Events - Event View

Welcome to Shoreline West Day Three! (62 miles)<br /><br />Today is Shoreline West Jersey Day! Oh yeah, and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, a federally protected stretch of coastline that is consistently voted one of the most beautiful places in the country.<br /><br />We’ll fuel up with breakfast from Frankfort High School and then roll out past the Point Betsie Lighthouse, established in 1858 and is still active today. Until 1996, the U.S. Coast Guard used the attached quarters as a residence.<br /><br />Along the way, you can also stop at Riverside Canoe Trips, a popular rest stop for our riders who are looking for some light refreshments. You might even be able to sneak in a quick float in a canoe or kayak!<br /><br />As we enter Leelanau peninsula and approach the small town of Empire, the terrain will begin to transform into the characteristic beauty of the Sleeping Bear Dunes Lakeshore. The rolling hills will take us past coastal dunes and clear lakes, dense beech-maple forests, and bluffs that tower nearly 500 feet over the water. You’ll need to see it to believe it. <br /><br />According to Ojibwe legend, the lakeshore is named after a mother bear who fled with her two cubs from a forest fire on the Wisconsin shore of Lake Michigan. The three of them swam across the lake, but upon reaching the safety of the opposite shore, the mother realized that her cubs were nowhere in sight. She decided to wait for their return. The Great Spirit, impressed with her resilience, created the North and South Manitou Islands to commemorate the cubs, and then covered the sleeping mother bear with sand. The mound that is the original ‘sleeping bear’ can still be seen today.<br /><br />Glen Arbor provides an ideal opportunity to stop for lunch and enjoy some local cherry delights. As we leave town the scenery will change again into the rolling hills of peaceful farming communities. After a few challenging climbs you’ll be rewarded with a long descent into Traverse City.