kind of the Leelanau creation story, and I rewrote it because I couldn't find a version online that I liked. If anyone has suggestions, please let me know or post a comment.

Years and years ago, in the great forest that covered the place that is now named Wisconsin, lived Mishe Mokwa (Mother Bear) and her two cubs. One day, a roaring fire swept through the woods, burning everything from horizon to horizon and driving Mishe Mokwa, her cubs and all the animals before it. Soon they came to a place where they could go no further, the great Lake Michigan.

Like all bears, Mishe Mokwa and her cubs were powerful swimmers, and at her urging they plunged into the lake. Mishe Mokwa knew there would be no food after the fire was spent, so she kept the light and smoke of the fire behind them and swam east. Now bears are powerful swimmers, and Mishe Mokwa and her cubs were fat from the bounty of the forest so they were able to swim through that day and through the night. Somewhere in the dark she lost them.

Late in the next day, she sighted the tall white dunes of Michigan. When she reached the shore and looked back,  her cubs were nowhere to be seen. She called to them with no answer, finally climbing the dunes to look back. As the sky turned red with sunset, she saw her cubs struggling far offshore through the cold waters. Her heart broke as first one and then the other slipped beneath the waves.

Heartbroken and exhausted, she lay upon the dune for days and days, watching the places where her cubs had perished. Gitche Manitou was moved by her sorrow and faithfulness and raised two islands, North Manitou and South Manitou to celebrate the bravery of the cubs. Knowing that her heart would never mend, Gitche Manitou laid a slumber upon Mishe Mokwa and drew the sand over her like a blanket.

The fact that the Westmoreland was one of the earliest propellers on the Lakes and that she was almost brand new (one year old) when she sank makes for a great shipwreck story. But when stories of her fabled cargo started circulating around the wharfs and bars of Milwaukee and Frankfort she became a legend.

Stories of gold in the strong box and brandy and whiskey in her hold seem to emanate for the Westmoreland’s first mate, Paul Pelkey. Captain Pelkey was far from a crackpot and considered a very capable seaman and navigator. Captain Pelkey returned in 1872 and 1874 to get at the cargo of the Westmoreland. That’s a lot of time and effort to put into something, unless you knew something was there…

~via MichiganMysteries.com

The other day, the Sleeping Bear Dunes blog tipped us off to a story from earlier in the summer that we missed. I talked with Ross for a bit this morning. He told me that it was his intention to leave artifacts at the wreck, because it's the law and also to give people the experience of diving an "underwater museum." He also let me use these photos he took - see more on his Facebook!

The Traverse City Record-Eagle article Diver says he found Westmoreland shipwreck explained that diver Ross Richardson of Lake Ann combed the waters near the Sleeping Bear Dunes for years seeking the Westmoreland — a vessel that foundered near South Manitou Island in a Lake Michigan winter storm on Dec. 7, 1854.

Richardson, however, kept his discovery a secret until he could set aside time to dive down and see the ship up close. His brother joined him three days later, and they filmed underwater video of the Westmoreland, which rose 30 feet above the sand in some spots. Richardson then posted the video on his website, www.michiganmysteries.com.

"I was shocked," Richardson said of his discovery. "It's an area of underwater archaeology that's kept it pretty hidden. It's a good piece of history."

Several expeditions failed in the search of the 200-foot Westmoreland, though some newspaper reports from the late 19th century indicate the vessel was located. Historians believe it was sunk by a wicked winter storm. Stories passed down over generations about treasure aboard the ship, but Richardson refutes those claims.

"There's no proof or records of it down there," he said.

Anyway, here's the video (no sound) and you can read more about the Westmoreland and other Michigan mysteries on his web site.

Mark gets a rare back-to-back feature on the Leelanau Almanac for this amazing shot of South Manitou Island. Be sure to check this out bigger and post your comments and thoughts about the week and what you're seeing & doing below!

On Fridays we'll post our weekly email newsletter in case you're not on our list. If you do want to join our list, just enter your email in the form at the top right.We promise we won't share your email address with anyone! (more...)

dancingfrogz captured this Leland Sunset on the day after the Winter Solstice. Be sure to check out the rest of her photostream.

Since Leelanau is home to so many great restaurants, Leelanau.com would like to start a monthly feature or review of the local restaurants. Since the Leelanau.com staff is too busy during the summer to actually enjoy dining out, we thought we'd start with the place where we probably eat at the most this time of year....The Cheese Shanty in Fishtown. We eat here not only out of convenience, as our office is walking distance, but also for the same reason everyone else does.....the highly revered pretzel bread.

In mid April, as spring fever hits Leelanau, one of the main questions asked is: When is the Cheese Shanty going to open for the season?  The Cheese Shanty frenzy continues all summer, as tourists and locals alike flock there for such favorites at the North Shore or the Lake Street.  With their unique combination and flexibly to build your own sandwich, The Cheese Shanty has something for everyone.

But The Cheese Shanty isn't just about the sandwiches, they offer award winning Leelanau wines, a large selection of beer, local products, and over 60 imported cheeses!  Quick tip before visiting:  Check out their menu online, then call ahead to place your order!  And don't forget your punch card!

Photo: Opening Day at The Cheese Shanty. Hooray! by Pentax K1000 Gal

If you are interested in having your restaurant featured, please contact Laura at info@leelanau.com