The Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes sound very innocent and yet they transport you to a different world. Going to the beach my whole life I always thought I knew what a sand dune looked like. Those small protective mounds pale in comparison to the otherworldly mammoths that are the Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes National Lakeshore. It’s hard to describe what it’s like driving up to these sand dunes. Located in northern Michigan, it feels isolated and alone. I remember a winding road walled with trees. As you drive down the road the trees give way to giant sand dunes that do not seem real. They seem to rise out of nowhere, and from the parking lot you can’t see the top. My family and I had just gotten out of our yearly visit to Michigania, a family came run by the Alumni Association of University of Michigan. My Dad grew up outside of Detroit and spent his college years at the University of Michigan. 

Exploring my Dad’s home state is amazing to me because it is like peeking into a different world. It is hard to imagine my Dad’s life without me in it, but he lived for decades before my birth. The Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes were a symbol of the mysterious world for me. I remember getting out of the car in the heat of summer. The large sand dune looming over head, seeming to taunt me. As we set out to climb the dune ahead of us, I quickly realized how hard it was going to be. My feet sank into the soft ground and I could barely keep my place on the side of the dune. Each step became a task by itself. But the views were worth it. As big as one dune may seem, there are more on the other side.  

Sand dunes seem to go on forever and suddenly they kiss the shore of the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes themselves seem like oceans. The other side is out of view making it seem like they go on forever, and yet they are not an ocean, they are something else. This environment leads to something amazing and unique. It seems like a world to itself and almost impossible to comprehend on google images alone. On the top there was a bench that sat on a little platform. As my family and I reached the top I heard my sister scream. 

“Ow! I think a bee stung me!”  We all looked back to see my sister sitting down sinking in the sand. As she went down with my Mom, my Dad and I sat on the bench looking out at the coast. To me that is why these places are so special. These natural wonders are irreplaceable on their own, but they are also a view into the past that bring people together. Each state Is so unique and comes with history and stories. This specific location allowed me to look into my Dad’s past and share a moment with him that I will never forget.