Day 6-Life’s a Beach… Until It’s a 400-ft Climb

September 24th, 2025

One small step for TK, one giant lake for mankind.

Sorry for the radio silence—we’ve been on the go, making some progress down the road. From the beautiful shores of Lake Muskegon (technically a harbor off Lake Michigan), we headed north on Route 31 toward Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park.

The scenic drive wound us through spectacular northern hardwood forests before opening up to the overlook, where we could see the vast expanse of Lake Michigan beyond the rolling dunes. A little farther along, we stopped at the top of the big dunes—towering more than 400 feet over the lake. The view was breathtaking, though a bit nerve-wracking, knowing that, yes, people still climb down (and back up), prompting the park service to perform 50+ rescues each year!

What’s most striking here is the landscape itself: dense, lush forest suddenly giving way to sweeping desert-like dunes. We dodged a few rain showers as the day wore on and eventually rolled into our campground just south of Traverse City. Along the way, we passed farm after farm, and—out in the middle of nowhere—the Lighthouse Church. Perfectly fitting for Lighthouse Girl, a.k.a. Jess.

The Royals are cruising in heaven!