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Traverse City & Sleeping Bear 2014

A Travel Diary

Traverse City & Sleeping Bear 2014

Dunes, lakes, and Northern Michigan — August 2014

24Photographs
2Days
3Places
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Where the dunes meet the lake

A late-summer trip to Northern Michigan — the wildflowers and waterfalls around Traverse City, the forested switchbacks of the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive, and the great sand mountains of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore tumbling down to the impossible blue of Glen Lake and Lake Michigan. Tap any photo to enlarge it, or open the map.

A late-summer trip up to Northern Michigan, where the sand meets some of the bluest water in the Midwest. Around Traverse City we found wildflowers and waterfalls; the forested switchbacks of the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive opened onto overlook after overlook.

The showstopper was Sleeping Bear Dunes — great mountains of sand tumbling straight down to the impossible blue of Glen Lake, with Lake Michigan beyond. Two days, and a corner of the state we didn't want to leave.

This trip ran 2 days, August 31 – September 1, 2014. Along the way we spent time at The Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive, Sleeping Bear Dunes & Glen Lake, and Around Traverse City. The gallery below tells it day by day, in 24 photographs.

Day 1

Sun 31 Aug

Around Traverse City

Around Traverse City
Around Traverse CityA little waterfall and a garden full of black-eyed susans.
Around Traverse City
Around Traverse CityLate-summer wildflowers all over town.
Around Traverse City
Around Traverse CityClear water tumbling over the rocks.
Around Traverse City
Around Traverse CityNorthern Michigan in full bloom.
Around Traverse City
Around Traverse CityA little waterfall and a garden full of black-eyed susans.

Day 2

Mon 1 Sep

The Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive · Sleeping Bear Dunes & Glen Lake

The Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive
The Pierce Stocking Scenic DriveThe Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive winding through the hardwoods.
The Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive
The Pierce Stocking Scenic DriveA covered bridge deep in the green.
The Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive
The Pierce Stocking Scenic DriveEmpty forest road with mist hanging in the trees.
The Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive
The Pierce Stocking Scenic DriveThe woods closing in on both sides of the road.
The Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive
The Pierce Stocking Scenic DriveThe Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive winding through the hardwoods.
The Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive
The Pierce Stocking Scenic DriveA covered bridge deep in the green.
The Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive
The Pierce Stocking Scenic DriveEmpty forest road with mist hanging in the trees.
The Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive
The Pierce Stocking Scenic DriveThe woods closing in on both sides of the road.
The Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive
The Pierce Stocking Scenic DriveThe Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive winding through the hardwoods.
The Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive
The Pierce Stocking Scenic DriveA covered bridge deep in the green.
The Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive
The Pierce Stocking Scenic DriveEmpty forest road with mist hanging in the trees.
Sleeping Bear Dunes & Glen Lake
Sleeping Bear Dunes & Glen LakeThe Sleeping Bear Dunes rolling down toward Lake Michigan.
Sleeping Bear Dunes & Glen Lake
Sleeping Bear Dunes & Glen LakeBare sand and fog where the dunes meet the sky.
Sleeping Bear Dunes & Glen Lake
Sleeping Bear Dunes & Glen LakeGlen Lake impossibly blue from the dune overlook.
Sleeping Bear Dunes & Glen Lake
Sleeping Bear Dunes & Glen LakeThe famous view down the dune climb to the water.
Sleeping Bear Dunes & Glen Lake
Sleeping Bear Dunes & Glen LakeForest, dune, and lake all in a single frame.
Sleeping Bear Dunes & Glen Lake
Sleeping Bear Dunes & Glen LakeSand as far as you could walk.
Sleeping Bear Dunes & Glen Lake
Sleeping Bear Dunes & Glen LakeThe Sleeping Bear Dunes rolling down toward Lake Michigan.
Sleeping Bear Dunes & Glen Lake
Sleeping Bear Dunes & Glen LakeBare sand and fog where the dunes meet the sky.

Where we wandered