Wednesday
We slept like there was no tomorrow and woke up charged for a wonderful day-one. The weather was beautiful which just added to our enthusiasm.

First order of business: breakfast. I tried out the hands free pancake maker at the lobby breakfast bar. With the wave of a hand I ordered up two pancakes that started as blobs of batter and within seconds dropped off a short conveyer belt as little cakes that tasted somewhere between a crepe and a Swedish pancake. Not a bad way to start the day.

Next up: Deb, Tom, and Dan headed back to the airport to check on the lost luggage and pick up the rental car. Car—yes, luggage—no.

And we’re off. With all the logistics out of the way we loaded up and headed 34 miles south to Boyne City, the fastest-growing city in Northern Michigan. The tranquil, quiet, picturesque drive was on a two-lane road bordered by lots of delicate wild flowers and countless tall trees.

Boyne City is situated along the eastern shore of Lake Charlevoix (char-le-voy) with direct access to Lake Michigan. We arrived with just enough time to stroll through the farmers market before sitting down to a delicious whitefish lunch. From there we browsed a few of the cute mom-and-pop shops and drove around a couple of the charming, long established, beautifully landscaped neighborhoods. It’s easy to understand the popularity of the area.

We are staying at Boyne Mountain Resort, a Bavarian styled Mecca for golfers in summer and skiers in winter. There is a seemingly endless supply of Lindt Lindor (my fav) chocolates that I plan to help myself to as often as I can inconspicuously pass the front desk.

United Airlines assured Dan our bags would be on Delta’s 5:30 flight into Pellston, so Dan and Deb headed that way in time to meet the plane and retrieve the bags. The plane arrived right on time but without our bags. Next flight into Pellston: 10:30 PM. Since the drive from here to there is nearly an hour the bro/sis team decided to stay in town, go to dinner, and enjoy one another’s company until 10:30. Long day for them but the mission was a success and we now have luggage and with it the promise of fresh clothes tomorrow.

All this sibling coziness left Tom and me on our own, so we decided to walk the grounds of the resort and have a salad and pizza at the resort’s take on a carefree Italian restaurant.

Thursday
With fresh clothes and a good night’s sleep we met in the lobby for the short ride to Betty’s for breakfast. Then off we went to Horton Bay General Store, established in 1876. Part of its claim to fame is that Ernest Hemingway frequented it as a boy and as a young man and was married in a small church that used to be next door. Today it is an impressive high-end deli and shop with a two-bedroom inn upstairs. It hosts music performances, book signings, and other special events.

Next stop: Lavender Hill Farm, the largest lavender farm in Michigan and home to 30 varieties of organic lavender, Italian honeybees, and a restored century-old barn. We were free to explore the beautifully landscaped grounds and wander in the fields to enjoy row after row after row of lavender.

On to Charlevoix, population 4,000-ish. It put the C in charming. We strolled the cute downtown and along the picturesque waterfront, watched the small drawbridge go up and down when water traffic necessitated it, were amazed by all the flowers, and drove past a couple of the custom homes known as mushroom houses, gnome homes, or hobbit houses of master builder Earl Young. He is known for creating homes, 26 total, that fit the site rather than forcing the landscape to accommodate the design. 

Young designed four commercial properties too, one of which, Stafford’s Weathervane, hosted us for an early dinner. Good call Deb. Dan and I tried walleye for the first time and are now fans. Built right at the water’s edge we enjoyed watching the boats going to and from Lake Michigan.

Boyne Mountain Resort is home to the recently completed SkyBridge, the longest timber-towered suspension bridge in the world. It is 118 feet off the forest floor, and runs between two mountain peaks. My fellow travelers decided to make it an early night, but I can never resist the allure of the words ‘world’s anything-est’ (tallest, shortest, cutest, oldest, newest, most famous). Just ahead of sunset I rode the chairlift to the top of one peak and slowly walked the quarter of a mile across and then back. Very few people had saved this activity for so late in the day, so I almost had the bridge to myself.

In no particular order, clean clothes, beautiful weather, great company, good food, and fun experiences made for a very nice day.

... For Real …

Michigan offers the highest payback rate in the country for recycling a can–$0.10.

Nancy Talbot, the founder of Talbots retail chain, was born in Charlevoix.

In the early 1900s Albert Loeb farmed prizewinning cattle and sold them through the Sears catalog.

Daniel Frank Gerber began manufacturing Gerber baby food in 1927 in Fremont, Michigan.

Detroit pharmacist James Vernor introduced Ginger Ale in 1866.