It’s been six days since my last blog. In that time, Earl and I visited Charlevoix and Beaver Island, the former a treasure and the latter an experience.
Earl had wanted to go to Beaver Island since a friend of his raved about it. Looking back, I should have asked what the raves were about; because this friend had teenaged children, loved various he-man toys, enjoyed the outdoors, and probably needed to get away from his small community to relax without anyone noticing if he had an extra beer.
Earl and I didn’t fit any of those categories, but we ventured forth.
Charlevoix is a lovely town where the drawbridge on the main street raises every half hour to accommodate boaters of all kinds. Once you catch on to this, you plan your sightseeing accordingly. The town is also well-situated as a point from which to take various day trips around northern Michigan. We would go back.
Beaver Island, on the other, is rustic. We don’t mind rustic as long as there is a lot to do. But when the best lodging has no telephone, no television, and no air conditioning and paved roads end once you leave the harbor, rustic is close to becoming primitive for our tastes.
Still, I have to concede that Beaver Island has a most interesting history, and it is that which we found intriguing. First occupied by indigenous peoples, it was once colonized by a branch of the Mormons whose leader was ultimately murdered by disgruntled members of his congregation. It also has a large Irish heritage due to the fact that an entire group of non-land owning tenants were expelled from their homes and forced to leave Ireland. They settled in Beaver Island. Four of their descendants graduated from the local K-12 school this past spring.
In winter, approximately 600 hearty souls stay after the boats stop running and the Lake Michigan chill sets in. I don’t know what they do for entertainment during those long days, but I salute them for their hearty constitutions. I’m glad I visited – it was a step back in time – and I’m glad to learn of the island’s history. But we’re crossing it off our bucket list.
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