Dune: Part Two is finally in theaters. To celebrate, we’ve put together this list of our top five favorite dunes. Did your favorite make the list? Which dunes took the top spot? Read on to find out.
#5: Sleeping Bear Dunes
Kicking off our countdown is Michigan’s own Sleeping Bear. The dunes got their name from an Ojibwe legend. In the story, two bear cubs drowned in the lake during a storm. Their mother waited and slept in the hopes her children would reemerge. The Great Spirit was impressed by the mother bear and created the north and south Manitou islands in commemoration of her cubs as the sleeping mother bear was covered in sand by the wind.
In 2011, Good Morning America voted Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore the “Most Beautiful Place in America”, and the title is well deserved. With gorgeous trails, breathtaking views of Lake Michigan, and nary a sandworm in sight midst the gob smacking dunes themselves, this lakeshore is the premier destination for duneheads in Michigan.
#4: Lorna Doones
Next on our list is Lorna Doone cookies. Lorna Doones originated at the Kennedy Biscuit factory in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the same birthplace of Fig Newtons. This factory became part of the National Biscuit Company (NABISCO) in 1898, and Lorna Doones hit the market in 1912.
While there is no official documentation regarding how the cookies were named, it is widely assumed that they are named after the title character of R. D. Blackmore’s 1869 romance novel. Not quite as addictive as melange, these shortbread cookies are plenty delicious.
Modern candy innovation is maximalist: giant Reese’s stuffed with Reese’s Pieces and convoluted devices like Juicy Drop Pops. Lorna Doones harken back to simple times, when all you needed was a straightforward quality cookie and that was that.
#3: Brigadoon
Coming in at number three is the classic Lerner and Loewe musical, Brigadoon. Two American tourists find themselves lost in the Scottish Highlands and come across a mysterious town that only appears once every hundred years.
Brigadoon has left an indelible mark on pop culture since its original Broadway run in 1947. You can see its influence everywhere from the comedy series Schmigadoon! to multiple episodes of Star Trek. The song “Almost Like Being in Love” featured in the films Groundhog Day and Antz was originally written for this show. While they are no Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya, Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse give a rousing performance in the 1954 film version.
#2: The Dúnedain
Our penultimate dunes are the Dúnedain. A race of men that fled to Middle Earth after the destruction of Númenor, the Dúnedain were instrumental in the defeat of Sauron at the end of the Second Age.
Their leader, Elendil, along with his sons Isildur and Anárion, founded the kingdoms Arnor and Gondor. Aragorn, descendant of Isildur, led the Fellowship that ultimately destroyed the One Ring and became king of Gondor and Arnor for 122 years afterwards.
These men were powerful, heroic and influential in the survival of Middle Earth. Truly the Dúnedain would be worthy of the title of “Best Dunes” if it weren’t for…
#1: Dune Chronicles
Will there ever be a better dune? Almost certainly not. With 25 books, three movies, three television series, and countless video games and other media tie-ins, Dune is a literary franchise that cannot be topped. Just the first installment is the best selling science fiction novel of all time.
A space opera that dwarfs Star Wars with a mythology and tangled politics to rival The Silmarillion, Dune is a sprawling epic that might seem daunting to the uninitiated, but you must not fear. Fear is the mind killer. Try the audiobook available on Libby that’s narrated by a delightful full cast. It’s the perfect entry point for this dense but rewarding series.
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