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Michigan author Jerry Dennis shared this except from his new book The Windward Shore from University of Michigan Press with us on Absolute Michigan. It features Leelanau's Lake Michigan shore, so in case you missed it, here is is!

The Lake in Winter
by Jerry Dennis

(January, Cathead Point, near the tip of Michigan’s Leelanau Peninsula)

It changes every day, every hour. It is a thousand lakes, changing faces with every shift in wind and light - flurried by offshore wind, whitecapped in squalls, colored flannel gray or pearl-white or stormy black beneath the winter clouds, a dozen blues when the sky is blue. (more...)

This week's photo is Lake Michigan ... from Empire Bluff with a Christmas Eve sunset, from and featuring photographer Ken Scott. See this photo and nearly 300 more in Ken's snow slideshow!

You can check out all kinds park & trail information on our Sleeping Bear Dunes Homepage and get snow & trail condition updates at Ski Leelanau!

There is no better way to get outside and burn off some of those extra holiday calories than by joining a Park Ranger at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore on a guided snowshoe hike every Saturday. Meet at 1 p.m. at the Visitor Center in Empire for these popular weekend afternoon adventures. They take place every Saturday, starting on January 7, 2012 and going through the month of February. Dress in layers, wear waterproof boots, and don’t forget to take your camera along to capture the wonders of winter.

Park Rangers meet interested snowshoers inside the Visitor Center to first provide basic snowshoeing instructions, and then directions to a trailhead or off-trail area pre-selected by the Park Ranger. If you do not have your own snowshoes, the National Park Service will loan you a pair free of charge (they are limited to 30 participants so email or call them to pre-register). While exploring outside, the Park Ranger will encourage participants to inquire and learn about winter’s effect on the park’s unique features. Be prepared to be outside until about 3 p.m.

Not only is snowshoeing easy, fun and good exercise, it is also an activity that can be enjoyed by all ages. The Park Ranger-led hikes are mildly strenuous, yet they proceed at a leisurely pace for no more than one and a half miles. This allows visitors an opportunity for discovery, adventure, and to look for signs of wildlife or evidence of ancient glaciers. Some snowshoers simply want to experience and enjoy a winter wonderland, which is what you will find at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

There is no charge for the programs, however, participants need to display the park entrance pass or have an annual pass to join in the fun. Reservations are not required, but are suggested, especially if you wish to borrow snowshoes or are with a group. Please call (231) 326-5134, ext. 328, for details and to make reservations. For more in-depth information about Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, visit www.nps.gov/slbe.

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.

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.

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.

"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

National Geographic has a new book out entitled The 10 Best of Everything National Parks, and the Detroit Free Press reports that:

Michigan's Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore has one of the top views of any national park.

Listed first for "Hike-to Views" was the park's Sleeping Bear Point Trail with its "beautiful overlooks of Lake Michigan and the surrounding landscape."

Check out the Sleeping Bear Point trail and see other trails in Leelanau.com's Sleeping Bear Dunes guide!

Photo credit: Sleeping Bear Point by Happyhiker4

Here's a slideshow from Joey Randall that takes you to some of the great views around the park!

Robert Earl asked: "Where would be the best sites to see in your area if we only had a weekend to visit?"

I replied:

Hello Robert. Not sure what season you are coming, but the #1 thing is the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Info is on the Park website and our Sleeping Bear Dunes pages. Particularly cool hikes with killer views are Pyramid Point, Empire Bluffs and the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive.

Some other favorites of mine are Inspiration Point on Glen Lake, Fishtown and the beach in Leland, Leelanau State Park and the Grand Traverse Light in Northport.

Then it struck me that some other folks might have suggestions! Post them below!

photo credit: vast sandy wilds by gsgeorge

Next Friday (March 11, 2011) at 7 PM at Brilliant Books in Suttons Bay, Loreen Niewenhuis will release her book, A 1,000-Mile Walk on the Beach. The book chronicles her walk around the shoreline of Lake Michigan and her observations along the way. Absolute Michigan caught up with Loreen and asked her a couple of questions.

ABSOLUTE MICHIGAN: What prompted you to do this?

LOREEN NIEWENHUIS: I've always felt connected to Lake Michigan.  It has always been the place where I relax, walk, and recenter myself.  When I turned 45, I wanted to take on something large, something that would challenge me on many levels.  So, I pulled out my maps of Lake Michigan and plotted a 1000-mile route around it.

ABSOLUTE MICHIGAN: What was your favorite stretch of Michigan beach?

LOREEN NIEWENHUIS: I fell in love with the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and Leelanau Peninsula all over again.  The natural beauty is amazing, the towns are very connected to the lake along this stretch, and there are several excellent independent bookstores along the way.

Visit Loreen's blog for photos from her trip through the Sleeping Bear, read an excerpt from the book over at Absolute Michigan and meet her next Friday at Brilliant Books!