Apostle Islands National Lakeshore

National Lakeshores Boast Dunes, Crags, Cliffs & Color

Looking for something completely different from the National Park Service? Head for the Great Lakes to see the three national Lakeshores – Sleeping Bear, Pictured Rocks and Apostle Islands. And stop by Indiana Dunes National Park while you’re in the area.

The lakeshores provided focus for an otherwise random springtime ramble across the Upper Midwest. We booked some boat rides and got some sand in our shoes. We coped with mosquitoes, mayflies and plenty of “Dad jokes.” Dan’s sister and brother-in-law, who reside in Michigan, joined us at Sleeping Bear and Pictured Rocks. And by the end of the trip, we had added plenty of push pins to our travel map on the office wall. We had a pretty fine time.

Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore

  • Sleeping Bear Dunes
  • Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
  • Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
  • Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

Signage at the Sleeping Bear Overlook makes it clear that the trek to the base of the 450-foot dune is a bad idea. It succinctly states that rescue costs $3,000. And yet, as we arrived at the sandy overlook on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan, we spotted a man old enough to know better struggling to climb back up the dune.

The overlook is one of a dozen stops on the 7.4-mile Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive. If you don’t have time to tarry, the circle drive through a beech-maple forest and wildflower-studded grasslands to the park’s namesake overlook provides a nice sampling of the park. But the dune trekker on his knees in the sand got all the attention on the morning we visited.

He was not alone. In addition to several dozen gawkers, he had friends or family topside. A child scampered down the dune and back twice – with ease – to bring him water. But crumbling sand stymied the much heavier adult’s progress. He eventually rolled from his knees to his back. And that’s where we left him, in the hands of his companions as the late-morning air temperature crept past 80 degrees. It was hotter on the dune. Presumably the trekker lost nothing more than $3,000 and a bit of dignity.

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

  • Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
  • Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
  • Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
  • Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
  • Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
  • Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
  • Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
  • Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
  • Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
  • Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
  • Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
  • Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

You need a boat to properly view the pictured rocks along the Lake Superior shoreline of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. We saw kayakers and a pleasure craft or two. We booked $52 seats on a charter out of Munising.

The two-hour evening cruise traveled 16 miles along mineral-laden bluffs streaked with yellows, oranges, reds and browns to Spray Falls and back. Punctuated by occasional “Dad jokes,” the captain’s monologue explained the geology, called out popular rock formations and recent rock falls, and thrilled the passengers by sailing us into a narrow cove … and out again. It was OK.

The next morning we considered a moderate daylong hike atop the bluffs. But with year’s first tranche of mosquitoes lurking in the woods, we settled for a pair of short and easy hikes, to Munising Falls and Miners Castle Overlook. The sun-dappled woods were nice. The spring blue bonnets scattered across the forest floor were beautiful.

Dining options were limited in Munising. But we found credible bar food and an excellent bluegrass duo at a roadhouse in nearby Shingleton.

Apostle Islands National Lakeshore

  • Apostle Islands National Lakeshore
  • Apostle Islands National Lakeshore
  • Apostle Islands National Lakeshore
  • Apostle Islands National Lakeshore
  • Apostle Islands National Lakeshore

As we boarded our boat to the Apostle Islands at Bayfield, WI, we watched with trepidation as a group of about 60 schoolchildren began walking onto the pier. Fortunately, they marched past our boat to a separate charter. Whew.

Unfortunately, our charter only took us past the islands – all 21 of them. No shore landings. We cruised past a lighthouse or two. The craggy sea caves and delicate arches visible along the Devil Island shoreline were moderately spectacular. And we saw a couple of bald eagle nests in very very distant trees.

But mostly we cruised well offshore while our guide read from his script and tossed out a few variations of the “Dad jokes” we heard on our Pictured Rocks cruise. Meh. The cruise line does offer trips with lighthouse stops and hiking, but not the day we visited. Alas.

Indiana Dunes National Park

  • Indiana Dunes National Park
  • Indiana Dunes National Park
  • Indiana Dunes National Park
  • Indiana Dunes National Park

Indiana Dunes graduated from “national lakeshore” to “national park” status in 2019. Located on the southern shore of Lake Michigan, the park is bisected by US Steel Corp’s Midwest Plant. Dan was born not far away. He figures he must have visited the popular dunes as a child but can’t recall any detail. So we created a memory of our own.

