Mackinac Island and Grand Hotel

Mackinac Island was once again a spectacular place to visit and Betty and I both purchased sweat shirts which felt wonderful on the boat ride to the Island. No cars are allowed on Mackinac Island - the transportation is by hourses, bikes and feet! Even the UPS trucks get delivered by boat to the dock and then unloaded into horse drawn carraiges for delivery. Beer, luggage, and people all experience a real step back in time! We had lunch at the Grand Hotel and the food and service was wonderful and we do not need supper tonight! The houses, flowers, and views spectacular.

A final day in the northern part of lower Michigan

Cherrries everywhere - tart, sweet, and of course pies! Yesterday we traveled across the Mackinac Bridge and now we are in the "UP". We are loaded with cherries and getting ready for the fudge!

Beach Views

You have now seen the dunes but we also did lots of sightseeing, shopping, and exploring and went to this pretty beach. Loved the sign, the views and was grossed out by the large remains of a huge fish which must have been 4 - 5 feet long!

The Dune Climb

Now was our turn to try the Dune Climb. This is a dune for climbing that you start from the parking lot and climb up - and of course back down again. This dune is 110 feet to the top and we climbed perhaps 125 feet. Climbing in sand is a challenge for you feet keep sliding down with each step!

Sleeping Bear Dunes

Today started off with rain but the intrepid foursome set off to find out why this is a National Park! As you can see we found a dune area that goes right into Lake Michigan - all 450 feet downhill and back up again! We returned again this evening for the sunset and watching the families and extended families that obviously gather here each year encourage their kin to make the quick trip down to Lake Michigan and then to cheer them on their return to the top that involves lots of crawling. It took most 1/2 hour to 45 minutes to make the return trip! Unfortunately pictures do not adequately show the true steepness and depth of field.

Penwater, Michigan is a quaint village with wonderful shops and harbor. It is beautifully unspoiled and a delightful place to visit. Ludington is the next city north and the car ferry departs from there to Wisconsin. The horbor is man made with a long concrete pier going out to the lighthouse. The beach was well occupied since we had another pretty day to explore. Yes, there are sea gulls in Michigan!

Silver Lake Sand Dunes

The sand dunes in Silver Lake are over 200 feet tall and unfortunately the pictures do not give you any depth of field.. We had a fun ride on the Dune Buggy. The stump is what remains of an old forested area tha was cut when Mears was providing the wood to rebuild Chicago following the great fire. There are more light houses in Michigan than any other state! Here is a picture of the first one we have visited.