Return to my childhood roots: the shores of Northern Lake Michigan

Every summer in June from the time I was an infant until my sophomore year in high school (1967) my family, along with other relatives, spent 2 glorious weeks in the area just north of Manistee, Michigan in the tiny village of Arcadia. Arcadia doesn’t even have a stop light and in 2020 was populated by only 309 people, but it was then and remains now near and dear to my heart.

I have been longing to visit there again for some time. My last glimpse of Arcadia was in 1984 when Larry and I took our kids camping up the coast of Lake Michigan. That summer we made a quick stop in Arcadia to find the area where some of my earliest childhood memories formed, memories still deeply ingrained in my mind to this day. The very old 2 story house with no electricity and no plumbing that we stayed in for so many years, the old hand pump just outside the back door where we fetched buckets of water for cooking, washing, and yes … drinking, the old shack just feet from the house where local fishermen scooped minnows from a huge trough and bought worms for their fishing expedition of the day, the sandy trail leading away from the house about 100 yards to a point on the very pristine and quiet Arcadia Lake where we swam for hours … all these had been replaced in 1984 by large new homes on the waterfront. And now I was most curious to see what new changes had taken place since then. Arcadia, you see, sits just over a sandbar from Lake Michigan on a small inlet lake, and now boasts some of the loveliest real estate in the area.

To see it again, my husband Larry and I met up with our son-in-law Neill, our daughter Tara, and 2 of their children, Eli and Aaron Rhodes, in southern Michigan on June 15 and the six of us headed northwest. We began our mini-vacation by stopping in Mears, Michigan for a sand dune excursion with Mac Woods Dune Rides. Our 40-minute adventure in an open air 4-wheel drive “limo” took us on a roller coaster-like ride over the dunes nestled between Lake Michigan and beautiful Silver Lake. The cost is $20 per adult and $12 for children under 12, money well spent for the memories made. You know it was good when a 15 and a 16-year-old both declared that it was fun. During the adventure, we learned that the blowing and drifting sands off of Lake Michigan have changed the landscape dramatically over the years. Entire houses which once sat on the beachfront as well as beached ships have been swallowed by the sand and now lie under the dunes and beaches. Later in our trip as we came across a pair of benches on the beach tagged as dedicated in 1999 and almost completely buried by sand, we realized how the landscape changes so quickly here.

Nearby at Silver Lake State Park, we took time to have a quick picnic at Little Point Sable Lighthouse where we walked the sandy dunes along the shore of Lake Michigan and let Eli and Aaron experience the cold waters of the big lake for a bit. Over the years many ships were lost to the rocky waters and riptides off Lake Michigan’s shore in this area, but it was the loss of the Schooner Pride in 1866 that caused a public demand for a lighthouse at this location. Congress approved funding in 1871 but it wasn’t until 1874 that this lighthouse was built due to the lack of roads in the area. We found many lighthouses up the coast of Lake Michigan on our little getaway.

On we went from Mears to our first night destination of Ludington. Exploring Ludington State Park, we found a red flag flying over the beach informing the public that due to the very windy conditions and the extreme undertows in Lake Michigan, no one was allowed in the water on this day. This was a huge disappointment for the boys. Within the State Park, however, is Hamlin Lake, an inland lake where you can rent canoes, kayaks, and paddle boards. For a 2-hour span, we secured a paddle board for $30, a single kayak for $25, and a tandem kayak for $35. The Rhodes crew had great fun on the much calmer inland lake waters while the “old people” sat and visited with other travelers, some from Columbus, Ohio. This busy area of the park had a nice shady picnic area with a great playground for those with young children and a very nice beach area. Mid-afternoon we hit the road to drive north to Manistee where we would spend the next 2 nights. Manistee, which offers some amazing beaches and the North Pierhead Lighthouse as well as the Little River Casino and other attractions, proved to be a good jumping-off point for seeing the area that I most wanted to see, which was just 23 miles further up the road … Arcadia!

Arriving in the village on M22, my mind flooded with happy childhood memories. The old store on the corner where we spent our quarters for candy still stands, though empty and in disrepair. The docks at the inland lakeside, once so rickety and dangerous to walk on, are replaced with concrete and now host large sailboats and yachts. The harbor has a “master” who, only being in Arcadia for 20 years, did not know anything about the history of the area that I shared with him.

We drove around the newer homes built on top of the once-remote land that my family vacationed on in the 50s and 60s. The sandy point that once was our swimming beach is now a cul de sac with newer houses. But the inlet just yards away that allows boats to move from Arcadia Lake to Lake Michigan is still there looking just as it did in 1967 and I smiled remembering the years navigating that inlet with my dad in his fishing boat. I could almost hear my dad and mom (Don and Helen Carolus) saying to me, “Do you remember the old mirror factory that sat near the docks that burned down in the 50s? … Do you remember the time dad was in such a hurry to get out on the lake fishing that he spilled gasoline while filling the old boat motor and caught the boat and the rickety wooden dock on fire when he started the motor?” Oh, the memories.

Since our last visit here in 1984 many things have changed in the village, but the spirit of old Arcadia lives on in my heart. As we pulled out onto M22, I spied a gift shop … The Lily Pad … and we pulled in. Browsing for souvenirs, I asked the owner, who looked to be about the right age, if she might remember the name Barney Yunk who owned the house we vacationed in every summer. In a surprised voice she answered yes, Barney was her uncle! Needless to say, we had a spirited conversation that lifted my mood even higher! As we enjoyed ice cream in the food area attached, she showed us ancient pictures on the walls of “old Arcadia” and my heart was overwhelmed. If you visit the area around Arcadia, don’t miss stopping at the Arcadia Overlook just a mile or so north of the village.

Take time to climb the 120 easy steps to the viewing platform and you will be rewarded with a view that will take your breath away. Bring quarters, as there is a viewing telescope on the top platform. We drove north to Sleeping Bear Dunes and stayed several hours exploring that area where I spent so much time climbing the dunes as a child. I was surprised to find that the Dune Climb area had changed … that the ascent up the dune was different than even in 1984 when we climbed it with our kids, but then remembering what we had been told on the dune buggy ride, we realized that wind and time has morphed the Sleeping Bear Dunes as well. Thinking back to the years spent in this area with my family, I again realized the importance of traveling and making memories to last a lifetime. My parents knew memories would be important for their kids, inspiring Larry and me to make our own as we travel with our children and grandchildren.

Time away comes to an end, and we returned home 968 miles later with many new images to hold dear and stories to tell. I hope to return to upper Michigan again if life allows. We would encourage the readers of this story to see it for yourselves. You won’t be disappointed.

This trip was taken by Larry and Deb Sidener along with Neill, Tara, Eli, and Aaron Rhodes from June 15-18, 2022.