My Love Affair with Lake Michigan

Michigan is known as "The Great Lakes State".  Automobile license plates often have their state mottos inscribed somewhere on them, and I grew up coveting the time when I would own a car with a plate that bragged about  Michigan's Great Lakes.  For a short year, I lived in New Jersey and was informed by the many plates on backs of cars zooming up and down the Parkway that Jersey is the "Garden State."  Somehow, I must have missed the garden part.  During my tenure in Louisiana, I learned that it was either the "Bayou State" or the "Sportsman's Paradise" depending on what year the plate was issued.  I love Louisiana, but "Mosquito Haven" is more appropriate.  Arizona is the "Grand Canyon State" although, lately they are considering changing their license plates to say "The Boycotted State."  Minnesota is "The Land of 10,000 Lakes" and I wish they would weigh down both the Twins and the Vikings and toss them in one of the deeper ones.  I now live in Indiana, and their plates say "Head North to Michigan".  They don't really say that.  In fact, I don't think they say anything, and really, who can blame them?  I'm sure that after years of being the "Hoosier State" and being subjected, time and time again to the question "What's a Hoosier", they just gave up.

But this blog is about the great lakes of Michigan.  I love Michigan, and, more specifically, I love Lake Michigan.  Having been raised a mere 30 minute drive away, I spent a good deal of time traversing up and down the shores of this beautiful lake, from New Buffalo up along the west side of the state, to Traverse City and then up to the Upper Peninsula where there is a gorgeous drive along the northern side of Lake Michigan, on Route 2.  The state of Michigan has the good fortune to have over 3,200 miles of shoreline--more than any other state save Alaska.  Michiganders are water people.  In middle school, Boater's Safety was a mandatory course.  Yes, many states have miles of shoreline, but Michigan is better than all of those other states, because we are surrounded by fresh water lakes; and everyone knows that fresh water lakes are better than salty oceans any day.

And let me tell you why...

I learned to swim from the age of 3 or 4.  On Sundays during the summer, my parents would pack us and a picnic lunch in the car and head to Holland State Park, on the shore of Great Lake Michigan, where we would spend an entire day there, swimming, eating, playing amongst the dunes and getting sunburned. When we arrived, I didn't wait for everyone to unload the car and set up blankets under trees.  I took off running to the water.  I couldn't wait to get in and start swimming and playing in the lake.  My mother was charged with watching me--interesting, that, in that mom never learned to swim despite all of our efforts to teach her.  But I don't remember a time when I didn't swim and, while I would never turn down the opportunity to paddle in someone's pool, nothing on earth was better than diving amongst the waves of the Big Lake. 

When I was able to drive, and finally owned a vehicle with "The Great Lakes State" plastered on my license plate, I often drove to the shores of Lake Michigan, whether to swim, wade, or walk the beach.  I love the State Parks, but they cost money.  So, I found many county parks up and down the southwest shoreline where I could enter for free, sometimes merely for the joy of watching the sun set over Wisconsin (America's Dairyland).   There is nothing more beautiful than watching that big orange fireball sink below the horizon of the water, or witnessing a menacing thunderstorm come rolling in across it. Sometimes, on a Saturday, or if I can escape work early enough on a summer afternoon, I throw Zip in the car and we head up to Hagar Shores, and I walk along the beach while Zip chases and bites at the waves.  At times, I have been fortunate to stay at a friends house near the lake, or more recently, at my brother's home which is just on the other side of a big dune.  The sound of the waves lulls you to sleep at night and gently wakes you in the morning.  Folks who live on or near the big lake are the most fortunate people in the world.

Despite the fact that the ocean can also offer these things, let me describe what else the ocean offers...

Back in high school, I went with a group to Florida (The Sunshine State) during spring break.  I treated the ocean much in the same way I treated Lake Michigan--it was my first time ever swimming in the ocean, and I couldn't wait to dive in.  On our second day there, as I was swimming amongst the waves, I felt a terrible, sharp pain on my back.  The pain was from the sting of a jellyfish, sinking it's little jellyfish things in me.  There are no jellyfish in Lake Michigan. 

That same week, I watched as paramedics drove onto the beach and tended to a man who had been swimming in the ocean and had a chunk of his calf taken out by what they claimed was a small "sandshark".  The blood was everywhere.  There are no sharks in Lake Michigan.

When I lived in Jersey (the Garden State) and it became intolerably hot and humid, I drove to the Jersey Shore, to cool off and swim in the ocean.  As I was driving back, I noticed that my skin was covered in white scaley stuff.  I started scratching my head and white stuff was coming off of my scalp.  No, it wasn't dandruff, but rather, a thick caking of salt that had dried all over my body.  There is no salt in Lake Michigan.

