Dune Warrior

My main destination for my final day on the west side came courtesy of a good friend of mine from my school paper days at Oakland University. Proudly born and raised on the west side, Kyle offered a variety of suggestions of places to try from ice cream stands to art museums. Today, though, I was going to make my way down to the Warren Dunes in Bridgeman to a state park that Kyle swore would not disappoint.

Man, did he ever deliver.

Located right off a beach along Lake Michigan, the towering dunes offered a beautiful panorama of the shoreline...if you could make it to the top. Of course, I was up to the challenge. After all, I had successfully climbed the dunes at Sleeping Bear....surely this would be a piece of cake.

Operation: Dune Climb. / Samantha Franz

Boy, was I in for a wakeup call. My strategy to take the dune on straight up the middle proved to be taxing at the very least. I made it about 3/4 of the way up before I felt like I just sprinted to the finish line after a two-mile run. I got that, 'um, you better take a break' message from my body and I listened, taking a seat in the sand and admiring the view.

After I gathered my bearings, I finished the climb and did a little Rocky Balboa stance as I looked down at the people on the beach, who now appeared to be no bigger than ants. 

The tiny little person there? That's my mom. 

As I make my descent, I notice there is a growing population of kids finding their way to the top and they don't look terribly tired. I am beside myself...I'm 24, in good health and pretty athletic, so what gives? Well, I get my answer when I reach the base. If one were to climb the sides of the dune, rather than taking it straight on like I did, the trek is nowhere near as steep, a fact confirmed by how the kids are practically racing up the dune. Cheaters! :)

I then got some sun on the beach and as I stretched out in the warm bake of the late morning sun, I watched a man fly some colorful kites. Against the backdrop of the dunes, I watched the kite sail gracefully across the sky as I enjoyed my own personal Pure Michigan moment. 

Awesome. 

By the time early afternoon rolled around, the sun was blazing hot and it appeared high time to hop in the Tracker and make our way up the coast back to Whitehall. The first town we stopped in was South Haven, but our visit was brief, just long enough to grab a bite to eat amongst the Illinois vacationers that fill the antique shops and get a blueberry pie to go from the yummy Golden Brown Bakery. 

Saugatuck, on the other hand, was a pleasant town with a strong emphasis on the art community. Tucked away off the A2 county road, the town had its fair share of tourists, but was bursting with personality. Though known as one of the most gay friendly cities in the state, I saw all types of people from couples to families  browsing the shops and enjoying the food. After shopping, browsing and chatting with a winery worker and a gallery shopkeeper, we set our sights back on Whitehall. 

A seamless mix of businesses and residential in Saugatuck.

Our evening ended just as the way the other two had: enjoying a nice dinner at the Lakeside Inn, our home base for the last three days. Over Sea Breeze cocktails, we recapped our trip and watched the sun set over White Lake, clinking our glasses in success. Project Michigan has truly blessed me with the opportunity to see some beautiful parts of our state and it's refreshing to know that even in hard times, there are still some wonderful staycation options right in our own backyard.