Matthew and I head to our yearly retreat on North Manitou Island at Michigan’s Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore. We end the summer relaxing on the beach near Swenson’s Barn, get away from the hustle and bustle of life, explore the island, and reflect. This year, we plan to do a little trail and beach running as we prepare for the Chicago Marathon.
The island is, for all intent and purpose, flat. Trails steadily incline a couple hundred feet in some areas but they are unnoticeable. On the island rests the bones of old homesteads and towns from the late 19th and early 20th century. Structures and landmarks to note are old Swenson’s Barn, the old cemetery, orchards throughout the island, and a row of old dilapidated vacation homes in the village area.
We’ll be running 18 miles on Saturday and a couple miles beach running. We’re not sure which route to take. We’ll either run the lakeshore to make a loop around the island or take advantage of the old roads that area now foot trails. You will find us on the beach relaxing or exploring old ruins the rest of the time.
I’ll post photos of our trip when we get back. I hope everyone has a great Labor Day weekend!