We sailed to Beaver Island on our way up and out of Lake Michigan this summer. This was the first new place we had taken Resande and we were excited to explore! Everyone told us great things about this island!
We anchored in Paradise Bay and stayed for three nights. There is also a municipal marina you can stay at in the bay if you are traveling by boat. A ferry also runs from Charlevoix several times a day.
Beaver Island is the largest island in Lake Michigan. St James is the town alongside Paradise Bay. The town has an interesting history. In the 1800s Jesse Strang brought his group of Mormons to the island. He crowned himself king making him the only ever king within the United States. He was eventually murdered by some who didn’t agree with him and the community began to fall apart. The island also has a strong marine/fishing history. You can learn more as you walk through town. There are plaques around town that will lead you on a short walking tour.
In town, you will find several small shops and restaurants as well as a very good, well-stocked grocery store. The island is known for its whitefish. We bought some at the grocery store to grill up on our own. It was delicious! We also enjoyed a beer sitting outside along the bay at Whiskey Point Brewing. The brewery only had one type of beer in stock while we were there. We were told by some other cruisers who visit each summer that the brewery often only has 1-2 beers on tap and often closes early because they run out. So if you want to visit, go when you see they are open!
The next day, we visited the Marine Museum, free to enter but they do take donations. it is run by the historical society on the island. There is a lot of information in the museum on the history of fishing and shipping to/from the island. There is also a great deal of shipwreck information on the wrecks of Lake Michigan and all the Great Lakes. During your visit, you can walk through a restored wooden gill net fishing boat which is very cool! You can get through the museum in about 30-40 minutes. Apparently, we didn’t take any photos inside the museum so you’ll just have to go and see it for yourself!
From the museum, you can continue walking around the bay to Whiskey Point lighthouse. If you continue along the road (Gull Harbor Drive) you can walk around Sucker Point. You’ll get great views of the water here but you will need to walk through some very shallow water as you go. We cut back in at Lake Dr and then walked to the George and Althea Petritz Nature Preserve. We did a short hike here then headed back into town.
We were told by some other cruisers that the Beaver Island Lodge has a great bar/restaurant with a perfect sunset view. They happened to be closed the evening we walked by but we could still see the view. The property overlooks the water and you can see the other nearby islands in the distance. It definitely would be a nice sunset spot if you want to stop in for a cocktail.
The island is huge and there are several companies that offer bike and e-bike rentals. We didn’t do this during our visit but it would be a great way to explore further on the island.
We did decide to take a day sail to the nearby Garden Island. The island is beautiful however the bugs were terrible! And so was the poison ivy! We had hoped to do a hike here but we quickly turned around and opted to just walk along the beach instead.
After relaxing on the island for a few days it was time for us to continue our sailing journey. This island definitely has a lot to offer and if you have more time there is so much more to explore!
