You wouldn't think that you'd find your next bed-and-breakfast stay in Michigan's Upper Peninsula while attending a boat show in East Lansing, but that's exactly how we found a little slice of heaven in Les Cheneaux Islands.
A lot of our most memorable stays happen mostly by chance. We may have a vague idea of where we want to travel, but end up finding a place to stay while looking for something else entirely.
Tim loves canoeing, but illnesses and a death in the family severely curtailed his canoeing opportunities on recent years. So, when he saw a notice for Michigan's Annual Quiet Water Symposium at Michigan State University in East Lansing this past March, he thought it might be a great way to see a few canoes, check out the latest quiet water sports gear and maybe learn a bit about other quiet water sports opportunities in the state.
We drove up to the conference with plans to check out the vendors' booths and attend a few lectures and demonstrations during the day-long event.
We'd previously decided to revisit the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Munising this summer, and perhaps spend a bit more time in the eastern end of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The Quiet Water conference proved to be the perfect place to help us plan the rest of our trip to Michigan's U.P. as some Convention and Visitors' groups set up their booths alongside the kayaks, canoes, sailboats, outfitters, tour guides, outdoor gear companies on the convention floor.
We met Jim Struble as he helped at a booth promoting Les Cheneaux Islands.
Tim and I never visited the area just east of the Mackinac Bridge and on the northern shore of Lake Huron, but at about two hours from Munising and at the extreme eastern end of the U.P., it fit right into our plans to see something new this trip north to the U.P.
Better yet, we found out that Jim and his wife Betty owned a little bed-and-breakfast in Cedarville, billed as having "the best view in the Cheneaux Islands".
We liked Jim and his enthusiasm for the Cheneaux region, so we booked one of the two guest rooms at his Dancing Waters Bed and Breakfast for a five-day stay in June.
The view from the bed-and-breakfast situated on the most southern point of Hill Island is certainly one of the best selling points at Dancing Waters, but Jim and Betty's hospitality definitely made us fall in love with the place.
We felt like family within hours of hitting the door, settling into the Lake view Room and getting acquainted with the Struble's dog Emma.
I loved visiting the cobble beach in front of the Dancing Waters to sit on the natural limestone bench near the shore and enjoy a 270-degree view of about a half dozen of the 36 Les Cheneaux Islands. You can even catch a glimpse of the Martin Reef Lighthouse from this point or enjoy some beautiful sunrises or sunsets.
It's possible to bring your own canoe or kayak to the B&B and dock it at the Dancing Waters' boathouse, which is an ideal place from which to explore the area's numerous protected channels and bays.
Even though Jim's boat was in for repairs, he arranged for us to have a sailboat tour of the islands with a friend of his!
The B&B is near the historic port towns of Cedarville and Hessel. We spent some time leisurely exploring the immediate area, but this is also a good base location for day trips up to Tahquamenon Falls, St. Ignace or Mackinac Island.
We planned this leg of our eastern U.P. trip as heavy on simply chilling, so we spent a good bit of time just relaxing on the B&B's front deck and getting some up-close-and-personal views of the deer coming to feed in the Struble's yard each day.
You won't go hungry at the Dancing Waters, either!
We had a hearty breakfast each day, often featuring Betty's homemade bread.
And when Betty discovered that I drink a lot of ice tea, even at breakfast, she made sure there was always a pitcher of ice tea available to me in the fridge.
The Dancing Waters B&B is open year round. Be forewarned that they do not take credit cards, so be prepared to pay by cash or check.
Want to learn more about Les Cheneaux Islands? Check out The Les Cheneaux Chronicles: Anatomy of a Community by Philip McM. Pittman or A Brief History of Les Cheneaux Islands, Some New Chapters of Mackinac History by Frank R. Grover.
© Dominique King 2013 All rights reserved
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