Yesterday, after the fog lifted I wandered in the Leelanau State Park hiking trails that wind through cedar and beech trees, then up to the dunes that separate the woods from the shore of Lake Michigan.

It’s a magical place, and I was lucky – there were very few bugs! I loved how the light sifted through the newly minted leaves.

And though there were few bugs, there were plenty of natives scurrying around in the leaves on the forest floor…

…and scolding me from behind tree trunks.

I enjoyed the cool trail through the damp deep woods…

…but after a bit the trail left the dark woods and began to climb up and around sandy and more open dunes. The trees changed too, from deep dark forest to open and airy.

Eventually the trail spilled out onto perfectly beautiful dunes and provided a view of the lake. What a pretty picture!

I probably should have climbed over those dunes to the lake. You never know what you’ll find. But it was getting late in the day, so I headed on through the woods. I met a new friend sleeping in a sunny spot on the trail. He wasn’t as excited to meet me as I was to notice him, and he silently moved away.

And just before the parking lot I found a sweet little patch of forget-me-nots.

Later in the evening I waited in anticipation for sunset. I must have run down to the beach a dozen times, hoping that this was the one great shot. Turns out it was a pink and purple, more gentle kind of sunset. Still it was pretty. I’ve put together a short slide show for your enjoyment.

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That way you don’t have to do all those stairs yourself.