Leelanau Up North

North  Manitou  Island  -  Photo  Courtesy  Of  Nailhed July 1st, 2013 was a perfect day. The clear, calm waters of the big lake reflected the morning sun, ... All the way from Sleeping Bear Bay to North Manitou Island. The perfect day for a Father and Son odyssey - a canoe trip to the Island. The Son was eight years old, happy beyond measure to go on this exciting adventure with Dad, his outdoor hero. The Father, eager to share his love of nature, beamed as his Boy climbed gingerly into the canoe. Life vests secure, they were off. Five hours and nine miles of paddling later, they came ashore on North Manitou,... Exhausted but exhilarated by their voyage together. After about an hour of rest on the island, they set off for the mainland, hoping to make it back by sunset. And they almost made it - but for ... The rogue wave, The capsized canoe, The deathly cold water, The delayed rescue, ... All within a mi...

Pyramid  Point - Sleeping  Bear  Dunes Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore was born 50 years ago, ... After a very difficult and protracted labor and delivery. Indeed, the tranquility of this now mature park - belies the tumult of its birth. Though conceived in 1960, it would be another decade before Michigan's Senator Philip Hart could muster enough support from the various stakeholders to make the national park a reality. Most Leelanau seasonal and permanent residents were fiercely opposed to this "land grab" by the feds. They feared the development of a Gatlinburg type park overrun by hoards of downstate "fudgies."  Mostly though - they feared losing their cherished land. "Let Sleeping Bears Sleep" was their rallying cry - as Senator Hart and Interior Secretary Stewart Udall  were hung in effigy in Traverse City. Finally, in 1970, the worst of it came to pass when the actual land appropriation began. Over 20,000 acres...

South  Empire  Beach This season, even if we can make it down to the water, ... A picnic on the beach - will be no picnic. Not because of corona, (thanks to sunlight and fresh air). No.  It's on account of the water. There's too much of it.  And the water is having its way … with everything in its way. Devouring beaches. Flooding harbors. Destroying docks, trees, stairways, decks - even houses. Lake Michigan is surging to its highest level in recorded history. There is one good thing, though. Despite the floods (and diseases, riots, etc.) in our lives, ... All of this water has created a ready supply of free kindling wood - to stoke the mother of all beach bonfires. Now all we need is a beach. See You (underwater) In Leelanau Up North, Chris                     Visit A Leelanau Landmark:  The beaches of Leelanau.  Despite             ...

Leelanau  Sunset When I was a young man, ... I came to the woods in search of the answers. Today, many years older and a bit wiser, ... I've made it through the woods - to the water's edge. Yet, ... I still don't know the answers. The difference is that now, ... Now I know the questions. And knowing the questions ... Has made all the difference. See You In Leelanau Up North, Chris                     Visit A Leelanau Landmark:  The Sleeping Bear Dunes National                     Lakeshore - Keep your social distance and take a virtual tour at                     the Lakeshore website.  It's a great way to explore the park from                     the comfort and safety of home.  "Ain't nothin' like the real thing,"     ...

Seeking relief from my corona blues, ... I walked the beach north of Empire, And came upon the skeleton of an old shipwreck. If only her timbers could talk, They would tell the sad tale of the schooner, Jennie & Annie, …. Of how she plied these waters for the last time,  On November 12, 1872, ... When in a fierce gale she was driven aground, And mercilessly battered by wind and waves. Most of her crew, ... Seven sorry souls, With fingers bloodied and frozen, Lost hold of the mangled rigging, And succumbed to the icy waters. As I pondered the fate of the captain and his mates,  With my hand on the ancient ship's bones, My corona blues ... S eemed a little less blue. See You In Leelanau Up North, Chris                Visit A Leelanau Landmark:  The remains of the Jennie & Annie - A                remarkable sight, roughly halfway to North...

Empire Bluffs Trail - Photo Courtesy Of The National Park Foundation In Empire Village, Michigan (pop. 375), Joe's Friendly Tavern is closed, ... Even for takeout. Apparently because someone i n Wuhan City, China (pop. 11,000,000) -  Over six thousand miles away - Sneezed. And we were thus sentenced to solitary confinement In Leelanau, ... W ith o nly the peaceful Woods,  C alming Waters,  A nd sheltering Dunes ... As our companions. To be sad, Is not so bad ... In the Land of Delight. See You (Someday) In Leelanau Up North, Chris                   Visit A Leelanau Landmark:  Virtual Dinner Party - The brainstorm                   of Lelanites to socialize and support their local restaurants. Host a                    virtual get together through your home computer via Zoom video   ...

Sleeping  Bear  Dunes So here we are in Empire, sitting on the edge of our Bluffs, ... In eager anticipation - because, ... Coronavirus or not, ... It's nearly Springtime. And t here are no timid seasons in the Land of Delight.   The seasons here are brash and bold - where ... Warm Summer beaches are caressed by cool blue waters, Autumn forests are ablaze in red and gold, Icy Winter winds push white capped waves, And on this day, ... T ender green seedlings herald a lush, verdant Spring. In Leelanau, as in life, …  Even now, ... T here is always something to look forward to. And the Seasons are the Reasons. See You In Leelanau Up North, Chris                     Visit A Leelanau Landmark:  Sleeping Bear Dunes National                     Lakeshore - With over 70,000 acres of woods and water to    ...