sleeping bear dunes

In honor of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore being named Good Morning America's "Most Beautiful Place in America," I thought I'd post a few pictures from our dune trip this year. I feel extraordinarily blessed to be able to spend so much time in this amazing place. The Leelanau Peninsula and the National Lakeshore have long been a stomping ground of mine and I hold them very near and dear to my heart.
I didn't need a contest to tell me this is the most beautiful place in America. I already knew it. But if you've never had the good fortune of visiting this part of the country, add it to your bucket list.
My mom picked up a copy of The Legend of Sleeping Bear for Kat from Leelanau Books. If you have kids and have never read it, it's a must-read. Kathie-Jo Wargin's book tells the story of the Ojibwe legend about how Sleeping Bear Dunes and the Manitou Islands were formed. It's a touching and powerful story, and the book is beautifully written and illustrated. In 1998, The Legend of Sleeping Bear was named the State of Michigan's official children's book.I can't even count the times I've stood on that bluff overlooking the blue waters of Lake Michigan. But I do know it never gets old. I'm already counting the days to next summer.

With love from The Valley of the Sun.