Chronic Adventure

Various shades of Florida Keys unfiltered sunset, followed by one of a kind, marine life, spotting of the shark type in very shallow water 🦈

The story of Sleeping Bear Dunes in Michigan is rooted in Native American legend, specifically from the Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) people, who have a deeply spiritual connection to the land and its natural formations.

According to legend, the Sleeping Bear Dunes were formed when a mother bear and her two cubs were forced to flee a massive forest fire in what is now Wisconsin. The bears swam across Lake Michigan, attempting to reach the opposite shore. The journey was long and difficult, and while the mother bear made it to the shore, her cubs, exhausted from the swim, didn’t survive and were lost beneath the waves.

Heartbroken, the mother bear climbed to the top of a bluff overlooking the lake, where she lay down to watch and wait for her cubs to reemerge from the water. According to the legend, she never moved again and was eventually covered by the sands of time. The Great Spirit, moved by her loss, created the two Manitou Islands—North and South Manitou—just offshore to honor her cubs. The sand dunes that form the large bluff are said to be the mother bear, still watching over her children.

Today, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore preserves these beautiful dunes, along with forests, wetlands, and miles of pristine Lake Michigan shoreline. Visitors come to enjoy hiking, dune climbing, and learning about the area’s rich natural and cultural history.

The region’s story is not only one of natural beauty but also one that connects generations of people to the land, blending the powerful forces of nature with the spiritual significance of the legend.

Home for the last 270 days 😍 and at 270 we were greeted with the most perfect sunset.

No question the Redwoods are shooting to the top of the national parks list! Mornings started cool in the 50s with fog and by the afternoon the sun was ALWAYS shining bright warming the redwoods and all that lives within. We saw sooo much being here for the week- the highlights include:
- California coastal trail
- Klamath Overlook
- numerous elk viewings
- sipping sake at Enderts Beach
-Banana Slug Spottings
-Simpson Reed Grove
-all the hikes and stops along Newton B Drury Scenic Parkway

It wasn’t crowded, the temps were perfect for hiking and enjoying a warm beverage. It felt so good to bathe in all the beauty of nature. 🌏🌲🍃🌱