We Might Not Be Back: Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

The first time I went to Michigan I was around 3 or 4 months old. Since that first trip I’ve probably made the 8 hour journey up to Walloon Lake at least 20 times. Recently I’ve realized that within a couple hours of where we stay there are many places I’ve been missing out on. A couple years ago we made a pit stop in Traverse City “on our way” to Walloon Lake. The Old Mission Lighthouse was fantastic and so were the beaches right around Traverse City. This year we took advantage of a sort of overcast day to drive out past Traverse City to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Since going out West last summer we’ve been trying to cram in as many National Parks as possible. We haven’t done as well as I’d hoped. I’d thought we could do 20, but I believe as of now we’ve only done 13.

Having cloudy skies and chilly temperatures definitely worked to our advantage that day. Had the sun been shining bright and the sand been hot and dry there is no way we would’ve made it the 3.5 miles out on the Dune Climb. It was an incredible hike. I don’t think we’ve ever really seen anything like the mountains of sand we crossed here. It was well worth the journey. I think even the girls would agree. They were both proud of themselves for making it all the way.

After that we headed to the scenic drive and stopped off at the bluff to look down at Lake Michigan. I am sad to say we didn’t brave the slope and make it down to the water. I think my kids are pretty tough, but I don’t like to push my luck. The sign at the top about rescue fees made me a little nervous. And then there’s the one in our group who’s not so crazy about heights. I guess you have to save something for the next trip right?