We cordially invite all Doshinkan members to the 2010 Lake Michigan Beach Training, our eleventh annual special training on the shores of Lake Michigan with Shihan 8th Dan Dr. Dean Lillard.
| Date: | Friday June 11 through Sunday June 13 |
| Place: | Ludington State Park, Ludington, Michigan |
| Time: | First training begins Friday at noon. Last training ends Sunday by noon. |
The training will be held on the Lake Michigan beaches of Ludington State Park, which is located eight miles north of Ludington, Michigan, at the end of highway M116. It is a 5,300 acre park with some six miles of sandy beaches. The vast dunes of fine sand in this area of the country are quite amazing. Here is a picture from our first special training with Shihan Dean at the same location (photo courtesy of Shihan Dr. June Pilcher):
By air: there is commercial service to the airport at Muskegon, about one hour from Ludington. We can help with transportation from this airport. There is also commercial service to the airport in Grand Rapids (about two hours) and of course Chicago (four hours or more, depending on traffic).
By water: for those living in the upper Midwest, Ludington is served by a car ferry that makes twice-daily runs between Ludington and Manitowoc, Wisconsin. This is an interesting old coal-fired steamship, the S.S. Badger, originally used to ferry rail cars but now converted for automobiles, passengers and freight. The crossing takes about four hours, and we can transport you from there to the campsite if you come without a car. More information is available at http://www.ssbadger.com (they take reservations online) or at 1-800-841-4243. Please check the schedule carefully: currently, there is only a single crossing on Thursday, June 10.
In past years, most of those training have camped out together. This year we will be camping in Cartier Park, a private campground near the state park, the same location as last year. Showers and toilets are available to campers. If you wish to tent with the group, please contact us as soon as possible, since we need to make reservations in advance. We will reserve campsites for the group starting on Thursday night (June 10) and continuing through Saturday night.
Hotels: Ludington is a resort town and has many tourist attractions and hotels. There is an up-to-date list with more information at http://www.ludingtoncvb.com/ . We have heard that Nader's (231 843-8757) is a good place, and it is the closest to the state park. Early reservations are a good idea.
For those of you who may want to bring the family: there are beaches, of course. The state park has 18 miles of foot trails through woods and dunes, and also boat rentals and a canoe trail. The nearby town of Ludington is a resort town with its own guarded beach, many restaurants and shops, charter fishing and boat rentals, and a variety of kiddie attractions. See the Ludington visitor's site at http://www.ludingtoncvb.com/ for more information.
The weather is very unpredictable at that season, and the lake often has a decided cooling effect. The nighttime temperature may dip down into the 40's Fahrenheit, while the daytime temperature may climb into the upper 80's. Bring clothes for cool spring weather and for hot summer weather; you will probably only need one or the other, but there's no telling which.
The training fee is $40. Your membership must be current for 2010; if it isn't, please add $20 for your annual US dues.
For those bringing vehicles into the state park, a permit will be required. These may be purchased at the state park, at a cost of $8 per day.
For those tenting with the group: we will collect a share from each camper to pay the site fees. In the past, these have totaled about $30 per person.
Please:
Register early: send the registration form to Renshi Dr. Adam Webber at the address below, or email the information to adam@webber-labs.com.
Pay the training fee when you register if you can; checks should be made out to Adam Webber.
Enter the number of tenting reservations on the registration form. This number should be 0 if you are not tenting, 1 if you are, or more than 1 if you are bringing other family members to camp with you.
Contact Renshi Dr. Adam if you need help with travel arrangements or anything else.
Registration form:
| Name: |
| Address:
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| Phone: |
| Email: |
| Title/Rank: |
| Number of tenting reservations: |
Contact:
Renshi Dr. Adam Webber