Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

    The Ojibwe have a legend that says there was once a mother bear with two cubs.  They were starving and so she took her cubs and swam across Lake Michigan to find food.  They were almost to land when one by one the cubs sank and died.  The mother was so sad she swam ashore and climbed the bluff to look out over the lake where her cubs had died.  The great Spirit turned the cubs into North and South Manitou islands and mother bear into the Sleeping Bear Dunes.
   The 36 mile Manitou Passage between the islands and the Michigan mainland is a heavily used shipping route.  Unfortunately is has many dangerous shoals and sandbars so there have been many shipwrecks.  In the 1800's ships using this route stopped at small towns along the shore to purchase lumber for fuel for their steam engines.  The lumber industry thrived until the forests were depleted.  Fruit orchards were planted to replace trees. Passengers on the ships stopped in the towns to buy fruit from the orchards and eventually the beautiful area became a destination and tourism became a prime industry.

At the top of one of the highest dunes

    We spent the day stopping at the many beaches, overlooks, and little ghost towns in this park which stretches along the northeast shore.   There is so much to do for the very ambitious younger crowd.   Paved bicycle paths run along much of the seashore.  Kayaks and canoes are for rent to use on the rivers and lakes.  The really adventuresome climb the 200 foot high dunes and slide down again.  The sand is very fine and easy on the feet.  Beaches are everywhere and the water is very clear and not too cold so there were lots of swimmers.  However, on Lake Michigan beaches we saw signs everywhere warning about riptides.  I would go swimming in the Platte River where it meets the big lake instead.  The river was shallow with a slow current and a beautiful sand bottom.
    It was a good day for being in the water with temperatures in the low 80's.  We hopped in and out of the car all day to take short walks to overlooks, take photos, and read the information about the site.  By the end of the day we were both wiped out.  We turned on the air conditioner in the camper and had a short reviving nap.   We could have easily spent a couple more days in this area, but tomorrow we move on - back over that enormous bridge.  Praying for good weather!