A Sleeping Bear Love Story
Most people don’t expect to meet the love of their life on a remote island. But for Donna and Mike Flynn, that’s exactly what happened.
by Amy Orzel
In the summer of 1979, Mike was beginning his only season on South Manitou Island as a ranger at Sleeping Bear Dunes. His days were full—leading programs, checking on campers after the ferry departed, and helping care for the island’s historic artifacts. Like many seasonal rangers, his life followed the rhythm of the parks: Sleeping Bear in the summer, another park in the winter.
That same summer, Donna arrived on the island with her mother, thanks to a rare opportunity to stay at one of the old village cottages through a family connection.
On their last evening, Mike invited Donna and her mom to watch the sunset from the South Manitou Lighthouse. Afterward, they invited Mike back for a glass of wine. Donna remembers how easy he was to talk to, and how naturally his humor put her at ease.
The next day, as Donna and her mom prepared to leave the island, the bad weather required the ferry pull up to the dock and leave as quickly as it had arrived. Their peaceful mother-daughter vacation took a sharp, decidedly unplanned turn into “well, I guess I live here now” territory as they were stranded on South Manitou Island!
But their unexpected delay brought a delightful (and life-changing) silver lining. It reconnected Donna and Mike when the two of them rode the ferry boat back to the mainland. During the ride, they struck up a conversation about Isle Royale, where Mike was headed for a backpacking vacation. It’s one of the few places to find the Isle Royale Greenstone, a unique jade-like rock. Donna half-jokingly suggested he find some for her.
Later, after Donna returned to graduate school at Michigan State, a letter arrived from Mike, who was now working a seasonal winter stint Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Inside were three small stones, carefully painted green—a thoughtful gesture that led to a hike in East Lansing.
And the rest, as they say, is history.
Decades later, Sleeping Bear is still part of Donna and Mike’s story. About 15 years ago, they returned to South Manitou Island for avian research, staying in a cottage and revisiting the place where it all began.
Over the years, the park has become a special gathering place for their family. They raised two daughters with Sleeping Bear woven into their lives. Hikes, picnics, and beach fires with ranger friends are some of their family’s most cherished memories. Today, those experiences continue with their grandchildren. Just after Christmas, the whole family hiked together out to Sleeping Bear Point. They still return to their favorite places, like Good Harbor Beach on Valentine’s Day, and Pyramid Point several times a year.
For Donna, the connection goes back even further. Her father, a physician, made house calls to farms that now lie within park boundaries. The land, its people, and its stories have always been part of her life.
“It’s not just the sweeping views or the quiet forests—it’s the memories people carry with them.” Donna reflects on the significance of the lakeshore. “For some, it’s a simple sunset at D.H. Day Campground. For others, it’s something life-changing, like how Mike and I met.”
“I still think about my time working there,” Mike reflects, “and how many people I met at the park, from all over the country, left with lifelong memories.”
Today, Donna and Mike continue to give back to the place that gave them so much, and they encourage others to get involved in whatever way they can. “There are countless ways for people to get involved—whether through time, financial support, or other contributions. All it takes is reaching out,” says Donna.
Because places like Sleeping Bear don’t just preserve landscapes. They inspire some of our most cherished stories and create memories that last a lifetime.