Before my wife and I settled in northern Michigan, we would visit the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore during our summer vacations.
This region offers a wealth of things to see and do. We camped in the Platte River Campground and hiked many of the trails in and around the dunes area. Whether we were on Pierce Stocking Drive standing on the overlook or doing the dune climb, our eyes would always gaze out to the Manitou Islands. For some reason, we never felt that we had the time to go out there and see what they were all about. Instead, we read about them and took pictures from afar.
These gems of Lake Michigan are now part of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Today they are a destination for day visitors, campers, boaters and fisherman, but in the 1840s permanent settlements were established and they became a safe harbor and fueling station for mariners as they sailed the waters from Chicago to the Straits of Mackinac.
Back in those days, the steamers burned wood instead of coal and oil. The islands had an abundant supply of fuel along with a natural harbor offering protection from the ravages of the gale-force winds common to the big waters.
This past fall, we had the opportunity to visit South Manitou Island while hosting a visit from my sister and brother-in-law who are always eager for a new adventure. The trusty crew of the Mishe-Mokwa of the Manitou Island Transit Company safely escorted us on the 17-mile, 11/2-hour voyage from Leland's famous Fishtown to the island.
Once there, we treated ourselves to a guided tour in an open-air vehicle, which was driven by none other than the captain of our ship. We were able to poke around the old homesteads on the eight-square-mile island and tried to imagine what life was like for those early European immigrants trying to scratch out a living on their farms and orchards. We visited the old one-room schoolhouse and a cemetery where many of the early inhabitants are buried.
From 1871 to 1958, the South Manitou lighthouse was in operation guiding ships through the passage. Today this restored Lighthouse is open to the public and a ranger will guide ambitious climbers up the 117 steps to enjoy a breathtaking view from the top.
Despite the lighthouse beacon, the islands are surrounded by more than 50 documented shipwreck sites, which today are popular with diving enthusiasts. The waters of the passage were so treacherous that in 1901 a Lifesaving Service Station was established on the island to rescue sailors in harm's way.
Today, the islands are no longer permanently inhabited. Coal replaced wood as fuel for the steamers, and ships no longer stop at the island. What was once a thriving community became a ghost town. The cost of shipping supplies to the island became too expensive and the families living there eventually abandoned their farms and moved to the mainland.
South Manitou is one of many island adventure destinations waiting to be explored. This summer, stuff your daypack with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, some hiking boots and your camera and spend a day island hopping right here in northern Michigan.
Ed Hungness and his wife owned their cottage on Fife Lake for six years before moving there after his retirement in 2005. His writing draws from life experiences and a love for the outdoors and northern Michigan. He can be reached at edhungness@yahoo.com or care of the Record-Eagle.
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