SILVER LAKE, MI – Shelby Olson will be the first to tell you she has a bit of a lead foot when she slides behind a steering wheel. Growing up in this stretch of sand-dune dominated Silver Lake, it comes with her DNA.
Olson’s grandfather, Malcolm “Mac” Wood, started the business that would become Mac Wood’s Dune Rides 90 years ago on a little area of hilly duneland he owned in Oceana County. Olson remembers he had a wild side behind the wheel, too, in the early days when his “dune scooter” treks were more like a beach roller coaster version of a thrill ride.
“He drove like a madman,” she recalled with a laugh. “He would turn around and talk to people as he was going down the road. I remember as a child I was scared.”
Mac Wood’s Dune Rides has come a long way since her grandfather started the business in 1930, Olson said. In those days, a Model A Ford was used as the original “dune scooter” and zipping around the dunes was limited to just four passengers who all ponied up to pay a quarter each for the ride. These days, customers climb into spacious 4-wheel-drive buggies that are raised up on aircraft tires.
Crossing the bridge begins the real adventure, just like it did years ago. Photo courtesy of Mac Wood's Dune Rides.
As the business progressed, Wood’s family eventually sold its land to the state of Michigan, and now it leases back a big chunk of acreage between Silver Lake and Lake Michigan. In the last several decades. their dune ride business has become a tourism staple. Recent years have seen thousands of people each season lining up to buy tickets and hop in a big multi-seat buggy for a fast-moving cruise up and down the dunes.
The “wild” side of the ride has been throttled back to make things more family-friendly, Olson says, but it’s still packed with adventure. Riders are taken to that area’s highest point, where they can see Silver Lake and Lake Michigan in the distance, and watch the other dune buggies and four-wheelers racing around the nearby Silver Lake State Park ORV area.
Mac Wood’s Dune Rides typically run May to October, but delayed their opening this summer because of the coronavirus pandemic. Their dune buggies revved up for the first rides of the season this weekend, with some new safety precautions in place.
If you’re looking for a fun way to spend the day outdoors, Olson tells people there’s nothing like a dune ride to get great views of Lake Michigan’s gorgeous shoreline.
“I feel – and so did my father and grandfather – it’s such a unique thing for people to do,” said Olson, who now owns the business. “You can put your family in the car, drive over here, take a dune ride … you could spend a day here and make your family feel like you had a great experience.”
Her family’s customers are a mix of locals, day-trippers, regional vacationers and those who come from Chicago and Detroit and stop in Silver Lake for a few hours of fun.
“You can all get in one car. It’s a bonding experience for their families. We take their pictures out there,” she said, adding they also handle corporate outings and tour groups.
The first dune rides of the 2020 season began this weekend. Photo courtesy of Mac Wood's Dune Rides.
Olson realizes her family holds a special place in the state’s tourism legacy. As a child, she and her two sisters lived in the building where customers now buy their tickets. “We worked there as kids, and we enjoyed it. We liked being around all those people. It was a feeling like we were part of something unique.”
So if you see Olson at Mac Woods this summer, give her a wave. You won’t see her behind the wheel of one of the dune buggies, though. The girl who grew up racing around on snowmobiles and four-wheelers is now a woman content to leave the daily drives to other – tamer – tour guides on her staff.
“I still drive my car way too fast.”
For more details on Mac Wood’s Dune Rides, ticket prices and group tours, check their website and Facebook page.
For more vintage photos of Mac Wood’s early days, see below.
The camera is tilted for effect in this old photo, but zipping down a dune is still a thrill. Photo courtesy of Mac Wood's Dune Rides.
One of the early "dune scoooters." Photo courtesy of Mac Wood's Dune Rides.
This old photograph shows an overview of the expansive dunes at Silver Lake. Photo courtesy of Mac Wood's Dune Rides.
Customers are shown ready to head out on the dune trails in this vintage shot. Photo courtesy of Mac Wood's Dune Rides.
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Mac Wood’s Dune Rides celebrates 90 years: from wild adventures to family fun - MLive.com
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