A good stop at the Sleeping Bear Dunes

Blacksmith shop at Glenn Haven 

     The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in northwestern Michigan is now an idyllic vacation destination, but to 19th century families, it was a remote home along Lake Michigan.
    A stop at Glenn Haven, where some of the original buildings have been restored will bring back what life was like for those hardy pioneers who worked in the woods as lumberjacks or tried to farm or fish for a living.

     Life moved slower in those days, no faster than a horse could travel. A main attraction is the village

blacksmith shop where a real blacksmith is at work.

      There's also a general store and and old hotel, once frequented by lumberjacks and early visitors to the village. A fish cannery has also been restored and can be visited. The beach nearby is another attraction, along with a nearby restored lifesaving station, where rescue boats and other equipment is on display. 

     If you go, check out Glenn Arbor, nearby, which is a thriving tourist town, with restaurants, motels and shops.  

    

For more information on  Glenn Haven go to 

www.nps.gov/slbe/historyculture/glenhaven.htm