Empire Bluff Trail, Sleeping Bear Dunes

A mere seven tenths of a mile hike on a relatively level terrain through mostly dense woods, with a sprig of wildflowers growing here and there, and you find yourself approaching a sign that warns to stay on the trail as "Steep Bluffs" are ahead. This is the trail at Empire Bluff just south of the tiny town of Empire, Mighigan. It is also the southern most point of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

As you peer out over the landscape looking north, you catch a portion of South Bar Lake which sits just inland from Lake Michigan. There are many inland lakes around this "thumb in the mitten" portion of the state of Michigan as locals call it.

Most of the images I captured from Empire Bluff looked north toward the massive dune. In the far left of this frame sits South Manitou Island. North of South Manitou is Manitou Island. I would have liked to have taken the ferry over to the island to walk around while I was in Leland earlier on this particular day, but I wanted to drive south and hike to Empire Bluff.

The actual bluff itself with the boardwalk didn't afford the prettiest views of the dunes so these images were taken about a tenth of a mile before you reach the boardwalk. This viewpoint is where the trail ends in winter due to the hazardous snow and ice conditions on the boardwalk and bluffs.

One has to wonder peering down from the boardwalk at this tree trunk just where it began its journey, having found its resting place here on the side of the bluff. I tried to imagine winter's wrath bearing down on this bluff and the sand dunes to the north. Imagine, if you can, five to six feet of lake effect snow covering this bluff and the dunes. It's hard to imagine, but is very real here in winter. ENJOY!

Leland's Famous Fishtown!

In northern Michigan sits the small town of Leland. Now most of you may not necessarily know about Leland, but it is home to the only working commercial fishing village in Michigan that is left today. Fishtown is situated along the harbor in Leland and if you find yourself in this area, get out of your car and walk around. It's worth the time and the effort.

Fishtown in Leland dates back to the 1800's and as you walk down the steps to the docks, you almost feel like you might just be right back in 1890. Forty years ago Carlson Fisheries decided it wanted to perserve the heritage of Fishtown which is why it still serves as a fishing village today. Later Carlson sold Fishtown to the Preservation Society to preserve it. I am so glad they did.

You'll find old fishing nets hanging off the side of the dock railings drying in the sun which I found especially charming. As I photographed this fishing net, several women looked at me like I was a little nuts, but I knew you guys would get the symbolic nature of the image.

As you turn the corner of the main walkway to the dock, look almost straight across and you see one of the best representations of an old weathered fishing shantie with its gear sitting out front ready to be put into service.

Walk around the docks and wander in and out of the shops if time allows, but especially stop and read some of the many printed billboard signs sitting outside that share the story of the 'famous' Fishtown fishermen. It really was heartwarming to read about the fishermen. The town obviously is very proud of their hardworking guys.

Behind the dam that flows into Lake Michigan stands a boardwalk connecting the two docks. Standing on the boardwalk, I captured this image of the weathered fishing shanties and the boats sitting in the harbor. It bears mentioning here that the green boat in the left side of the image is an old fishing tug. The tugs, back in the 1800's and early 1900's, were open mackinaw boats made of wood. In the mid 1900's the tugs were modified when gas engines replaced the sails and later when gas was replaced with diesel. At that time a protective cabin was added to the tugs, allowing the fishermen more protection from the elements and enabling them to travel further out from port, and extending the season further into the winter months. Today, the Janice Sue and the Joy, steel fishing tugs, are still in service in Leland. Now how's that for a history lesson!

As I walked out past the harbor toward Lake Michigan, a long rock wall sat adjacent to the marina. No doubt it was built to keep the lake at bay during stormy weather.

This area of Michigan is so 'cool' if you don't mind the term. It is situated about 35 minutes from Traverse City and is very close to the small artist's community of Glen Arbor. Nearby is Sleeping Bear Dunes, so if you didn't get enough of your drive down Pierce Stocking and you kept your receipt, you could take a second drive. I drove a tad farther south on this particular day to visit Point Betsie Lighthouse and Ranger Station. So many little towns just a hop, skip and a jump away from each other. ENJOY!

Tall Ship Manitou, Grand Traverse Bay

The first leg of my trip was spent in Holland visiting various beach towns and enjoying beautiful Lake Michigan. On the second leg of my trip, however, I drove to Traverse City to spend a few days. Right as I pulled into town late in the day, having spent most of the day at Sleeping Bear Dunes, I noticed a tall ship out in the bay. I had read there was a tall ship company in Grand Traverse Bay, but I didn't know what time of day they sailed so I wasn't sure I would see the ship on my visit.

On this particular day the wind from a cold front that had come through on Tuesday was still very prevalent on Grand Traverse Bay as the Tall Ship Manitou made its way back to the dock. Now mind you I am not an expert, but it seems to be pitching just a tad to one side with the wind against its sail. I would have loved to have been on that cruise.

As luck would have it, the next evening I drove the road that circumvents the bay before heading back to my hotel and just happened to catch the Tall Ship Manitou again. This time it was pulling into dock, sails down, and in a much calmer Grand Traverse Bay. I love the reflection of the sails in the water. This is my favorite image of the bay and the ship. I found Traverse City to be the best place to station myself as it was in perfect proximity to Leland, Glen Arbor and Empire, all tiny towns along or close to Lake Michigan. Also, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is only about 35 minutes from Traverse City.

I had read this area of Michigan is virtually an undiscovered area and has not turned totally commercial from tourism. I have to agree. There is still a great deal of this area where I found myself almost alone along the lake shore. Vacationing in mid July can be tough because of the heat of summer. After spending last year on the Eastern Shore in 95 degree heat and 100 degree heat index, I opted to travel north. The farther north I drove, the larger and more beautiful the inland lakes were. Glen Lake was so gorgeous I couldn't begin to describe it. Cutting my trip into two destinations in fairly close proximity kept my driving to a minimum on any given day making for a more enjoyable trip. To check out Pure Michigan, the state's tourism website, go to www.michigan.org. ENJOY!
ENJOY!