Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, MichiganThe drive: 5.5 hours

On a glorious late-summer day a couple of years ago, my wife, Rebecca, and I hiked the modest incline in Sleeping Bear Dunes that leads to Pyramid Point, not far from the town of Glen Arbor. We ascended 1.2 miles through the beech and maple forest until we reached a clearing, where suddenly Lake Michigan appeared beneath us, majestically stretching to the horizon, its hue a tantalizing shade of blue that sparkled in the morning sun. We couldn’t help but hum the background music from those “Pure Michigan” ads, a Pavlovian response that would delight the state’s tourism board. All that was missing was narration from Tim Allen.

It was a perfect beach day — warm but not too hot, a gentle breeze — and the water beckoned. The problem was that the water was 300 feet below us, and the only way to get there was down the steep dune. A sign warned: “Don’t risk injury and rescue fees by going down — or the 2 hours it may take to climb back up!” Tim Allen never mentioned that part. 

As Rebecca and I debated the best way to the beach without requiring the services of a search party, an eavesdropping Michigander approached us. “You should go to the beach at the Coast Guard station,” she suggested, perhaps sensing it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to keep the adventure-averse Chicagoans under the close watch of the authorities. “It’s only 15 minutes away.” 

To get there, we took M-22, which winds through Glen Arbor’s quaint downtown before reaching the sleepy lakeside village of Glen Haven. Collapsible chairs slung around our shoulders, we shuffled past the station — as it turns out, actually now a museum — and stepped onto the beach, calm waves lapping the sand. We splashed around in the cool water. Sunlight danced on the lake floor, illuminating smooth rocks that dotted the sandy bottom. Who knew Lake Michigan could be so clear, so immaculate, so inviting? (The eavesdropping lady, that’s who.) 

That night, we drove to the parking lot of the Dune Climb, about three miles southwest of Glen Arbor. The lot is among the best spots for stargazing in the area — it’s pitch-black at night. (And no hiking required!) Sitting in our beach chairs, we gazed up at the clear Michigan sky, the Milky Way spilling out over the dunes and the empty lot. It was quiet but for the rustling of the trees — and our humming of that familiar tune.