Manistee is across the state from Rose City. Our Sunday night stay there was at the Insta Launch Marina and Campground. Our Monday night was in the Manistee National Forest Campground where the campspots are strategically spaced in the tall woods in waist high ferns on the inside of the high scrub and grass covered dunes that border the great expanse of Lake Michigan. On this trip she is peaceful and calm and the waves are just gently lapping at the shoreline - of which we walked several miles. On the “inside” of the dunes there is no wind and lots of mosquitoes! Good thing we have LOTS of Avon bug spray and know how to use it!
Ludington State Park was our destination for Tuesday and we arrived early but the dusty campspots were almost all taken, however we did procure one. Neither of us likes it this “close”- but it was only one night. The Big Sable River cuts right thru the park and empties into the lake as it divides the dunes in half. H found a place to put the kayaks in and we paddled up the river and back down and out onto Lake Michigan. By then his tendonitis was really acting up so we paddled back to the launch. Once our little vessels were secured back on the top of the Jeep, we followed the river up to the Hamlin Dam and the Hamlin Lake that it held in check. Inspite of the overcrowded camping area, this is a beautiful park with lots of things to do – lots of biking/hiking paths, beaches on both Hamlin and Lake Michigan, fishing, kayaking, tubing, a camp store AND ICE CREAM!
H decided to get adventuresome again and off we went across the scalding hot sand of the mountainous dunes to find the cool wet sand of the beach and the Big Sable Point Lighthouse that was said to be up the beach a mile and a half. We trekked on seemingly for days (according to H!) and finally found the tall stately 1867 black and white banded beacon and pretty house that adjoins it. Dreading the long walk back down the beach, H chose to follow the “trail” back to the campground. By the end of that hot, dry, dusty, gravelly “trail”, we were both tired, out of water and H’s foot was bleeding.
Once rested and supper tended to we set off to revisit the SS Badger, a 410 ft, 50 year old car ferry freighter that runs from Ludington Michigan to Manitowoc, Wisconsin. As we waited for her to depart, we strolled thru the new waterfront park and walked out on the 2770 ft long lighthouse pier.
Wednesday – Let’s go to the Sand Dunes – the Silver Lake Dunes! Down Rt 31, H fixed breakfast at the park by the channel in Pentwater and then the trailer was parked at the John Gurney City Park in Hart on our favorite spot – the one in the shade, with a breeze and overlooking the pretty little lake below. We unloaded the heavy stuff out of the back of the Jeep, slid (slid?) into our swimsuits and off we went to play in more sand. Today, no time vouchers were needed and only one check in point instead of 3 at the entrance to the dunes. The temperature was 92 in the almost empty football field size parking lot as we lowered the air in the tires to 12lbs. There was NO one lined up to attempt the “big hill” and only a few quads were scampering across the scorching sand. A big black truck came roaring up and floored it as he tried to race up the steep sandy hill. On his 1st attempt, he almost made it to the top but slid backwards back down. As the driver prepared to pound his foot to the floor and again race to the top, H put his little green Jeep in go slow gear and calmly climbed up the shifting sand mountain, hesitated at the very top and putzed down the other side. At the beach we found lots of large puddles from last weekends downpours. Between the puddles were about 15 to 20 vehicles parked along the edge of the beach and their occupants were trying to cool off by the water. We picked a slot between puddles also and parked, of course to walk the beach and cool off in the water. A final trip around the dunes to see what else had changed and then it was time to find more ice cream!
