At first look, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore seems familiar to kids. The slowly moving sand, seabirds and miles of greenish-blue water all add up to one thing—the sea. But then, somewhere — maybe on the pile of sand called Dune Run — the kids stop, realize this is Michigan, a landlocked state in the US, and ask, “How did the sea get here?”
It didn't. This is Lake Michigan. It's a lake — a great one — and the water is fresh, not salty, says Lisa Myers, chief of interpretation (讲师) and visitor services at Sleeping Bear.
“When my family comes here from New England in the north-eastern US, they all have to taste the water,” she says. “The area looks like Cape Cod in my home town. You can't believe this isn't the coast.”
“Playing on the Dune Run is like being a huge sandbox,” says Myers. But there's so much more. Help kids see the park through a wider lens (镜片) by walking along the sandy Lake Michigan beach.
“With their feet on the sand and in the water, kids can see there are waves,“ says Myers, “They can watch fish, otters and beavers swimming in the lake.”
July and August are best for water play, but winter is magical for kids, adds Myers. “They can walk the beaches to see all ice formations(形态) and crashing waves,” she says. “We offer snowshoe walks in January and February, where kids can look for marks left by animals. And when it's windy, they can stand on the Dune Run and feel the forces of nature. The kids can run or roll down the hill, too, which is a whole lot of fun.
