Beaver Island, MI
This little island - with a full time population of 600 people was one of our favorite stops. Ann thought the town was like a warm hug - the marina was in great shape, the dock hand was really knowledgeable and helpful and best of all kept the dock spiders swept up and at bay!
We left Macinkaw City, went under the 5-mile long Mackinaw Bridge, and pulled into Beaver Island Marina on Friday and were situated next to the Shamrock ☘️, a small ferry that takes people (and their cars) back and forth to the mainland, which is a 2-hour ride one way. Needless to say, people on Beaver Island are there to stay for the most part and make due with what’s available in the area. There is a small, well stocked grocery store, an adjoining cafe called The Strawberry Cafe (with a surprisingly fresh, local & healthy looking menu), several small shops and a hardware store that has everything you could ever need! Most importantly there is an ice cream shop called Daddy Franks that did not disappoint!
We visited the market, the hardware store and Deb’s crafts and loved looking at the local handmade fineries made on the island - during the long cold winters no doubt! The island had a really nice family beach with a designated swimming area and the water was as clear as bath water! One thing we have notice on our trip - although there is water 💦 water everywhere, you don’t see a lot of people swimming because the temperature is about 68 degrees in the heat of the summer so if you don’t have a wet suit - frostbite could occur (JKJK)!
Will jumped on the bike and went to check out the rest of the island. He saw some herons (or something like a heron) in a grassy area, found Barney Lake which is known for its loons, and also saw two wild turkeys cross the road. Quite the adventure.
Parts of the island are certified as dark sky sanctuaries. This means some areas have a minimal amount of artificial light, which allows for spectacular star and celestial viewing. One of the nights we were in the marina, Will hopped on his bike and road down a dirt road for 3 miles to one of the areas, and got to see some amazing stars and planets.
There was small town cuteness everywhere as seen in our photos. Some favorites were the compass roses embedded in the sidewalks and the fairy villages here and there under random bushes - Gotta love the little island life - it makes you slow down and look around and appreciate the small things.
