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

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

SRJacobs (Spencer Jacobs) is a structural engineer from Michigan with a lot of hobbies which include photograph & travel. Check this photo out bigger and more from North Manitou Island in his North Manitou Island slideshow!

You Can Have It Your Way and Inexpensively.

by Bill Herd

Camping is as American as apple pie—oops, I mean cherry pie. It’s part of our pioneer heritage. Not too many generations back, we were all outdoor folks, hunters in the forest, shepherds on the hillsides, herders on the plains, farmer tilling the soil, fishing folk and sailors at sea. For many of us, being outdoors is part of our genetic makeup. When the weather turns fair we long to be out of the city and back in the countryside. A tent and a campfire are two of our favorite companions.

Except for recreational vehicle campers that require full hook ups, camping at Sleeping Bear Dunes has something for everyone, so you really can “have it your way.” From vehicle camping with modern restrooms and electric to backpacking on a remote wilderness island, you will find opportunities for the type of camping you seek for your next trip. Best of all, camping is inexpensive. A site with electric and a Lakeshore pass will cost just $150 for seven nights, a small fraction of what a modest cottage on an inland lake would cost for a week. In these tough economic times, camping may be just what we need.

I did not realize just how important camping might be this year until I read two articles in the same newspaper. The first article talked about the stress the current economic crisis is having on individuals and families. The article recommended that families think about alternative vacations, and have fun simply spending time together. The second article reported that a large numbers of families would not be taking a vacation this summer because of the economy. So, just when families need a vacation for their mental health, they will not be taking one. But a camping vacation to Sleeping Bear Dunes can provide an enjoyable, fun-filled vacation and still save a large amount of money, not to mention a number of activities that are available at little or no expense.

The Platte River Campground is the park’s premier campground. Campers who have camped at many different National Parks often remark that is the nicest campground in the entire system. The campground has paved roads, which keeps dust from smothering you, your campsite and the nearby vegetation. Campsites are generous and spaced well apart and take full advantage of the terrain with abundant vegetationbetween sites. Campground staff keep the modern restrooms immaculate and “These are the cleanest restrooms I’ve ever seen” is often heard by Park staff. The ultimate luxury for a camper is a hot shower, which is available for a small fee. (They are a $1 for six minutes—let your teenagers use their own money for any additional time they feel they need) Some of the Platte River Campground sites have electric hook-ups and some can be reserved ahead. From the back of the campground there is a half-mile trail that leads to Lake Michigan and a nice sandy beach. One of the big advantages of the Platte River Campground is that poison ivy is not common and most years mosquitoes are few because of the well drained sandy soil, which are actually ancient dunes.

The campground also features 25 walk-in sites, which give campers a rare opportunity to get away from vehicles and traffic and get closer to nature with a short hike that's not farther than a city block. Once set up, life at your walk-in site takes on a relaxed pace and atmosphere. Parents of young children do not have to constantly watch to be sure the kids are not in the campground road. They can also enjoy themselves as the young ones amuse themselves in nature’s playground. Campers are often reluctant to use these sites fearing the extra work required to carry their gear to the campsite. Usually, however, they are pleasantly surprised to find that the close-to-nature experience is worth the extra effort. Here is a hint: it is not necessary to carry all your gear to the campsite. Rangers suggest that campers store food in their vehicle at night, so just take the food you need for the next meal. Likewise, you will be returning to the parking area to use the rest rooms and showers so just leave your clean clothes and towels in the vehicle. I cannot think of any other place where you can camp away from traffic and still have easy access to modern restrooms and hot showers. You get the best of both worlds. If that's not enough, at the back of the restroom is a kitchen sink with hot water where you can wash dishes. I encourage you to consider the walk-in sites. However, full disclosure requires me to inform you that the walk-in sites were my idea when we were developing the design plans for the reconstruction of the campground.

