Day 4: All the Dunes of Sleeping Bear

Check out our blue skies!

Looks like a great day

to take on some sand dunes

in Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore.

Our first hike, The Dune Climb,

 was rated "hard" by All Trails.

We aren't afraid.

but that first dune was a doozy!

We're up for it!

We sprinted right up

and couldn't believe the view

only a mile or so into our hike

but turns out there were lots of ups and downs to go

The sand was hard work

but you don't get to hike barefoot very often

We ran up

and down

and before we knew it,

we were at the lakeshore

and it was breathtaking

I mean, wow.

We spent hours playing in the water

and digging in the sand

Definitely a spot

worth a family picture

We hiked the 2 miles back

with Glen Lake in view,

glad we had lunch in the truck.

Now we just need a lunch spot...

I think this will work!

Mostly the Littles

(but maybe a bit of all of us)

were rather grumpy about any more hiking.

We wanted to swim back at the KOA.

But Mom and Dad got us going on the short, 

much less sandy hike

out to Pyramid Point.

Turns out we were mostly hangry.

We were better after this amazing stop for lunch.

We headed to the Ranger Station

for our important swearing in

(gotta love a Junior Ranger badge!)

Mom and Dad let us have Shipwreck ice cream BEFORE dinner,

let us swim until dark,

and then fed us dinner while we watched our new favorite show,

South Park.

Then there was this sunset

We may have not had our sailboat sunset,

but Michigan is otherwise definitely not disappointing.