Hugged by the Sleeping Bear

“Long ago, along the Wisconsin shoreline, a mother bear and her two cubs were driven into Lake Michigan by a raging forest fire. The bears swam for many hours, but eventually the cubs tried and lagged behind. Mother bear reached the shore and climbed to the top of a high bluff to watch and wait for her cubs. Too tired to continue, the cubs drowned within sight of the shore. The Great Spirit Manitou created two islands to mark the spot where the cubs disappeared and then created a solitary dune to represent the faithful mother bear”. (Chippewa Indian legend)http://www.nps.gov/slbe/planyourvisit/pssleepingbearduneoverlook.htm

The sky turned pink as the sun gently descended and kissed Lake Michigan’s horizon. Bonfire gave out a perfect wood-burning scent at the secluded Peterson Road Beach in Honor, MI. Sitting on the beach with my friends, I saw Venus hanging not too far above the horizon on one side and the Sleeping Bear Point and Empire Bluff resting on the lake on the other side. The soothing sound of small waves crashing was perfect to be recorded and played before bedtime. I inhaled deeply and closed my eyes, hoping to absorb everything. When I opened my eyes I saw Farah busy preparing the smores, Fifi spraying everyone with mosquito repellant, Theo looking deeply into his camera to capture the moments, and Jeff pointing the video camera at me and said, “Hey, Birthday Girl!” Then the dark sky brought out thousands of stars. Everyone sank into their own beach chairs, buried their feet deep in the playful sand while sipping their drinks. My senses were babied by nature’s beauty and my heart was full.

It was my 30th birthday. I wanted to do something different for my birthday celebration. So I said, “Let’s go camping!” Jeff, an outdoor enthusiast, found a campground by the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore on Lake Michigan.  He booked it in January for my birthday in… May. He called up some of our closest friends and three were able to join. So we packed up our camping gears, food, and drinks and drove northwest.

I think the location was perfect for good friends to celebrate beautiful summer days. The weekend was filled with great cookouts, conversations, and plenty of laughter with nature’s sounds in the background. Deer would lift up their heads to catch a glimpse of who’s passing by and who’s calling them “Bambi.” The breathtaking views from the scenic drive along  the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive or the Old Mission wineries, the easy breeze, the smooth sand, and the cool water definitely forced everyone to slow down and be playful.

I would definitely come back to hug the Sleeping Bear.

Photos property of The Traveling Chili Pepper

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