The D.H. Day Campground on Lake Michigan near the Sleeping Bear Dunes provides traditional rustic campsites—no electric, no flush toilets, no showers. It has been a favorite campground for Michigan families for generations. Highlights of the campground are its simple, widely spaced campsites, airy pine and oak forest and its close proximity to the Lakeshore’s main attractions. D.H. Day Campground is named for local lumber and shipping entrepreneur David Henry Day, who owned most of the adjacent forest, and donated 32 acres of land along the shore of Lake Michigan to the state for Michigan’s first state park in 1920. You can visit his company town of Glen Haven, which is now a historic village, just a short walk from the campground. One disadvantage of this campground is the large amount of poison ivy. Just about every plant that is not a tree is poison ivy, so beware and stay on the campsite, paths and roads. Since the early part of the last century the National Park Service has provided high quality ranger programs in its campgrounds. Both campgrounds continue this National Park tradition with evening amphitheater programs or hikes.

For those who wish for a more adventurous camping experience, the Lakeshore has two hike-in campgrounds on the mainland and two on South Manitou Island. Hiking distance is about a mile to a mile and a half depending on the one you choose. On the mainland the White Pine Backcountry Campground is the most popular since its sites are near Lake Michigan. The six sites are in the pines just back of the dunes at the middle of Platte Plains, close to the lake but not so close that you will have sand in your sleeping bag and food. The Valley View Campground on the edge of the Port Oneida Historic District seldom gets used since its sites are not on a body of water. They are located in a sunny meadow surrounded by mature hardwood forest, and if you want to camp in solitude, this is your place. The hike-in campgrounds on South Manitou Island are the Bay and Weather Station; both are close to Lake Michigan. A normally overlooked hike-in campground is on North Manitou Island not far from the dock. Since most campers to the north island are backpackers who want to put some miles on their boots, you can usually have the campground to yourself. Set up camp and enjoy the beach, forest and historic village. If your family is not up to backpacking because of age, this may be the best place in the park. On one of our family camping trips to this campground, campers ranged in age from one year to 80. All campers on North Manitou need to be prepared to purify their drinking water, including those camped in the campground.

Backpackers who want to hike farther have two choices: Popple Campground on the north side of South Manitou and North Manitou Island. The Popple Campground is slightly over three miles from the dock. On North Manitou backpackers can select their own camping spot on the 15000 acre island, an opportunity not allowed on most other public lands. However, there are some important restrictions the ranger on North will tell you about when you register for a backcountry permit. Campers on either Manitou Island need to remember to take everything they need. There are no stores on the islands so if you forget batteries for your camera or insect repellant you will have to do without. On the other hand, the islands are about as safe as backcountry camping venue as you will fine anywhere. There are no dangerous animals, you can not get lost for too long before you find a known landmark, rangers are nearby if someone gets hurt or sick and, if needed, for emergency evacuation the Coast Guard helicopter is just a few minutes away in Traverse City.

For detailed information about camping fees, reservations and rules check the camping pages on the official Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore web site and also the camping fees & reservations page. Group sites are also available at both main campgrounds and on both islands.

Photos

• Platte River National Campground by rharlow
• Untitled by cyoas55
• Untitled by cyoas55
• Tent Crescent City by Arace

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!)

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

Leelanau.com is committed to developing a truly comprehensive guide to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The Guide will have basic information for first-time visitors, as well as in-depth features about park resources for folks who are already familiar with the National Lakeshore but want to be even better informed. I have enthusiastically agreed to edit this Guide. For the last 35 years I have had what many folks would consider to be one of the best jobs in America. As a National Park Ranger/Interpreter at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, it was my job to learn as much as possible about the park and to share this knowledge with visitors in an interesting and understandable way. Four decades of leading hikes, giving tours, and presenting campfire talks have provided me with a wealth of knowledge about the park. Equally important, years of answering questions at the information desk has given me understanding about what visitors want and need to know. While I am no longer a National Park Ranger, I will be providing the same types of services to park visitors at Leelanau.com.

