August 23, 2024
Red Tandem blog has been lying a bit dormant for the last few months. It’s high time we set out on a little adventure ( and make sure that I still know how to get logged in here!)
On Wednesday, we packed up the bikes and backpacks and headed north to Charlevoix. Thanks to an early start, we had the freedom to stop at a cute little coffee shop in Cadillac and have a latte. This broke up the trip nicely, and we cruised easily with a caffeine boost into Charlevoix. The vacation crowds were still cramming the streets as we arrived, but soon we could exit off of US 31 down to the docks for the Emerald Isle Ferry offices. I was glad that we had arrived 2 hours before departure of the ferry, as this made our line at the ticket counter very short, and plenty of time to get to the satellite parking area, and ride our bikes back into town for lunch. We found a charming little alley lined by eateries and art galleries for lunch.
After an unhurried lunch we strolled the town, and soon it was time to get back to the ferry harbor and watch the busy preparations increase in intensity as cars, trucks, luggage and even supplies for the grocery store were loaded onto the ferry
Soon we were up on the boat, the ship’s horn was sounding, and at the same time, the warning announcement from the draw bridge sounded on the 1/2-hour that the bridge was opening. Everything was timed perfectly for the passage of the ferry through the channel to Lake Michigan.
The passage to Beaver Island took 2 hours 15 minutes, on a clear calm and cool day. It was perfect for the trip. School having started earlier in the week, the crowds had already dwindled. Soon we arrived at the harbor on the island, and we surveyed the tiny town with a tiny lighthuse, small grocery store and a couple of restaurants.
We found our bikes parked outside the ferry, loaded our packs, and headed up the gravel road towards Indian Point, on the northwest tip of the island, only 1.8 miles from the harbor. But first, we needed to shop for some food as the grocery store would soon close. Now loaded with some provisions we headed up the gravel road and bike path to our lodging. We arrived at the location with no problem, using a map I had downloaded to the Ride with GPS app.
Our apartment, called Starry Night, was beautiful. To our surprise, no doors are locked on this island. There’s no theft. No-one can run very far.
Settled into place, we prepared our simple little supper , opened a bottle of red Spanish wine, and settled into the stillness for the evening.