When I lived in New Orleans, there was no ocean.  We had to drive to Mississippi (no motto--they tend to have their counties' names on their plates), to the Gulf, in order to swim.  Note, I count the Gulf as the ocean because it's salty and it's connected to the ocean.  So, one day, swimming about in the shallow Gulf waters of Waveland, something lightly brushed against me, like a fine, feathery kiss, and when I looked down at the water, I saw a dark object that looked suspiciously like the Baby Ruth candy bar from Caddyshack.  There is no poop in Lake Michigan (at least, I've never seen any).

So, go on and brag about your oceans, but those of us from Michigan know that we have it so much better than all of you salt lovers.

I don't mean to slight the other great lakes either.  I am very familiar with two others; namely, Lake Superior and Lake Huron.  I don't know that I've been introduced to Lake Ontario--which doesn't really touch Michigan; and, after Ohio (the Buckeye State) killed Lake Erie, we decided to let them have it.

Superior is named that for a reason.  By surface area, it is the largest freshwater lake in the world.  It is certainly one of the most beautiful lakes I've ever seen (yes, yes, Tahoe is nice too).  I don't really remember if I had the privilege of visiting Lake Superior as a child.   I do, however, remember taking a summer vacation up in the Yooper, and driving my coveted vehicle through a dense, piney forest on a very bumpy, unpaved road.  Just as my teeth were about ready to rattle out of my head, I came out of the woods and was treated to a magnificent vista of Lake Superior from atop a cliff.  I drove along the cliff until I found a place where I could wind my way down, on foot, to the beach.  As I stood on the shore, I looked to my right, and to my left.  I saw not one person.  No footprints but my own had disturbed the sand.  I looked back up to the cliff and saw not a single house or man-made construction of any sort.  I began imagining that this was what the world looked like before man came along and messed with it.  My red vehicle, atop the cliff, seemed vulgar and intrusive in this setting.  Apart from the swishing of the waves and the cry of an occasional bird, there wasn't a sound. 

This was my chance to swim in Lake Superior.  I hesitated, and thought better of it, thinking that maybe I should start by wading.  Having removed my shoes, I tentatively moved towards the sapphire waters of this majestic lake.  I put a foot in, and felt the stinging sensation, not of a jellyfish, but rather, of needles of cold water flash freezing my skin.  Nope...too frigid for me.  This might explain the lack of development along this Great Lake.  The water temperature just never gets warm enough to swim without a bodysuit, and I didn't have one sitting in my car.  Still, it was a fabulous experience, to sit there on that unspoiled shore, and contemplate the lake.

I have, since then, made other trips up along the shore of Lake Superior.  I think my favorite place on this lake is Copper Harbor.  Copper Harbor, and Eagle River just to the west, are probably the northernmost points of Michigan with the exception of Isle Royal.  Copper Harbor is located at the tip of narrow Keeweenaw Peninsula, that juts out into Lake Superior.  It is a beautiful place, and neither words nor photos can do it justice.  You can go up Brockway Mountain and be treated to an amazing vista of Copper Harbor.  If you want to visit Isle Royal, Copper Harbor is where you can catch the ferry, for the long ride out (I think it's about six hours).  I haven't yet visited Isle Royal, but I plan on doing it someday.

If you visit the shores of Lake Superior, you need to visit Pictured Rock National Park--40 miles of pristine shoreline along the big lake.  Don't miss Au Sable Point, on the east end of Pictured Rock, featuring one of Michigan's many magnificent lighthouses.



It wasn't until last year that I really had any relationship with Lake Huron. Being from Southwestern Michigan (if you were here, I would point to my hand and show you where I'm from), Michigan was my lake.  However, Lake Huron is not to be scoffed at.  One of my all-time favorite places is Mackinac Island, and it is, indeed, situated on (or in?) Lake Huron.  Oh wait, I'm sure I have a photo of Zip wading in Lake Huron on the shores of Mackinac Island.  Note how CLEAN the water is (something else I didn't notice on the Jersey Shore).  So, yes, I've been to Lake Huron many times, but I never really thought about Lake Huron until last summer.

I decided to rent a small cabin up in Clear Lake, and one day, Zip and I traveled along the Au Sable River, beautiful in its own rite, to the eastern part of the state and walked the beaches and played in the waves of Lake Huron.  I particularly enjoyed the county park at Oscoda (where the Au Sable empties into the lake)--which is dog friendly,  and also Tawas City, a bit farther to the south.  We very much appreciated the numerous ice-cream shops in Tawas City.

So, I think I have made my case that the Great Lakes are far "superior" to any ocean.  Today, it was finally in the mid 70s and sunny and I had to restrain myself.  I was close to making up an excuse about coming down with scarlet fever, because I wanted so much to drive up to Hagar Shores and see how Lake Michigan has fared since I said goodbye to it last October.  I know it's there waiting for us.  I can barely contain myself and am anxiously anticipating the time when I can go back and visit my old friend.