SILVER LAKE, Mich. — Chuck and his team take us on a bucket list trip to the majesty, mystery and fun of beautiful Northern Michigan.
Sand is a part of life. Think about it for a moment: It finds its origination in eroding rocks and weather. Sand is found in hourglasses, beaches and fields where crops like melons are grown. It's used for traction on roads, but it is rarely thought of as a substance that can be used for fun.
Sand has always been a part of Michigan. After all, the state has thousands of miles of beach space along Lakes Michigan, Superior, Huron and Erie, but there's a big — and I mean big — difference between a family fun beach and rolling, moving sand dunes.
Silver Lake
Silver Lake
We visited Silver Lake, an amazing state park that brings up visions of the Baja and, if you try hard enough, can bring up images of the dunes of the Sahara.
As we pulled into the park, it was impossible to believe this was Michigan and with good reason, it's the only place east of the Mississippi River with sand dunes that you can ride on.
In one sense, these moving dunes are man-made. After the 1871 Great Chicago Fire, what was a dense forest was logged and underneath was sand. Without trees to contain it, dunes formed and are here to this day.
We rode along with Garrett Talmedge in his special vehicle called "Mr. Sandman" to discover the hilly, exciting, ever-changing landscape.
Garrett is a fourth-generation family member of the Mac Woods Dune Rides, currently in its 90th year of operation. Garrett took us for a 40-minute ride as we took on the changing sand mountains with deep dives into valleys and peaks and spectacular views of Silver Lake and Lake Michigan.
Mac Woods Dune Rides
I noticed grass growing through the sand and some trees. Garrett told us he is thankful for that.
"That is a good thing that helps stabilize the dunes, you know, it tries to stop it from moving so much," Garrett said. "We are losing our lake more and more with the western winds that’s pushing the sand in the dunes right into the lake."
The ecology is changing yearly here and besides being fun, the rides are a good way to learn about this region-sensitive ecosystem. Did I say though, this was fun? It was.
Thanks to the folks at Parrot's Landing, I was able to rent a Jeep and try the dunes for myself. I must admit, I didn't press hard on the gas pedal initially, but as I got used to the implied lanes of traffic and found a safe but challenging speed, I hit the dunes hard.
It was a thrill getting four wheels off the ground, coming off the top of one of the dunes and then sharing the space with much more experienced dune buggy drivers who on several occasions, spread some sand our way.
Although I had grown up on the shores of Lake Michigan, I never experienced driving at a pretty high speed on moving, shifting sand. What a thrill and an opportunity for us to take in a rare bucket list kind of trip.
Yes sand is a part of life and for me, it's a part my forever memories on this Chuck's Big Adventure stop. By the way, the sand may never get out of our vehicles!
Mystery Spot
There is no other way to explain it: the Mystery Spot in St. Ignace, Michigan, is more than a mystery — it's, well, weird!
This was a place I really wanted to visit. Producer Megan, photojournalist Steve and I took a ride north on the historic Mackinac Bridge and just 7 minutes away, we found this popular tourist attraction.
OK, it's more than a stop off the road with miniature golf and a gift shop. The name really does define it. Our crew left this place saying, "What did we just experience?"
If you have driven anywhere in Michigan, you've seen the giant billboards with the large question mark touting this place. When you leave The Mystery Spot, that question mark will probably define your thoughts.
We met with Mark Massey, who has worked there for more than 20 years and now owns the property. As he tells it, three surveyors in the 1950s stumbled upon this piece of land and could not get their equipment to work. For instance, no matter how many times they tried to get tripods to level, they would always lean east. They also noticed a constant feeling of lightheadedness.
As I went from room to room, I found it difficult to walk. I sat in a chair that had four legs off the ground, and I felt an extreme pull on my body that I could not explain. There are optical contradictions and physical sensations that are hard to believe, but it...is...fun! By the way, at one point I was dripping in sweat with a feeling similar to seasickness.
For Mark and his staff, it looked iffy that they would be open this year, but when the state loosened restrictions, the crowds came back.
"This is our best year on record. 1955 was our first year, and we've never had more people come through our doors than this year," Mark said. "I think being in a pandemic, you're kind of cooped up in the house for a couple of months and then you kind of have to be forced to be conservative financially a little bit."
The recently added zip lines add to the variety of the visit.
I felt confused, disoriented and left full of questions at the Mystery Spot. Would I do it again? In a heartbeat. Click here for more information.