February 2012
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Riding Along the Horizon – Circles in the Sand
Beyond a roller coaster, penny arcades, ice cream and other sugar-spun sweets of summer, visitors were drawn beginning in 1910 to the Silver Beach Carousel.
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Vacation Havens
Real estate agents representing some of Michigan’s top vacation spots say their catapulting base of buyers is much less focused on building a nest egg than it is a second family nest.
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Maritime Gatherings
The Queen’s Cup, June 29. The 74th sailing of one of yachting’s oldest cups begins at the South Shore Yacht Club in Milwaukee, Wis., and finishes 78 nautical miles later in the first-time host city of South Haven.
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The Other Dairy State
Parlaying a bottle or two of Michigan wine into a summer party takes little more than a plate of assorted cheeses.
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Festival of Flavors
What do a fish boil, a 5K run and jammin’ concerts have in common with blueberry pies and a parade? All are highlights of the 49th annual National Blueberry Festival, Aug. 9-12, held in the historic beachside city of South Haven.
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Creative Outlets
St. Joseph’s nationally-accredited art museum houses its permanent collection entirely outdoors, with sculptures dotting the shoreline between New Buffalo and South Haven.
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The Wind on the Beach
On a beach the boundary between the wild and the civilized blurs. And that’s good. The boundary should blur. It’s porous, after all.
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Sculpting Magic
Get your sand wet. Equal parts sand and water is the correct ratio, says Janet Moore Schrader, a sand castle instructor and individual winner of last year’s Grand Haven Sand Sculpture Contest.
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Life Along a Great Lake
From New Buffalo up to Mackinaw and winding west into the Upper Peninsula, the beaches blanketing Lake Michigan’s shoreline attract us with distinct attributes, including the world’s longest stretch of freshwater dunes.
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Linked by the Sea
I imagined traveling the world, becoming a writer or a mermaid. The sea was so vast, so loud, so welcoming and terrifying — just like the future.
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Memorable Picnic Pleasers
Lake Michigan lays a blanket of sugar sand at your feet and beckons with appetizing sunset views. Pack your picnic gear and browse nearby towns like a gourmand.
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Prime Pickings
Officially adopted as Michigan’s state stone in 1965, Petoskeys are actually petrified coral, leftover fragments of the reefs that existed 350 million years ago during the Devonian Period when salty warm-water seas covered the northern half of the state.
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Waves of Awareness
Associated more with oceans, rip currents form when waves pile up along shorelines then shoot back out to sea in small underwater rivers, often dragging along with them unsuspecting swimmers.
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Serenity Found: Private Beach Retreats
Remote beaches in Michigan all require extra effort to reach. But at day’s end, the sand and solitude of these destination stretches make the hike in or the drive out well worth it.
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Uncovering the Dunes
Almost half of Michigan’s 275,000 trademark dune acres are in public parks, preserves and national lakeshores.
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Lured to the Lake
Stretching up along the state’s Gold Coast, from New Buffalo into Mackinaw City, Lake Michigan is punctuated by charming towns and historic ports linked by distinctive beaches.
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Passing on the Baton
The words “lake effect” are not always welcome news. But in the rolling hills of Fenn Valley, lake effect is partly responsible for the flavorful bounty that Doug Welsch, winemaker and second-generational head of Fenn Valley Vineyards, turns into wine.
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Beaches 2012: Contributors
Contributors, Beaches 2012
