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This week's photo was taken by Andy McFarlane last November from atop the Sleeping Bear Dunes on the way to the shipwreck that had washed ashore. Check it out background big and in his Sleeping Bear Shipwreck slideshow.

All November on Absolute Michigan we are featuring shipwrecks.  Leelanau is not without its own shipwrecks stories, and the tale of the wreck of the Rising Sun is one of these (be sure to click the pic for a larger view too!). Pyramid Point - Shipwrecks of the Manitou Passage from Life Along the Manitou Passage probably tells it best:

The remains of a shipwreck can be seen if you stand on top of Pyramid Point with the sun at your back. In the water below lies what is left of the iron boiler of the steamship RISING SUN.

The date was October 29, 1917. Coming south through the Manitou Passage, the steamship RISING SUN was going south for the winter carrying farmers and their harvest from Summer Island. She strayed off course in high winds and snow and went aground at night on the Pyramid Point shoal. Passengers and crew struggled ashore through the frigid surf and sought help from farmers living in nearby Port Oneida. The Sleeping Bear Point Coast was alerted and arrived by surf boat the next morning to find only an elderly man still on board. He slept through the ship's grounding!

An interesting side note is that the Rising Sun was owned by the House of David, a religious organization based in Benton Harbor that is a fascinating story as well! You can also check out the location of the Rising Sun and other Leelanau shipwrecks on this diving map of Leelanau.

The photo comes from the excellent online photo collection of the Traverse Area Historical Society. It was taken on October 29, 1917 by Carrie (Labare) Craker. (From the left) Martha (Popa) Craker is shown holding her daughter Julia Craker, W. A. Craker and Clifford Craker. The remainder are unidentified.

John McCormick aka Michigan Nut is one of my favorite Michigan photographers, and he recently took a vacation on the Leelanau Peninsula. Here's a slideshow of his photos and for a real treat, check out his Flickriver.

What can you say except for "Take THAT doubters of the most beautiful place award!"?

Terry took this shot of North Bar Lake and Lake Michigan from the Pierce Stocking overlook. Check it out bigger and in his slideshow.

The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore sent this over:

Fall was traditionally "shipwreck season" on the Great Lakes, and before radio communications were used at sea, ships could not call for help. Spotting a vessel in distress from the shore was the only way rescue crews knew that their assistance was needed. Therefore, 100 years ago beach patrol was an essential duty of a U.S. Life-Saving Service (LSS) surfman, who set out each night to hike the shoreline in search of ships in distress.

You have a chance to experience a little of what that was like on Saturday, October 8 and/or October 15 as you join Park Rangers to recreate a traditional evening beach patrol. Dress for the weather and meet at the Sleeping Bear Point Life-Saving Service Station/Maritime Museum in Glen Haven at 7:30 p.m.

You'll hear an in-depth explanation of the patrol process and some local shipwreck stories inside the station, then join National Park Service Ranger for a lantern-lit hike along the beach. There are always a few surprises along the way and everyone should carry a flashlight for safety. Wind and rain will only make the patrol more authentic, so be ready for any weather!

Unlike the original surfmen, hikers may turn back at any time during the one-hour, one mile roundtrip beach walk and return to the Maritime Museum where they will be welcomed by a volunteer and find shelter.

The entire program lasts about two hours. For more information, you can call the National Lakeshore at 231-326-5134, visit their website at www.nps.gov/slbe and join them on Facebook.

This Saturday (October 8th) from 5-8:30 PM the Run for Palestine takes place at the Food For Thought Farm. It's a special event featuring a 5k run followed by a post-race pasta dinner and movie under the stars.

The course is mostly road, with the 10K entering parts of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Following the races, participants and their families can hang out on the Food For Thought farm and enjoy dinner and a movie.

Bring your running shoes, blanket and loved ones. Funds raised will go to Run Across Palestine, a running expedition to raise money to assist Palestinian olive oil farmers by providing trees and scholarships to olive oil farming families.

The price for adults is $30 in advance or $35 day-of with kids 12 and under $15 in advance ($20 at the door). You can also sign up for dinner and movie only (kids 12 and under eat free) for $15. Here's the link to register online.

Contact Norm Plumstead by email with any questions.

Here's a slideshow from the Run for Palestine last year from lostgears.

In case you're wondering How Sleeping Bear was voted America’s most beautiful place, the Glen Arbor Sun has your answer. This interesting look at how a relatively tiny market used social media and no small measure of natural assets to score a victory on the national stage is well worth a read. It begins:

Ever since Wednesday, August 17, Northern Michiganders have both embraced and grappled with the news that the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and surrounding region are considered the “most beautiful place in America” — at least according to 22 percent of 100,000 voters who participated in the ABC show Good Morning America’s online competition the second week of August.

Sleeping Bear narrowly beat out Asheville, N.C., for the top spot and also bested vista heavyweights, Newport, R.I., Cape Cod, Mass., Point Reyes, Calif., Aspen, Col., Sedona, Ariz., Destin, Fla., Lanikai Beach, Hawaii, and Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. Those vanquished opponents are known worldwide for their beaches, their lobster, their sunsets, their skiing and their peaks. Suffice to say, we’re now on the map too...

Read on at the Glen Arbor Sun and read more about the Good Morning America award on Leelanau.com!

Photo Credit: The Southwest Entrance to the Manitou Passage by jimflix!

Thanks to the Sleeping Bear Dunes Visitor's Bureau for this news!

This Saturday (Sep 24) is National Public Lands Day. NPLD is the nation's largest, single-day volunteer event for public lands in the United States, and last year. The impact is huge, especially in this era of declining budgets and last year's 170,000 volunteers worked at over 2,080 sites in every state:

• Removing an estimated 450 tons of trash
• Collecting an estimated 20,000 pounds of invasive plants
• Building and maintaining an estimated 1,320 miles of trails
• Planting an estimated 100,000 trees, shrubs and other native plants
• Contributing an estimated $15 million to improve public lands across the country

The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is inviting you to be a part of this by helping to clean up beaches in the Lakeshore on Saturday from 12-3 PM. Admission to all national parks, including the National Lakeshore, is free Saturday, and volunteers will receive a voucher to use for entrance to various parks at a later date.

Christian took this shot of Sleeping Bear Bay at the end of August from atop Alligator Hill. You can see it bigger or in his Sleeping Bear Dunes slideshow.

2010 Winner Topher Fast

On Saturday, September 3rd, at 9 am, Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear (PHSB) will host the second annual Port Oneida Barn to Barn Run/Walk – a 5K on the Bayview Trail in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The Sleeping Bear Dunes were recently voted as the most beautiful place in America by Good Morning America. "What ABC didn't mention in their wonderful coverage, is that in addition to its magnificent natural beauty, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore also boasts ‘one of the most prized historic landscapes in the nation' – an honor, and a treasure that contributes to this most beautiful place", said Susan Pocklington, Director of the nonprofit park partner.

The race starts and finishes at the Charles Olsen Farm located right off the trail in the Port Oneida Rural Historic District, 3 miles north of Glen Arbor on M-22. The course meanders through the Port Oneida Rural Historic District, passing old farmsteads and panoramic views of Lake Michigan. Kids can join in the fun too with a 1/4 mile Kids Dash to the Schoolhouse.

Pre-registration is $20 through August 27th and $30 after that. The event will be limited to 300 participants this year. For registration and details, visit www.phsb.org, or contact 231-334-6103.