Back to the Dunes this morning for some more fun! The Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive was first on our agenda, a 7.4-mile loop with so many scenic stops it took about two hours to complete.
Pierce Stocking covered bridge
Dune Overlook
Lake Michigan Overlook
You can descend the dune, but can you get back up?
Jana enjoys an overlook
Then back out into the National Lakeshore at large, where we encountered the first school field trip of our journey at Glen Haven Historic Village. They were leaving as we arrived. Good timing!
Dry-docked at Glen Haven
Glen Haven Beach
Looking over a low dune
I had carefully curated our hiking excursions to avoid slogging through steep sand and hit a winner with the Pyramid Point Trail, 1.2 miles out and back to an amazing lookout at the top of a tall dune. They warn you against descending the dune to the lake because you might not be able to climb back up, and there's a charge of $3,000 for rescue. We didn't test the theory.
Tom at Pyramid Point
Some steep sand
Further north along the Leelenau Peninsula is Historic Fishtown, in the town of Leland. This far north, tourist season doesn't start for another couple of weeks, and there was absolutely nothing going on here. It's a cute little area, though.
Leland River spilling into Lake Michigan
Historic Fishtown
Traverse City lies on the shore of two long bays of Lake Michigan, but it also surrounds another little body of water called Boardman Lake, which is encircled by the 4-mile Boardman Lake Loop Trail. We didn't have time to walk the whole trail, so we picked a scenic section to visit at the south end of the lake by Medalie Park.
World's Largest Cherry Pie Pan, Traverse City, MI
Boardman Lake
Boardman Lake Loop Trail
Wide boardwalk
Dinner: Identity Brewing Company on Front Street. Outstanding salads and exceptional beer! A good Irish band made things lively. I want to go again!
Colorful and flavorful