{"id":11622,"date":"2024-08-12T09:36:18","date_gmt":"2024-08-12T16:36:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/streaming2nps.com\/?p=11622"},"modified":"2024-08-24T06:25:46","modified_gmt":"2024-08-24T13:25:46","slug":"sleeping-bear-dunes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/streaming2nps.com\/?p=11622","title":{"rendered":"Sleeping Bear Dunes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

and the Cherry Capitol of the World<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

We camped in Empire, Michigan (6 nights), primarily to visit Sleeping Bear Dunes<\/mark><\/strong>, and maybe take a quick trip into Traverse City on our last day. We learned, once here, that Traverse City, Michigan is known as the “Cherry Capital of the World”<\/strong>. Its airport is even named Cherry Capital Airport! And it does, indeed, supply 75% of the world’s tart cherries. As residents of Washington, we have to say this about that…Washington is the top U.S. producer of sweet cherries<\/strong>, followed by Oregon and California, with the three producing about 90% of the quantity world wide. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A couple of other things that we’ve learned over our last couple of stops. The Great Lakes hold 10% of the world’s fresh water. Michigan, which borders on 4 of the 5 Great Lakes, has the most lighthouses in the US, with over 150 active and inactive lighthouses along the Great Lakes (once ~250). Here they say it has the most shoreline of any state except Alaska, but according to NOAA, counting Coastline and Great Lakes Shoreline only, it ranks #9. Still pretty impressive, for a state with only Great Lakes Shoreline. (Fun Fact, Alaska has more Coastline than all the other states combined.) ANYWAY…on to what we did here…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Visits to 1<\/strong><\/mark> new National Park Site<\/mark><\/strong>:<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore<\/strong><\/mark> (#254), where miles of sand beach, bluffs that tower 450\u2019 above Lake Michigan, lush forests, clear inland lakes, unique flora and fauna make up the natural world and high dunes afford spectacular views across the lake. An island lighthouse, US Life-Saving Service stations, coastal villages, and picturesque farmsteads reflect the park\u2019s rich maritime, agricultural, and recreational history. We visited the park 4 days:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n