Beep Beep! "Wooooo!"

I don't know what it is with Project Michigan and rain, but I am now 2-2 in encountering a massive downpour during my travels. Just as we were finishing our breakfast that Wednesday morning at the Inn, cracks of thunder snapped across Silver Lake, ushering in the arrival of a heavy rain. I took off my flip flops and bolted to our room, hoping that Mother Nature was going to get this out of her system early. After all, I had an interview at Mac Wood's Dune Rides to catch that afternoon.

Luckily, the rained stopped around 9:30 that morning and since there was still plenty of time to kill before my appointment, we shot up road B-15 to scope out the Silver Lake Area and ended up in Pentwater, a cute water-side town with a punch of personality.

Anyone remember 'Bill and Ted's Excellent 

Adventure?'..'Ziggy Piggy! Ziggy, Piggy!' / Samantha Franz

Quite possibly one of the best store names ever. / Samantha Franz

Funky arts and crafts were all over the place. / Samantha Franz

Oh and sidenote to the culinary experience traveler: if you're in the market for a great burger, go to The Brown Bear off South Hancock Street. I normally do not bestow 'Best Ever' titles on food unless it truly deserves it and guys and gals, I gotta tell you, The Brown Bear is home to the best burger I have ever had. Hands down. I can't even describe it to you...just go check it out and thank me later. 

Now, I had seen these signs scattered about in Whitehall and Montague, but in Pentwater, they were abound on almost every front lawn. I pulled over at one point to get a closer look...

The lawn signs I kept seeing. / Samantha Franz

Turns out, there is a proposal floating around to put wind turbines in Lake Michigan, which has the residents along the coast fired up. This letter to the Muskegon Chronicle explains it pretty well, as does this article from the Grand Haven Tribune.

But anyway, the sun began to poke its head from behind the clouds in the afternoon, signaling that it was time to drive back to Mears to hit up Mac Wood's Dune Rides.

Mac Wood's Dune Rides were a popular topic amongst my family at our annual picnic this year when I was explaining where I was heading next for my thesis. As soon as the words, 'Mac Woods' left my lips, several people's eyes perked up and replied, 'Oh yeah! We used to go there as kids!' or 'We took the family there a few summers ago!' That's the goal of manager Shelby Olson and her Dune Ride crew: to create memories to last for years to come and to start new ones, which is probably the biggest reason they are on the cusp of celebrating their 80th anniversary in business.

"They're a tradition for so many people," said Olson, granddaughter of founder Mac Woods. "Lucky for us, people come and like it, then later bring their kids back to enjoy it."

Here's some snippets from our conversation about owning a family business, becoming a Michigan staple and creating memories that last a lifetime.

On how the rides began
"My grandfather, Mac Wood, started the rides in 1930. His father sent him up to Michigan to farm, buying him some property here. One day, we had a really bad storm here and after it died down, he decided to take his truck out on the dunes and because he the sand was had, he didn't get stuck. He cruised around for a bit, then came home all excited to me grandmother and told her, 'You're not going to believe what I just did! You have to go for a ride!' Then some of the neighbors found out about him and they wanted rides, giving him an idea. He was actually one of the first people in Silver Lake. He started out by having a resort to go along with the dune rides and over the years, the rides became its own business."

On why this year has been one of the most successful yet
"My folks used to tell me that when times are tough, people get out and do stuff in their own backyard. We're local and close, a day trip for people from Chicago, Detroit or up north if they wanted to just do something during the day and not spend the night. "

On being a uniquely Michigan service
"It's unique because there is so much sand and it's between two bodies of water, the inland Silver Lake and Lake Michigan. I think it's so cool and people that have never been here don't understand how that is. Other people have dunes, but it's just beach. They don't realize how there can be 2,000 acres between bodies of water. To me, it's about carrying out something my family started. It's something different, it's not a normal tourist attraction. It's something that's very unique. They can have fun, get an education and enjoy the beauty. It serves multiple purposes."

What do you love about Michigan?
"I love having all four seasons, so that's a big one. So is the beauty. But I think what I love the most is living in a small town. Here in Michigan, we have both. If you want a big city life, it's right there but you can drive just a few hours out and feel like you're in an entirely different place in a smaller town and I really like that. I like going places and knowing people. That's important to me."

Then, we went on a dune ride and has the privilege of riding shotgun. It was an incredible experience and is easily one of the coolest things I have ever done. The wind whipped my hair around as we cruised over the picturesque dunes and I had a permanent grin fixed on my face. Our quick-witted driver Lynda was a treat and whenever she drove down a hill, she'd beep her horn and we would all throw our hands up and scream. It was the most pure, unadulterated fun I have had in a long, long time.

