Today was a celebration of the wondrous state of Michigan. After a somewhat nervous night of sleep in Hiawatha National Forest, I was ready to get back on the road. I kicked my morning off with breakfast atop the Miner’s Castle formation in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. After wandering between a myriad of sandstone escarpments and vistas, I headed back into Munising for coffee and WIFI at Falling Rock, a truly great little coffee shop and bookstore. I did not feel like I really did Pictured Rocks justice. Having spent so much time on exploring other sandstone cave formations on Lake Superior, I should have explored Pictured Rocks from the water. I guess some things will have to wait for my next big adventure… Three mugs of coffee later and I had settled back into driving mode for the journey south. At this point, I was finally putting Lake Superior behind me. After being away from that lake for three years, I really did not want to watch it disappear into the mist of my rear view mirror. That much water is simply magical.
My road south quickly brought me to another body of majestic water, Lake Michigan. I snaked along the coast of the second largest of the Great Lakes for what seemed like hours, stopping frequently at the many scenic overlooks and roadside parks. I have never visited a state that dedicates so many resources to such a thriving network of scenic rest areas for motorists. Bordered to the north, east, and west by water, it is no surprise that Michigan has gone to such lengths to highlight the natural beauty of their state and the surrounding water. As I hopped from view to view, I knew I was headed towards a very important landmark: The Mackinac Bridge. Spanning the “boundary” between Lake Huron and Lake Michigan, this bridge connects the Upper Peninsula to the mitten on Michigan. Historically, the Straits of Mackinac represented an epicenter of 19th century commerce as well as an outpost of significant military importance during the French and Indian War. When you look across that 5-mile expanse of water, you realize how much power could be gained by controlling passage between the two lakes.
To cross, I had to jump onto interstate 75, something I had been trying to avoid. My high-speed jaunt on Eisenhower’s decaying road system was thankfully short-lived, and I was soon happily cruising along at 55 mph with Michael Pollan’s In Defense of Food playing in the background. Outside of Traverse City, I found myself surrounded by local farm stands bursting with colorful, organic produce. In keeping with Pollan’s message, I pulled over and grabbed a snack. $1.62 bought me the best peach and tomato I have eaten to date. It was the perfect snack before I arrived at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. My second park of the day, this bizarre landscape has always intrigued me. No one expects to see massive sand dunes in the Midwest, yet they exist all the same. The same processes of wind and erosion are at work here that shape deserts around the world.
Even though you know that it is coming, the dunes still surprise you. They literally look like the result of a massive earth-moving project. The sand feels out of place. It rises above dense pine forests. Dotted with beach grasses, the dunes have clearly been around for a while and, judging by their size, probably aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. Accessing the dunes is simple… All you have to do is climb. Greeted by beach grasses and small trees at the top, you can gaze off towards the expanse of Lake Michigan or inland to the forests that surround the dunes. The whole situation feels more than a little surreal. But wait, the experience is not complete until you run (or tumble) headlong down the steep sand embankment back to your car. I can see this park being very popular with the little ones…
At this point in my day, I was left with a decision. I could hunker down for the night just south of the park in Manistee National Forest or I could make a beeline for Ann Arbor and see two teammates from my ultimate days at Bates. The latter would also give me a little more time in Detroit, and an even more relaxing day in general, so I decided to press on. Michael Pollan’s words of culinary and dietary wisdom petered out just as dusk started chasing me east. Later that night, I arrived in Ann Arbor to the welcoming home of Owen Funk, who prepped me on the plan for the next day before spending a little time checking in before we hit the hay.
To recap, I drove from Michgan’s top to its bottom today and managed to squeeze in two national lakeshores. It feels…exhaustingly
I dig maps, so here is one of today’s route!
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