The area around the small towns of Glen Arbor and Empire in northern Michigan is among some of the most scenic in the state and the closest to the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, which earned the title of "Most Beautiful Place in America" among 100,000 viewers of ABC Television's "Good Morning America" program a couple of years ago.
Make sure you leave plenty of time to stop and enjoy the spectacular views and savor the small town charm that we've always found so appealing as you travel along M-22.
Port Oneida
The 3,400-acre site contains over 120 buildings in various states of repair, restoration and disrepair that date back to the mid-1800s when the town was a thriving lumbering, and later a farming community, before becoming largely abandoned by the 1930s and 1940s.
This ghost town is definitely worth a stop if you love capturing images of weathered wooden buildings. One of our favorite photo subjects here is a crumbling old farmhouse we affectionately call "the Spooky House". We've captured a number of images of the house, documenting its continuing demise over the past half-dozen years, so it's always a must-see when we visit the area.
Glen Arbor
One of the best, and most accessible, ways view the dunes is to turn off onto the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive. The drive is a 7.5-mile loop through the Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore Dunes area and includes several stops along the way where you can get out of your vehicle to enjoy breath-taking scenic overlooks as you capture the bluff-side views with your camera.
Want something a little more challenging? Check out the Sleeping Bear Dune Climb.
The Dune Climb is a must-do test of stamina for many Michiganders, and many folks I know have memories of making this climb as teenagers, so I was pretty happy when I finally crossed it off of my bucket list about a decade ago! Erosion is always a concern in dune country, so it's best to make the climb at this NPS-maintained site, rather than at one of the more ecologically vulnerable or unstable dunes in the park.
Head on into Glen Arbor for a bite to eat or a little shopping.
We particularly enjoy stopping at Cherry Republic, a store that stocks all things cherry. Cherry jam, jelly, sundae sauce, dried nut and fruit mixes, salsa, mustard, soft drinks, salad dressings, candies, chocolate-covered cherries and wine are just a few of the items you'll find in the store. Can't decide what sounds good? There are always lots of product samples placed around the store to enjoy as you browse!
The store also has a small cafe where you can stop for a quick meal that is open year round, and it's one of my favorite ice tea stops (love their cherry ice tea!).
Glen Haven
It's also worth the time to loop back around on Route M-109 to check out Glen Haven, a restored mid-1800s community that started as Michigan's logging industry flourished here.
The village's protected harbor and convenient port location helped spur Glen Haven's growth as Civil War veterans returned home from the war and D.H. Day, an agent for a local transit company with two dozen maritime vessels operating from the port, worked to diversify the village's economy by establishing businesses like a cannery to process and ship cherries and other fruit grown in the area as the heyday of lumbering in northern Michigan faded.
Summer is an especially nice time to visit the village, now maintained by the National Park Service. Places like the restored General Store, Blacksmith Shop and the cannery, now a museum housing the largest public exhibit of Great Lakes small craft and equipment, often open during the summer months.
Want to learn more about some of the places mentioned on this leg of the trip?
Check out these books for young readers, The Legend of Sleeping Bear and S is for Sleeping Bear Dunes by Kathy-Jo Wargin, author and Gijsbert Van Frankenhuzyen.
See Sleeping Bear: Yesterday and Today by George Weeks for an overview of the history, pre-history and folklore of the dunes area.
Author Tom Van Zoeren worked as a Park Ranger at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore for twenty years as he collected and taped oral histories from Port Oneida residents. Check out his Images & Recollections from Port Oneida series of books and historic images: The Burfiend and Baker Farms, The Thoreson Farm and Its Neighbors and The Werner Farm and Its Neighbors.
Be sure to check out Part 1 and Part 2 of this road trip series about Michigan's Highway M-22.
© Dominique King 2015 All rights reserved
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