 I promise once I get the kinks of the video worked out, I will post them. Pinky swear. In the meantime, check out this photographic highlight reel:

I love how all the signage has a vintage look to it. / Samantha Franz

Gorgeous view from the dune scooter. / Samantha Franz

A sight to behold, huh? / Samantha Franz

Our dune scooter named 'For Pete's Sake.' 

Pete was the son of Mac Woods. / Samantha Franz

We stopped for photo ops along the Lake Michigan shore. / Samantha Franz

Me by our scooter. / Samantha Franz

After our time in Mears, we decided to head north to Ludington, home to a Michigan memory of my own. When I was a kid, probably not even in middle school yet, my mom took me and the three daughters of close family friends to Ludington, where we pulled over on the side of the road by the state park and played all day on a beach we had almost entirely to ourselves. We splashed around in Lake Michigan, posed for pictures and made sandwiches on the beach. All of us are in our 20s now, but in a recent conversation, that Ludington trip came up and everybody still recalled it with fond memories. I am going to make a mental note to myself to  dig up those photos sometime soon.

(Fun fact: The place us girls stayed that night long ago? None other than the Sun 'n' Snow in Cadillac! How's that for full circle?)

Mom and I drove down the very same road and parked in an almost identical spot as we had more than a decade ago and walked down to the beach in our bare feet. Once again, it was almost secluded and we enjoyed the view for a while until a repetitive sting on my legs explained why the beach was empty. Big black flies had been buzzing around us and as the sun went down, their appetites went up. We bolted for the friendly confines of the Tracker, but I was at least able to snap some photos first.

Samantha Franz

We drove into town then and walked the break wall to check out the Ludington Lighthouse to close out our travels for the day and made tracks back to Whitehall for another great meal at the Lakeside Inn. We then plans to drive south to the Warren Dunes in Bridgman by recommendation of a good friend of mine from undergrad. I couldn't wait. :)

Into the West

The next stop on my Project Michigan adventure took me due west to explore the west coast of Michigan. As with the Traverse Bay area trip, we opted for a central (or as close to central as we could get) location that would allow us to get to several points on a map without too much travel time in between. Our solution? The small town of Whitehall, located about 20 miles north of Muskegon, where we stayed at the Lakeside Inn Resort, a family-owned and operated establishment for over 70 years. The Inn has a rich history in the lumber industry, but what made me chuckle was how it they used to host talent competitions in the summertime, which instantly made me think of 'Dirty Dancing.' It's quaint, straight-out-of the-50s design even further brought about images of Johnny Castle retrieving Baby from the corner. 

True to its name, the Lakeside Inn offered a nice view of Silver Lake./Samantha Franz

But first, we had to drive there, which was no picnic. In fact, I am utterly convinced that while it is the most efficient way to get to the west side, I-96 might possibly be the most boring interstate on the planet. There is seriously almost nothing to look at to stimulate your senses and the drive can pretty much be summed up as, "Tree....tree....corn......tree....corn....tree.....tree...."

But we survived and a few hours later, was driving around in Whitehall and its sister city, Montague. Compared to the much heavier populated and tourist magnet Muskegon, Whitehall seemed to be moving at a much more relaxed pace. The downtown was  full of small mom and pop shops, including a general store, an ice cream stand and a bar aptly titled, 'The Local Pub.'  Aside from a few people walking around, the town was pretty quiet. Most of the action appeared at the marinas, where hundreds of boats were docked along Silver Lake. The residential properties were a balance of stately homes and modest cottages. 

Once we checked into our room (we stayed in motel room, though the Inn also offered hotel rooms, cottages and a ranch house for bigger parties), we decided to spend the day exploring our surroundings, since it was already later in the afternoon. After unpacking, we made our way back downtown. 

This bridge was interesting. To get to the heart of Whitehall, you have to play 

nice and wait your turn to go under at the one-lane underpass. / Samantha Franz

I popped into one of the town's antique stores called 'Colby Street Shops' and felt like I walked into an 'American Pickers' fantasy. The store was, wall-to-wall, ceiling to ceiling, full of such an eclectic mix of goods that every time I turned my head, I saw something new. Upon purchasing my Beatles movie premiere button ('I got my Beatles movie tickets. Do YOU?'), I chatted the the owner and his quick-lipped son. After the younger man teased me about wanting to see my iPod before purchasing any Beatles product (for the record, yes, it's legit), I asked the owner how long he had been collecting items for. He got his start by collecting comic books for 40 years, before expanding into books, jewelry and sports memorabilia. He pointed out the items in the shop change drastically depending what kind of goods are brought in. For example, one woman recently came in with about 600 brooches to sell...only she wanted all of them gone in one swoop, thus the store becoming what he described as the 'Brooch Capitol of the Midwest.' It was a very cool place, very 'Pawn Stars' meets antique mall. 