Leelanau.com is an ideal place to host such a Lakeshore guide. For years folks interested in Leelanau County have gone to Leelanau.com to get the information they need about lodging, dining, activities, and special events. The staff at Leelanau.com have been long-time supporters of the National Lakeshore, helping to promote its programs and special events. Equally important, Leelanau.com has donated valuable services to many of the nonprofit groups working to preserve the natural and historic features on the Leelanau Peninsula. They are an important partner in protecting the environment that makes the area such a wonderful place to live and visit.

When I began as a seasonal ranger in 1973, the National Park Service only owned about 500 acres of land. As the park developed over the years, I took part in most of the meetings, planning sessions, and project reviews. I not only know the park facilities and activities, I helped develop most of them: from ski trails to historic villages. Frequently, during my ranger career, I would get a call from a travel writer who was seeking information about Sleeping Bear Dunes. Sometimes they had been visited the park once or twice but were still a bit fuzzy about what was where. Many times they had never even been to the National Lakeshore. You will not find any articles by these “instant” experts in this Guide, because this guide will not only be comprehensive, it will be accurate. I will personally write most of the weekly feature articles and I will review all of the information put up on the site to be certain it is correct and up to date. As the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is too diverse for any one person to know everything about it, I will be inviting guest writers who I know are experts on specific park topics.

During the first weeks the site is up, we will be addressing the basics—the most important things to see and do, campground choices, dunes, and beaches. The things folks need to know to plan their visit. However, just as basic is knowing why the National Lakeshore is important is the knowledge of what physical features are nationally significant and why. I begin the site with a quick overview of the park’s significant features and where you can see and experience them. In the following weeks I will explore many of these significant features in greater detail. There is a fair about of information about Sleeping Bear Dunes on the web, some of it quite good, some questionable, and much of it is difficult to locate. We will provide links to the sites with good information such as the park’s official website and the Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes website.

Guiding hikes and tours at the Lakeshore gave me an opportunity to communicate directly with park visitors. It was a joint experience as they added their comments and questions. I would like to continue this two-way dialog, so the site will also provide a way for readers to easily provide comments and questions. I look forward to this new venture and hearing your questions and suggestions. We all love this area and together we can help others understand, appreciate, and protect it.

Bill Herd
Editor

Photos: Bill Herd at Snowshoe Hike (NPS)
~~Follow Me ~~ by KT of Lake Orion

Speaking of Photos...

We'd love it if you would share your photos of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in the Leelanau (dot com) pool on Flickr!

Todd (cedarkayak) writes that: the hike along the Northeast side of the island leads past a series of valleys. After passing fern valley, the hiker discovers a valley covered with ivy.

This photo is part of his incredible North & South Manitou Island set (slideshow). You'll also want to check out his Photo Paddling and Sleeping Bear Dunes sets.

Frozen to South Manitou by farlane

News from the Week

Stories this week included a national radio feature on Leelanau Hoop Houses and CSA Farms, the winners of our Grocer's Daughter Chocolates Valentine's Giveaway and a look at the odd phenomenon known as "guerrilla knitting" that has arrived in Suttons Bay.

The Week's Weather

The week's weather was great ... for April. For February, I found it to be scary and upsetting as it whacked our beautiful snow cover.

February 5, 2009: Light snow and teens (26/5)
February 6, 2009: Sun & 30s (36/4)
February 7, 2009: Sunny & 50! (50/30) TIED the record from 1925!
February 8, 2009: Sunny & 30s (37/25)
February 9, 2009: Partly sunny & 40 (41/23)
February 10, 2009: Sunny, windy & upper 50s (57/37) Record High!
February 11, 2009: Rain & 40s (46/36)

<Leelanau Almanac for the Week of February 12-18, 2009

Leelanau Almanac for the Week of January 29 - February 4, 2009>

Ken Scott has produced this cool time-lapse video of the re-lighting of the South Manitou Island Lighthouse (complete with a soundtrack from mobygratis). Read more about this from the Re-Light the Lighthouse page and from Leelanau.com and thanks to Jim Stamm for pointing it out to me!