It’s summertime, so Flat Hitty wants to go to the beach. But not the ocean. One of her favorite beaches is actually on a freshwater lake instead. P.J. Hoffmaster State Park is on the western side of Michigan’s lower peninsula in Muskegon. The park features 3 miles of shoreline adjacent to Lake Michigan.
Flat Hitty begins her day at the Gillette Sand Dune Visitor Center. She discovers an enormous model of a grain of sand.
Here she is next to an outline of the state of Michigan, which is surrounded by the Great Lakes.
About 40% of Michigan’s sand dunes are in public ownership. That means everyone can enjoy them! The Western side of Michigan has a string of state and county parks all along the shoreline.
Here is a closeup of some of the parks. P.J. Hoffmaster is in the middle of the photo.
The visitor center isn’t just about sand dunes. It also features facts about the plants and animals near the shore. Here is Flat Hitty next to some animal footprints. She hopes she doesn’t encounter them in person!
This is a diarama of a “foredune,” the sand dune closest to the water. The sand makes it difficult for plants to take root, but hardy grasses and a few heat tolerant plants can survive here.
After seeing the exhibits, Flat Hitty takes the pristine, wooded Lake Michigan Trail all the way to the Lake.
It’s clear that not much grows on the sand: only dune grass and a few spindly trees.
When the wind blows, great rolling waves churn the water and sand along the shoreline. The sound of the wind is a constant dull roar.
Flat Hitty likes to walk along the beach and look for interesting things to see. What could this be? It looks like an empty plant pod of some kind.
She places the plant pod next to a piece of driftwood covered with lichen.
Thanks for taking a stroll with Flat Hitty on the beach. The “H” stands for Hitty and Hoffmaster. Have a great summer!
