Last month we said goodbye to our son and daughter-in-law and gave the three grandchildren big hugs before they climbed into their well-packed minivan and headed south to their home in St. Louis.
It was a bit of a melancholy moment.
Their departure marked the last visit from friends and relatives for the summer season. Two weeks earlier we said the same good-byes to our other set of grandchildren and our daughter and son-in-law. It is a blessing to live in a vacation destination, which encourages their annual visits.
Whenever we have houseguests for more than just a few days, we enjoy taking them on tours of the area. Northwest Lower Michigan offers so much to see and do.
One our favorite haunts is the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. This summer, quite by chance, both sets of grandchildren requested to "do the dune climb." For those not familiar with the Sleeping Bear area, the dune climb is the most popular activity within the park.
The dune is no doubt the biggest pile of sand that most of us will ever see. I've been told that from the parking lot base to the summit is a climb of approximately 200 feet. No special equipment is required, just the will and stamina to make it to the summit. Some climbers shed their shoes or flip-flops at the bottom and barefoot it to the top. Others wear tennis shoes or hiking boots for the ascent. Seasoned hikers often sport a backpack or an aluminum water bottle affixed to their belt.
As you approach the dune that is just north of Empire on M-109, you catch a few brief glimpses of it from afar. Your first impression is that you are seeing carpenter ants crawling up the face. As you get closer you realize that those "ants" are actually people hiking to the top.
The grandkids start firing off questions about how high the dune is and whether they can roll back down or do somersaults during their descent. Grandparents are wondering if there are comfort stations stocked with their favorite beverages and staffed with EMT personnel!
After flashing my senior citizen Golden Passport at the entrance, we were fortunate to find a parking place near the base of the dune. It was like dejá vù. One week earlier we had made the same pilgrimage with our daughter and son-in-law along with two granddaughters. While displaying confidence and bravado for the benefit of the second set of grandchildren I wondered if I could make it to the top for the second time with less than a week's rest from my previous hike.
With all the confidence of a scout leader, I led the way as we headed for the top. It had rained the night before and the sand was still a bit damp giving us a firmer footing than experienced on the earlier visit. I have learned to step in a previous climber's footprints and to focus a few feet in front of my position. Focusing on the top of the dune as you climb makes the goal seem daunting. As Bill Murray said in one of his movies, you need to take "baby steps."
After much heavy breathing and frequent rest stops, we made it to the top where there are two well-worn benches. The view of little Glen Lake and a portion of Big Glen Lake with their Caribbean turquoise color are brilliant on a sunny day. You can see for miles from the top, and I felt the urge to linger there for the balance of the day.
Scenic views only provide brief entertainment for grandchildren and just when I was getting emotionally attached to the bench upon which I rested, the kids were prodding me to join them as they ran and tumbled down the dune. After the arduous climb, going downhill is a joy. By the time we reached the bottom, the children had sand in places that have never seen sand. My socks and shoes were full of sand but I was thinking about how good that cold bottle of water tasted. Best of all, I felt like I had completed a personal challenge.
Following the climb, we ventured just a few miles north to the one-time village of Glen Haven for a picnic lunch. The park is in the process of restoring the old village. It now sports a blacksmith shop, general store, boat museum and Coast Guard Station Maritime Museum. Just beyond the picnic area and a short walk through a sandy path of beautiful dune grasses is one of our favorite Lake Michigan beaches. It is a wonderful place to just relax, swim, beachcomb and spend the rest of a summer day.
If you haven't been to the dunes area in the recent past, pack a lunch and enjoy a day trip to the area. The trees will soon begin showing off their fall colors and the views promise to be spectacular.
Ed Hungness and his wife owned their cottage on Fife Lake for six years before moving there after his retirement in 2005. He can be reached at edhungness@yahoo.com. For more of Ed's columns, log on to record-eagle.com/edhungness.
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