We arrived midday beneath storm clouds and walked toward the West Beach: Dune Succession Trail‘s boardwalk into a light drizzle. The sturdy boardwalk on the one-mile loop weaves, dips and rises through the lightly forested dunes to the lake, ending at the beach. The walk gave us a nice feel for the park.

Light drizzle transformed into light rain at the waterfront. We briefly debated hanging out at the beach house snack bar in hopes the rain would let up, but decided for forge ahead. Smart move. Just as we reached the car, the light rain morphed into a downpour. Perfect timing.

NOTE: Isle Royale National Park in Lake Superior was on our “to do” list, but we were too late to find a reasonably price boat ride out. Book early!

We spent three weeks enjoying friends, family and the wonders of the Great Lakes region of the United States in May and June 2023.

Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Falls & Ledges at Cuyahoga, Ohio’s Only National Park

Seeking spectacular desert landscapes or ocean breezes? You won’t find them at Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Looking for amazing mountain vistas? Look elsewhere. Hoping to get away from it all? Not here. But you can find a nice selection of walks in the woods with food and lodging nearby.

  • Cuyahoga Valley National Park
  • Cuyahoga Valley National Park
  • Cuyahoga Valley National Park
  • Cuyahoga Valley National Park
  • Cuyahoga Valley National Park
  • Cuyahoga Valley National Park
  • Cuyahoga Valley National Park
  • Cuyahoga Valley National Park
  • Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Meandering along the Cuyahoga River between Cleveland and Akron, Ohio’s only national park offers a mélange of forest and water in a uniquely suburban setting. The park is one of three in the Great Lakes Basin.

There is no shortage of trails . But we had allotted just half a day. So, we stopped by the Boston Mill Visitor Center, located in the shadow of I-271, for a bit of guidance. We chose two hikes: the Brandywine Falls Loop and the Cuyahoga Valley Ledges Trail.

The falls loop was a bust. A dry spell made for a light flow at Brandywine Falls. The loop down one side of Brandywine Creek and up the other was disappointing. Numerous visits to the Yosemite Valley and the coastal ranges of the Pacific Northwest have raised our expectations for waterfalls.

The tromp around the ledges trail, however, was interesting and unique. A few moderate rises and falls even got our blood pumping as we hiked the perimeter of the massive sandstone outcropping and explored narrow passageways between the 20-foot cliffs.

Did we give Cuyahoga Valley short shrift? Probably. But we were on a schedule. And if we ever decide to return, it’s just 40 minutes from Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.

  • Lake Erie
  • Lake Erie
  • Lake Erie

Cawtawba Island

True confessions. Cuyahoga Valley National Park was an afterthought.

The primary draw to Ohio’s north shore was an invitation to stay with Dan’s newspapering buddy Bill at his Cawtawba island cottage on the banks of Lake Erie. Bill befriended and mentored Dan 40 years ago at the St. Louis Globe-Democrat and its short-lived sister publication, the St. Louis Evening news.

We enjoyed the local perch and frites, visits to the Port Clinton and Marblehead light stations ahead of the Memorial Day weekend crowd, grilled salmon a la Bill, beachside s’mores, and chatting with his fine friends and family.

It was a grand visit, swapping stories, sharing some laughs and even shedding a few tears – an old friendship that has aged well.

We spent three weeks enjoying friends, family and the wonders of the Great Lakes region of the United States in May and June 2023.

Pinnacles National Park

Props for Underappreciated Pinnacles National Park

Quick. Think of a national park in California. Did Pinnacles National Park in the Gabilan Mountains east of the Salinas Valley come to mind? Probably not. We paid a visit.

A national monument elevated to national park status in 2013, Pinnacles is roughly three hours of bad traffic southeast of our home on the San Francisco Peninsula. Fractured volcanic cliffs, talus caves and California condors comprise the most prominent features. The park is hot in summer and cold in winter. Nearby lodging is scarce.

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A Visit to the ‘Beginning of the World’ at Cape Flattery

Cape Flattery stretches into the Pacific Ocean from the Makah Reservation in the northwest corner of the contiguous 48 states. The indigenous people call it “The Beginning of the World.” The geographic distinction alone sold us on a visit. But we found lots to do at this remote outpost on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula:

  • A rustic 1.5 mile boardwalk through a rain forest to the cape.
  • A stunning museum with an extensive collection of Makah artifacts from the nearby Ozette Archeological Site.
  • A yummy dining scene.

