Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

Bob and Sara sitting on a couch

Voices of North Manitou Series: Bob and Sara Zielesch

By Stacie / May 8, 2024 / Comments Off on Voices of North Manitou Series: Bob and Sara Zielesch

Join us for another episode of Voices of North Manitou. Bob and Sara spent many years vacationing on North Manitou Island during the 60s and 70s, and came back as campers in the 90s, and became long-serving volunteers. Step back in time with Bob and Sara on North Manitou Island. Bob’s father was the accountant…

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women on boat

The Women of the Manitou Islands

By Stacie / March 21, 2024 / Comments Off on The Women of the Manitou Islands

This special program was created for the Leelanau Historical Society, honoring the women of the North and South Manitou Islands. Celebrate Women’s History Month by learning about the strong and determined women of the Manitou Islands. The North and South Manitou Islands are places of mystery, with many shuttered old homes and ruins, evidence of…

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Katie Shepard Hotel

Tour of Historic Katie Shepard Hotel

By Stacie / August 29, 2023 / Comments Off on Tour of Historic Katie Shepard Hotel

Walk through the Katie Shepard Hotel with me on North Manitou Island! It is normally closed to the public, and this is a great opportunity for you to see inside. Built in 1985, this beautiful building is being lovingly restored. We did our second volunteer trip to North Manitou Island this month, this time with…

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Kevin Mark

Voices of North Mantou: Kevin Mark

By Stacie / May 12, 2023 / Comments Off on Voices of North Mantou: Kevin Mark

Enjoy a virtual visit to North Manitou with Kevin Mark and his stories. We have a new episode of our history series: Voices of North Manitou. This series explores the history of the North Manitou Island in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore through the people who have lived, worked, played, and been a part…

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Cottage and trees

TOUR Cottage Row

By Stacie / November 6, 2022 / Comments Off on TOUR Cottage Row

Tour Cottage Row on North Mantiou Island Tour Cottage Row! Take a walking tour of the historic Cottage Row area in the Village on North Manitou Island. This remote wilderness island is part of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Northern Lake Michigan. This video features exterior views around all sides of the cottages,…

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NMI Cemetery

TOUR North Manitou Island Cemetery

By Stacie / October 11, 2022 / Comments Off on TOUR North Manitou Island Cemetery

Join me for this quick walk through tour of the beautiful historic cemetery on the North Manitou Island in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Located in federally protected wilderness, this cemetery is only visited by backcountry campers. Once part of a thriving island community of farmers, loggers, surfmen, and summer residents, it is now…

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Cottage

TOUR Historic Trude Cottage

By Stacie / September 24, 2022 / Comments Off on TOUR Historic Trude Cottage

TRUDE COTTAGE Take a rare look inside the historic Trude Cottage on North Manitou Island, in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. As island volunteers, we are able to get inside structures that are being preserved. Come join us for a tour and learn a little about the history of this cottage. It was built…

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North Manitou Island: History of Cottage Row

By Stacie / September 23, 2022 / Comments Off on North Manitou Island: History of Cottage Row

COTTAGE ROW HISTORY What a night! Stacie presented on the history of Cottage Row on North Manitou Island recently at the Benzie Area Historical Society’s lecture series. There was a live audience of more than 50, and it was also broadcast on Zoom to around a dozen more. We met a lot of great people,…

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Volunteering in our National Park

By Stacie / July 13, 2022 / Comments Off on Volunteering in our National Park

Volunteering in our National Park We love volunteering, especially for our local National Park, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore! Fun news: Inkus our dog is also now a volunteer. He is officially a BARK Ranger, helping bring awareness to proper dog behavior in the Park. This helps to protect the local piping plovers, an endangered…

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an open magazine at a magazine rackopen to a North Manitou Island Story

North Manitou Island Story Published

By Stacie / November 10, 2021 / Comments Off on North Manitou Island Story Published

New Article Published Want to know more about what is happening on North Manitou Island? Stacie has an article in the current issue of Michigan History Magazine, telling the story of the restoration of the Katie Shepard Hotel Project on North Manitou Island. We met on the project back in 2014, and have enjoyed volunteering…

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