Bracing Against The Wind, photo by josiah.keen.
2 months and only 60 miles? Looks like this Michigan shoreline tour might take more than just a summer (or a year) since I insist on pulling the car over at every state park along the way.
Josiah says the park is near his hometown of Holland and a frequent retreat. These pics are part of his great set of photos of Saugatuck Dunes State Park (view slideshow).
With the exception of a link to the interesting looking Felt Mansion (of which I suspect there will be more heard about here in the future), Wikipedia’s entry for Saugatuck Dunes State Park is pretty sparse, so we turn to the official Saugatuck Dunes State Park site which explains:
A day-use park along a secluded strip of Lake Michigan shoreline, Saugatuck Dunes State Park offers 1,000 acres of land with 2.5 miles of shore line. The Lake Michigan beach is a 0.6 mile hike from the picnic parking area. In addition, the park has fresh water coastal dunes that are over 200 feet tall. The park’s terrain varies from steep slopes to rolling hills. The park, located in Allegan County, is relatively undeveloped. The land for Saugatuck Dunes was acquired in 1971 from the Augustinian Order, who used the buildings as a seminary. When the state took ownership, the structures were used as a prison and state police offices.The park’s major attractions are the long sandy beaches and the 300-acre natural area, which contains a coastal dune system, as well as three endangered plant species. Nature enthusiasts, birdwatchers and hikers are the predominant day users.
The park has also been a site of tension between preservation and development. In 2001, Concerned Citizens for Saugatuck Dunes State Park was founded in response to proposals to use the park for a water treatment plant. Recently, they and other groups formed the Saugatuck Dunes Coastal Alliance. Check them both out for background and also this video slideshow.
Check out the Flickr photo map and also explore the area at Saugatuck Dunes State Park on our Absolute Michigan map.
Michigan in Pictures 
im moving there
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This message is for Josiah Keen.
Josiah,
We requests permission for our not-for-profit corporation to use your photos “Bracing against the wind” and the unnamed photo just below it, on our website currently under construction. The photo will be credited with your name. A description of who we are is included below.
Regards,
Keith Termaat, President
The Milton Neighbors
Who we are.
Milton and Torch Lake Townships in northwest Michigan (Antrim County) are nearly an island. They are bordered by Grand Traverse Bay on the west, Torch Lake on the east, and to the south Elk and Skegemog lakes and the Torch River. The townships are 90% residential with homes along lakes and in or near the villages of Kewadin, Torch Lake and Eastport. There are several dozen operating farms in the uplands.
The Milton Neighbors (TMN) was formed to help develop the Master Plan, improve roads and increase volunteerism in township government. TMN operated informally for about four years then was incorporated two years ago as a Michigan Not-for-Profit Corporation. The community was faced with dangerous E.coli pollution of an area creek which contaminated Grand Traverse Bay beaches, degraded quality of life for children and depressed property values. Restoration is to begin this year in cooperation with local government and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.
The TMN charter is to keep citizens informed on issues affecting the quality of life and property rights, to drive toward accountable township leadership, to inspire involvement in our townships by citizens who are interested, knowledgeable, expert and wise, to develop and promote public policy initiatives and to engage in educational, scientific, testing for public safety, lessening the burdens of government, and lessening neighborhood tensions
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