The Full Dune Experience

Di on beach below lighthouse

View of Sand Dunes across Silver L

Thursday, August 25th.  Although still windy, it was a sunny morning.  We left Buster behind and drove into town, searching a beach that allowed dogs...none to be found unless you wanted to climb the sand dunes and approach Silver Lake from the West.

We first drove to the lighthouse and I climbed to the top.  Amazing views.  One thing I learned is that from the lighthouse, Green Bay across the lake is closer (94 miles) than Grand Traverse Bay lighthouse (113 mi).  Because of the wind there were nice breakers on the beach.  A very nice view after 139 steps.

Buster at base of dune

looking south from lighthouse

Di and I then went to the pedestrian access to the dunes.  You climb a large flight of stairs that gets you to the top of the first dune and is a taking off point to either go to Lake Michigan ( a long way) or to Silver lake (which you can't see from that point).  We walked around on the dunes for a while and decided it was too far to Lake Michigan.  So we returned to the motorhome for lunch.

Buster of Arabia

After lunch, Buster and I took off for the dunes.  We bypassed the stairs and took a more direct route to Silver Lake.  It was a very steep ascent (it felt like one step up and two steps back).  Buster couldn't understand why I was going so slowly.  We finally got to to the top only to be greeted by another up, but not so much.  When we got to that top, we could see the lake far below.  It was a very steep decent, but you dug into the sand so much that you could control your speed.  Of course Buster didn't do that.  He was down to the lake and back up to me several times as I made my way down.  We finally got down the the lake and found the water to be very nice.  I tried to set up a chair.  But the dune goes right down into the water and there's no flat spot for a chair (I carried that dead weight for nothing).  We had a great time running diving and soaking in the water.  Then we headed home starting our ascent up that very steep dune that was previously a down.  By the time I got back to the car my legs were like rubber.  That would be a great cardio/leg conditioning thing to do every day.  And the scenery/lake payoff is worth it.