The 70-mile drive on State Route 12 from Port Los Angeles along the Strait of Juan de Fuca is slow and sometimes winding. The natural, cultural and culinary points of interest made it well worth the effort.

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New Dungeness Spit, Sequim, WA

A Hike to the Light at the Tip of the Dungeness Spit

Some people bag peaks. We bag lighthouses. The New Dungeness Lighthouse off the coast of Sequim, WA, poses a unique challenge.

The light station sits in the Strait of Juan de Fuca at the end of the Dungeness Spit – the longest sand spit in the United States. Lighthouse visitors must make the 10-mile round-trip trek at low tide or get swamped in a jagged thread of tumbled rocks and driftwood that crown the spit’s high water mark.

Dungeness Spit Trail (Aug. 25, 2022) – 10.2 miles

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Hoh Rain Forest, Olympic National Park

A Trail Less Traveled in the Hoh Rain Forest

A glacial valley that boasts 140 inches of rain per year cradles the Hoh Rain Forest in Olympic National Park. Moss and lichen-covered spruce, hemlock, fir and other native tree varieties rise from the valley floor along the banks of the Hoh River and its South Fork. A layer of ferns and shrubs undergirds the canopy. The South Fork Hoh Trail is a less-traveled alternative to the Hall of Mosses and other trails located near the Visitor Center on the Hoh River’s main branch.

South Fork Hoh Trail (Aug 20, 2022) – 8.1 miles, 265 feet of elevation gain

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Hiking the Dixie Fire Scar at Lassen National Park

A green meadow frames Kings Creek as it meanders from a forested trailhead, over the namesake falls and into the Dixie Fire burn scar at Lassen Volcanic National Park. Nearly a year after the fire, the meadow contrasted sharply with the gray cinders and blackened conifers that dominated the landscape on the loop trail to Bench Lake. Signs of recovery were sparse.

Kings Creek Falls and Bench Loop Trail (Aug. 6, 2022) – 4.3 miles

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Lassen Volcanic National Park

A Hike to Lassen’s Bumpass Hell … and Back

The trail to Bumpass Hell at Lassen Volcanic National Park gently rises along a lightly wooded ridge with views of Lassen and other iconic peaks before plunging into a steaming geologic cauldron. Acidic water boils. Mud belches. The stench of sulfur hangs in the air. We brought the grandsons.

Bumpass Hell (Aug. 5, 2022) – 2.7 miles

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Rocky Mountain National Park

Fall Color on the Trail at Rocky Mountain National Park

Planning a fall color tour at Rocky Mountain National Park is an exercise in timing and luck. We started late, which added to the challenge. After consulting the online foliage forecasts, we chose the last week of September 2021 for our visit. With Labor Day already past, we scrambled to snap up one of the last remaining rentals in Estes Park, made a set of suboptimal timed entry permits, and drove east via Southern Utah. We got lucky.

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Bryce Canyon National Park

An Ice Cream Fever Dream on the Trail at Bryce Canyon

The Fairyland Loop Trail at Bryce Canyon National Park begins with a lengthy walk along the canyon rim overlooking the canyon’s fantastical limestone walls, curtains and columns. The trail offers a close-up view of the pastel-colored formations and desert scrub as it descends steeply into the canyon to Bryce Creek and back up to the rim.

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Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument

A Desert Waterfall on Calf Creek at Grand Staircase-Escalante

The sandy trail to Lower Calf Creek Falls at Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument begins at a popular campground along Utah State Route 12. The first half of the trail winds up the side of the canyon above a reedy wetland. As the canyon narrows, Boxelder shade the trail as it moves closer to the creek bed and arrives at the falls.

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A Drive-by Visit to Zion National Park

We stopped at Zion National Park on a late September drive from San Francisco to Estes Park, CO. Unfortunately, we booked late and could not find a satisfactory hotel room within 50 miles of the park. Instead of back-country hiking, we settled for a drizzly stroll above Kolob Canyons and the scenic drive on Utah State Route 9.

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