July 15, 2010

July 15, 2010

It was drizzling when we awoke so we delayed our departure and then took a leisurely drive to the northwest of Michigan. Along the way we stopped to buy some locally grown cherries at a farmers market. Quite tasty! We noticed a steady stream of RVs going north. Now that is not a good sign. When we finally arrived at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore our first stop was the campground. Full! Must be all these laid-off autoworkers taking advantage of the vacation. Sensing some urgency we make the drive to the opposite end of this linear park and snag the last level site in the park’s other campground. Knowing we now have a home we sprint over to the Maritime Museum to see a reenactment of a 19th century shipwreck rescue. This early volunteer coast guard unit would use a cannon to fire a rescue line out to a floundering ship and then ferry the sailors one by one back to safety on a rope chair.

Back at the campground we make the short walk to Lake Michigan for a stroll on the beach. What an improvement over Indiana Dunes. The sand is less rocky, there are no steel mills in the distance, and small islands dot the skyline. Alas, the water is ice cold!