Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail supporters, car enthusiasts and renewable energy advocates will have an opportunity to test drive a GM Chevy Volt on Tuesday, July 31, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at Cherry Republic in Glen Arbor. General Motors, a strong supporter of the Heritage Trail, will make the trip to Glen Arbor with three Chevy Volts to test drive.
Michigan bluegrass band Detour headlined this summer’s Dune Climb concert, which was held on July 15. This free annual concert, which celebrated its 15th year, is the highlight of the season for many families. It’s the fruit of a creative partnership between the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and the Glen Arbor Art Association’s Manitou Music Festival.
Are you looking for a way to get involved with your local national park this summer? Then lend a hand to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (National Lakeshore). A Saturday workday will be offered as a way to involve visitors and community members in projects that also help them learn about different invasive plants impacting the park, local communities, and region. The National Lakeshore encourages all who are interested in assisting with park conservation to attend the workdays.
Ever wish you could own a private slice of Pyramid Point or Overlook #9 at Pierce Stocking Drive? Well, now you can own at least a virtual piece of it, or any other favorite spot in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore — “the most beautiful place in America”. The Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear organization announces a new program in partnership with the National Park Foundation, which allows supporters and fans to claim their very own virtual inch or inches of the National Lakeshore. Just like services that allow people to buy a star in the sky or a pixel, you have a similar opportunity to support the parks through the “My Inch of Earth” program.
TART Trails and Cherry Republic have partnered to sponsor the “Charge Up the Dunes” raffle to raise money for the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail campaign. The bearer of the winning ticket will drive away in a brand new Chevy Volt. The raffle has been limited to 1,200 tickets being sold at $100 each or three for $250. The Volt was purchased from General Motors at a significant discount, and it’s a chance to win a $45,000 car for $100.
The views and trails are timeless, but the tools to help you get there are cutting edge. Check out Jane and Joy’s smart phone application, “Sleeping Bear Trails: Aunt Jane’s Trail Guide to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore” by visiting iTunes.
The Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes have been selected to receive a 2012 Active Trails Grant from the National Park Foundation, the official charity of America’s national parks. Now in its fourth cycle, the National Park Foundation’s Active Trails program promotes national parks as venues for community engagement, and encourages healthy living through various forms of recreation and volunteer service on land and water trails. The $18,000 grant will enable the Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes to purchase signage for the first segment of the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail (SBHT), and to develop a “Trail Ambassador” volunteer program to assist in patrols and maintenance of the SBHT. The SBHT will be officially opened on June 20 at a 1:30 p.m. ribbon cutting event.
Kick off summer in the Most Beautiful Place in America. After a one-year hiatus, the fourth annual Glen Arbor BBQ and Brew Festival will be held on June 16 from noon – 6 p.m. in Glen Arbor, in the heart of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. This year the event will be in the center of town, on the corner of Lake Street and M‐22, just a block away from beautiful Lake Michigan.
The Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail officially opens with a ribbon cutting ceremony at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (National Lakeshore) Dune Climb on Wednesday, June 20, at 1:30 p.m. The ribbon cutting celebrates the completion of nearly five miles of trail between Glen Arbor and the Dune Climb. When fully completed, the 27-mile trail will run from the southern edge of Leelanau County through the National Lakeshore, Empire, and Glen Arbor, to Good Harbor Bay. Construction of the remaining segments will continue as funds are raised.
The most beautiful place in America … the second healthiest nationwide, with the best beaches and chocolate … an epicurean and film destination. How about one more feather for the cap? Leelanau County could become a prime bicycle destination too.