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!

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!