A collection of old beer cans. / Samantha Franz

Closer to home base was the White Lake Light Station and while the museum was closed for the day, we walked along the pier alongside the canal and discovered a dune preservation, as well as a beautiful, semi-secluded beach. Now, don't get me wrong, the Traverse City area is gorgeous and the Sleeping Bear Dunes are a sight to behold. But here, away from the heavy tourist traffic, the sun kissed and virtually empty beach was practically begging me to sunbathe on it. 

On the way to the end of the pier, a grandfather was explaining to his grandson (whom I later learned was named 'Elliott') what a canal was. After he finished, they stopped to watch some boats cruise up the water, the little guy asked, "But how did the water get there?" Grandpa decided to take a different approach and ask his grandson how he though it got there. Then, in that precocious, matter-of-fact tone kids have when they think they're onto something, he replied, "People took biiiiig buckets of water and poured it in!" I couldn't help it; I started to laugh and so did several others within earshot. Grandpa smiled and said, "Well, that's a good story!" and kept on walking. Kids. They say the darnest things. 

Thanks to this little guy, I now know where canal water comes from. / Samantha Franz

Some other pics from the pier:

Dinner for the evening as at none other than Lakeside Inn and I gotta tell you....it was a little pricey, but DELICIOUS. To close out the night, I took a quick dip in the pool and planned the course for the following day, which involved driving north to the Silver Lake sand dunes for an interview with what must be one of the coolest businesses around. See ya then!

Side Trip: Keeping it Local in Northville

A few weeks ago, I caught wind of a festival going on in Northville. In its second year, the Buy Michigan Now festival is all about supporting the state by purchasing products from local farmers, craftsmen and artists. I spoke briefly with a representative from Buy Michigan Now about the importance of buying local. Her response resonated in me hours after I had left Northville:

"This is how we're going to help Michigan get out of this depression. We have to help ourselves and support each other."

That statement made me reflect on many of my Oakland colleagues, as well as hundreds across the state, who opted to move out of Michigan after graduation. I think the woman is right. Running away from the state's problems or dismissing Michigan as a lost cause is not going to change anything. Those of us that have remained here have to invest in Michigan, as well as each other. Buying produce from a farmers market stand or purchasing a painting by an Ann Arbor artist might not seem like a big deal. But by doing so, you're putting money back in the pocket of Michigan. If everybody bought something local on a consistent basis, just think: a little bit here and there adds up fast. 


Anyway, the main streets of downtown were crammed to the brim with vendors selling everything from handwoven clothing to baked goods to birdhouses made of gourds. 

Birdhouses sold at the Buy Michigan Now Festival/Samantha Franz

One stop I made at the festival was at The Dancing Eye Gallery on North Center Street, where almost every piece sold is made by local artists, many to the Northville/Ann Arbor area. I spoke with one of the managers, Janine, who expressed how thankful she was to live in an area with so many local artists. Echoing my earlier sentiments about staying in the state, she added that, "Everybody I know that has left Michigan cannot wait to come back and visit. This will always be their home."

Isn't this awesome? I ended up buying it in blue. :) / Samantha Franz

I was only there for a few hours, but I did manage to catch up with a familiar face before leaving (see below). Next up? Michigan's West Coast, including Whitehall, Ludington, Saugatuck, Silver Lake, Montague and the Warren Dunes in Bridgman, among others. See you then!

Paws! Too bad his team can't get it together in the season's second half. / Samantha Franz

Stretching My Legs

My final day in the Northwest began with a reminder of why I love modern communication technology. On the road with dark clouds looming, I wondered what the weather would be like on our trip to Cross Village. Our ultimate destination was to be Legs Inn, but I wanted to know if I was going to be in for smooth sailing or another monsoon like Thursday. Since I do not have a data package on my cell phone, I texted my friend Brittany, who lives in Florida, to go online and text me back the weather conditions for the Mackinac area, which she delivered promptly. Gotta love it. :)


The journey began by driving up M31 and was in awe at the multitude of sprawling cherry orchards, vineyards and sunflower fields as we drove the winding road. We couldn't drive 100 yards without passing a produce stand, so we decided to pullover to stock up on sweet corn and blueberries. Few things beat sweet, succulent corn on the cob and as for blueberries, all I need to say is this. I also spotted a group of bicyclists sitting in a circle, sharing a fresh cherry pie. Now how Michigan is that?

