Day 130-132- August 24-25-26 Leland, MI to Frankfurt, MI to Ludington, MI
What else is new? An early departure from Leland.
The sky was impressively painted for us today.
The Sleeping Bear Dunes!
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Michigan gets its name from an Ojibwa Indian legend about a mother bear and her cubs who swam across Lake Michigan to escape a forest fire. According to the story, the cubs drowned and became the North and South Manitou islands, and the mother bear waited for them on a bluff, eventually becoming known as Sleeping Bear. The name comes from a large dune called Mother Bear, which once resembled a sleeping bear but has changed in recent years.
The dunes are a complex of shifting sand that stretch 7 miles along the lake's northeastern shore, rising up to 460 feet above the water and covering 4 square miles. The sand is mostly made of quartz, unlike most dunes, which are usually made of gypsum or calcite. (Per Google AI)
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Michigan is home to the world's largest freshwater sand dune system. The dunes are located on the northeast shore of Lake Michigan and are part of a 71,199-acre national park. The dunes were formed millions of years ago by glaciers that plowed through the ground, leaving behind material that piled up around the glaciers' sides. Over time, sand has been added to the dunes by rivers, waves, and wind, causing them to grow and change constantly. The tallest dune at Sleeping Bear Dunes is about 450 feet above the lake. (Thank you Google AI for that summary)
With the early departure we arrived at Frankfort before noon. We unloaded the electric bikes and rode off to the Point Betsie Lighthouse and Museum.
The Point Betsie Lighthouse and Museum.
Click here to see an overview, via drone, of the area. Impressive!
The living quarters of the lighthouse are now home to the museum.
Only 35 steps to the top and skinny! But they did leave a chair up there which allows for close inspection of the new LED light. Originally kerosene lit and operated with a clock work, the old lens is in another picture.
For those of you who are friends of the St Augustine Lighthouse,
there are no cat stories here.
The all red building is the Fog Signal Building.
Lubrication apparatus for the steam powered fog signal.
They didn't want the wind to blow this planter over.
Back steps from the lighthouse to the fog signal house.
The original Point Betsie Lighthouse built in 1858.
The life saving station was near the lighthouse. The sailors here made some dramatic rescues in horrible winter conditions using the shot cannon to get a line to a stranded vessel, or taking their human-powered boat out through the surf.
These stalwarts were heroes.
The Frankfort Light at the entrance to Frankfort, MI.
Another early departure. Heading to Ludington, MI.
The Big Sable Point Light, it is one of the tallest lighthouses in Michigan.
The Ludington North Breakwater Light. Since it never had a house attached to it, it is not a lighthouse, only a light.
This lovely statue is part of an Art Walk in Ludington. Just enough water comes out of the top of the umbrella to complete the effect.
SS Badger
The last coal fired, steam powered ferry in the US. "SS" meaning Steam Ship! Originally, she and a sister ship, the SS Spartan, carried rail cars across to Manitowoc, Wisconsin, Spartan is now retired and serves as a source of spare parts for the Badger.
The Badger make at least two round trips across the lake each day carrying up to 600 passengers, 180 automobiles, tour buses, RVs, motorcycles, and commercial trucks.
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