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Today, Ox-Bow offers a range of short-term classes. Photo by Erica GundersonĪlso in Douglas is the Ox-Bow School of Art & Artists’ Residency, which was founded in 1910 by two artists from the Art Institute of Chicago. A vintage sign touts Douglas as “vibrant, gay, relaxed” at the Dunes Resort. Today, Dunes Resort is touted as the largest LGBTQ resort in the Midwest. But over the years, the gay community has gained wider acceptance and become an integral part of the local community.
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Original owner Carl Jennings told Michigan Radio that when it first opened in this conservative area of Michigan the resort was a target of bomb threats and vandalism. Nowhere is that more visible than at the Dunes Resort in Douglas, which opened in 1982. Nude sunbathing continued nearby on a private dune until 2011, and while the level of openness and acceptance has changed over the years, the Saugatuck area has remained a popular destination for gay vacationers and artists. As far back as 1897, it was a nude beach for men. Long ago Oval Beach had a much different vibe. During high tourist season, visitors can also rent kayaks and, at times, even sailboats at Oval Beach.
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Oval Beach is more accessible and developed than the state park, with a beach house, concession stand, and wooden stairs that help visitors get to the water. Right: Oval Beach in Saugatuck, Michigan. Left: The Saugatuck Chain Ferry, which claims to be the only remaining chain-driven ferry in the country, is pulled across the Kalamazoo River.