The picturesque National Lakeshore is ideally suited for an Artist-in-Residence program. It is a hilly region fringed with massive coastal plateaus and sand dunes, and dotted with clear lakes. It is a diverse landscape, with many features derived from the glacial times when vast ice sheets covered the land. It embraces quiet, tree-lined streams, imposing beech-maple forests, and rugged bluffs towering as high as 400 feet above Lake Michigan. The National Lakeshore’s cultural history includes prehistoric use by American Indians, lake steamer fueling stations, logging, farming, commercial fishing, lighthouses, U.S. Life-Saving Stations, and other maritime activities. Because the National Lakeshore offers so many varied cultural and natural resources, it is an ideal location for creative endeavor. The beauty and serenity of the land and water are inspiring.