Funny how the heads of the sunflowers always turn to

 face the sun. / Samantha Franz

Being a sucker for a good farmers market, it was hard to resist the lure of the Elk Rapids one and purchased what had to be some of the largest bell peppers I have ever seen. 

How do you not buy at least one of 

these babies? / Samantha Franz

Along the way, we stopped in Charlevoix, a pretty town along Lake Michigan that was apparently home to the world's largest cherry pie, a massive structure that greeted us upon entering Charlevoix Township. Though the pie inside the pan was fake, a recipe card on the side showed how the original pie was made with gargantuan quantities of ingredients. 

A helicopter? Really? / Samantha Franz

Turns out we made to Charlevoix just in time for their annual Venetian Festival, a celebration of the arts. Well, when we got there early Friday afternoon, there was definitely more food than festival going on. There were only a few artists hawking their wares, but there was a small army of food trucks, filling the air with the familiar smells of hot dogs and fried dough. While there wasn't too much to do at the festival, I did get to watch the town drawbridge go up for some boats passing by, which was pretty neat. 

The drawbridge./Samantha Franz

 

After departing Charlevoix, we continued onto M119, where we drove through the tree tunnel scenic drive. While the drive is only just over seven miles, it feels much longer due to the way the road constantly twists and turns like a child's crazy straw. 

See what I mean? / Samantha Franz

When we finally reached the Legs Inn, our stomachs were rumbling and I was ecstatic to feast on a delicious Polish lunch that I had heard so much about. You can check out the link for a complete history, but I thought it was pretty neat how a Polish immigrant brought the flavors of his home country to Michigan and whose restaurant was later named a Michigan Historical landmark.

Legs Inn / Samantha Franz

 Our waiter, a Polish student named Bruno working overseas for the summer, recommended his favorite Polish beer, the pilsener by Okocim Palone. As I heard him explain to another couple, bars in his hometown do not serve it on tap, so he has to travel abroad cross the country in order to find it. I am not a big beer drinker, but in the hot afternoon sun, it was delicious, with a crisp, cool flavor. While we waited for our Old World Sampler to share, I walked around the garden to take advantage of some great photo ops. 

Garden at Legs Inn / Samantha Franz

The food? Amazing. The platter had three pierogis (cheese and potato, ground sirloin and sauerkraut and mushroom), Kabanosy (sausage) and Bigos (a hunter's stew). To me, you know you have had a soul satisfying meal when you have a nice, hearty full feeling without being stuffed. And this definitely delivered. 

As pretty as the tree tunnel scenic drive was, we decided to take in some new sights and hop on M131 instead to catch back up with M31. It was a nice detour away from the heavy summer traffic and we were treated to some quaint, natural scenery. 

The drive home. / Samantha Franz

After driving for several hours back, we finally made our way back to Cadillac and rather than look for a place to eat, we decided to take advantage of the cottage kitchen and cook. So, we did what any self-respecting Michigander would do: we went to Meijer. Purchased a rotisserie chicken, two potatoes to bake and a large mixed green salad, all for just over nine dollars. You just can't beat it. As we recapped my first Project Michigan trip over dinner, we clinked our wine glasses in success. It was a great first trip and I cannot wait to continue my journey across the fine state of Michigan. 

Amen to that. / Samantha Franz

Don't Rain on My Parade

After spending a few hours exploring Glen Arbor, it was high time to continue the drive along the Leelanau Peninsula to one of my personal favorite parts of any trip to the Grand Traverse Bay area: The Pierce Stocking Drive. Founded by Michigan lumberman Pierce Stocking, he set into motion the wheels for creating a scenic drive to the top of the Sleeping Bear Dunes. The 7.4 mile road opened in 1967 and Stocking operated the drive until his death in 1976. Years later, the road took his name. 


It's a great chance to see some Michigan wilderness, but the drive's most popular draw are the views of the dunes and Lake Michigan. Here's a highlight reel: 

I liked how this barricade acted as a guestbook.

This little guy posed for me!

All along the drive, a car from New York drove in front of us, so we would frequently see the same couple at the drive's 12 stops. Whenever I come across people visiting from out of state, I always wonder how they are going to react to Michigan, especially with the state's reputation in light of the poor economy as of late. But as we passed the couple at the dune overlook, I heard this exchange:

Girl: That. Was. Awesome!

