Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park

Part Two: The Legend of Sleeping Bear

This quite a sad story actually. A Mother Bear and her two bear cubs fled fires in the Chicago area and attempted to swim across the lake. The Mother bear kept looking back at her cubs as they went. When she finally reached the other side she was alone. She could not find her cubs. She laid down on the beach to watch for their return. The cubs were lost to the lake but she never gave up her watch. Mother Bear is represented by a large sand dune on the shore (which is currently blowing out) keeping her watchful eye on the lake. The two bear cubs are represented by the two islands in the cove.

We toured the National Park. Unfortunately it was a very misty morning and it was hard to see far. We could barely make out the Mother Bear dune. But the kids loved the park at the climbing dune. 150 climb in soft sand. Quite a work out. When we made it to the first platue… ‘L’ decided she had to go potty. So Daddy and ‘A’ finished the climb without us girls.

Slope to Lake Michigan… a 450 foot drop.

Look out over the dune cliffs.

The gang at the dunes.

Board walk through the dunes.

The Mother Sleeping Bear Dune is off in the distance… too misty to really see it.

This is the dune you can climb. The kids had a blast. That ledge that looks like the top is actually only about half way up.

The kids making the climb.

‘B’s ride up.

View from the halfway point looking out over Glen Lake.

‘A’ took the fastest way down… he rolled the whole way.

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park

  1. spright says:

    The story about the sand dunes is so sad. I never knew it! Why is it so many of the legends are tragic? Anyway, glad everyone had a great time. You must have brought home buckets of sand in your suitcases and hair!

    Gammy

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