Sleeping Bear Dunes

The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is a 35-mile stretch along northern Lake Michigan. This beautiful area has more beaches and dune formations than we could explore in our one day visit. No worries - we are already scheming of a camping trip to the area in the next couple of summers. (Say what?! My Marriott man agreed to go camping?!)

Once again, the weather did not disappoint: steady breeze, upper 70's, partly cloudy. It's true - every once in a while, Michigan can offer a good display of weather!

For the most part, the kids left Grady and I in the dust as they bolted up dune after dune. They were more interested in getting to the top so they could run down and then turn around and climb up again. Grady and I were more interested in not dying and in taking steady breaths.

Waaaaay in the backdrop you can spot Lake Michigan. In some ways, being surrounded by the dunes gives the feeling of being on the edge of the earth.

After emptying shoes from sand, guzzling water, and consuming watermelon slices, we drove a few miles south to the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive to enjoy some incredible overlook views of the dunes and the lake.

My boys begged (and begged) to climb this dune, but with signs warning an average of two hours to descend and then climb back up, we said no. (Good thing we're considering a trip back to camp in the next year or two, right boys?!)

This bluff is 450 feet above the lake, and the small dots you see along the side are weary climbers making the hike back up.

What a FUN three-day getaway to northern Michigan! The lake, the history, the dunes. The family, the laughs, the memories.

Pure Michigan = Pure Fun. At least when it's warn and sunny.