Guy: That was so worth it. 

It made feel all fuzzy inside to know that somebody had looked past the headlines and financial reports and took in a natural marvel that only Michigan can offer. It was a great experience and it reminded me of what Project Michigan is all about. The image of the state is like flying an airplane during inclement weather. At first, the sky is gloomy and there might even be a little turbulence on the way up. But once you go beyond the surface and rise above the clouds, there is a serene and jaw-dropping beauty, as if a storm had never existed. Seeing that couple enjoy themselves in my home state was my airplane moment. 

Some other things overheard at the dunes:

"Oliver! What are you eating?" (Turns out Oliver was a dachshund with a curiosity for Michigan foliage and was playing a feisty game of keep away from mom.)

"Isaac, those are not your shoes." (The look on this poor child's face was priceless. At the dune overlook, there must have been hundreds of pairs of sandals and tennis shoes scattered about of those who wanted to explore the dunes. No wonder he got confused.)

Just as we got into the car after the last stop, a soft drizzle began to take formation on the wind shield of the Tracker. If we were going to get hit with rain, I wanted to be sure I got a chance to climb the dunes first. Just down the road, we arrived at the dune climb, a steep incline that promises a great view from the top. Flip flops in hand, I charged up the hill. 

Now, I like to consider myself to be in pretty good shape. While I am certainly not a gym rat, I definitely like to run a few days a week and try new workouts on my On Demand. But about 3/4 of the way up, man, did I ever feel the burn. I felt like my thighs were on fire and my breath was actually heavy. I paused for a moment to collect my bearings and looked behind me to see an elderly gentleman with no shirt on (whom I later dubbed "Buff Grandpa") making the steady ascent up the hill. That gave me enough oomph to finish the last stretch of the climb and check out the view. 

I watched the children next to me sprint down the dune in a race and I toyed with the idea of making a mad dash as well. But then I shuddered at the thought of my Nikon D3000 falling into the sand and opted to glide down the hill instead. When I reached the base again, the drizzle was beginning to turn into a steady rain as I put my flip flops back on. But the rain wasn't going to stop my fellow visitors, as more kept coming. A group of three in particular made the climb with large flattened cardboard boxes in hand, presumably to use as sleds. Awesome idea. :)

Though the rain continued to switch between moderate and holy crap heavy, we pressed on and made some quick stops in Leland, North Port and Suttons Bay. Talk about a contrast. Leland is home to Historic Fishtown, a tiny village of preserved buildings from the town's early days as a fishing mecca, which is a wonderful site to see once you are able to wade through the mass amounts of tourists to find a parking spot. Fishtown itself was mainly a place for visitors to buy T-shirts and trinkets, but I still enjoyed the old buildings and boats. 

On the other hand, Northport and Suttons Bay were peaceful towns with nowhere near the amount of tourist traffic. I was charmed by all the mom and pop places they offered and how the Suttons Bay cinema had just one movie playing ("Inception") at three times in the evening. It was adorable and reminded me of a beach town you'd see in a 1950s flick. We also made a pilgrimage to Leelanau Cellars in Omena, home to my favorite Michigan winery and brought some bottles back to share with family and friends. 

Once we completed the peninsula drive, Mother Nature gave us an all-out onslaught, but we decided to press on to the Old Mission Peninsula. After a quick pit stop for coffee in Traverse City, we set forth. The Old Mission Peninsula is no where near as large as the Leelanau (just 22 miles long) and we powered through the downpour to the Old Mission Lighthouse at the point of the peninsula. There was only one other family that braved the malestorm and they smiled at us as they finished packing up their car, as if sharing a wink that said, "Yes, we too came out to see a lighthouse in the pouring rain. So what?" Next thing I knew, we had the entire site to ourselves. The rain was at a point to where I feared the fate of my camera under my not-so-sturdy umbrella, so I whipped it out for a few pictures and bolted to the friendly confines of the Tracker. 

Hello? Anybody else out there?

After driving through the rain for a majority of the day, nothing sounded greater than a hot meal and a shower so we headed back to our home base in Cadillac and watched the storm (finally) dissipate at The Timbers Lodge, where I showed a burger who was boss. We then returned to the cottage where I eagerly washed the day's grime away and planned out the route for our final day to our big destination of Legs Inn in Cross Village. We packed a lot into that Thursday, but I'll tell you what, I had an amazing sleep. It felt great to do so much in a single day.