A Visit to Charlevoix

Our friends John and Rosemary from Brighton, Michigan arrived here at Traverse Bay July 16 to stay for a few days. We had not seen them since February when we last met for lunch in Sarasota; we were really looking forward to their visit! Sightseeing in Charlevoix, Petoskey, and Harbor Springs were on our agenda and these places were well known to our friends; they were to be our tour guides!

Before we get started on the tour, a little background as to how we became friends. We met in Asheville, NC at Rutledge Lake RV Park two years ago. They pulled in next to us and the rest is history…we became instant friends! John and Rosi also winter in southwest Florida…Bonita Springs and Sarasota…so getting to see them several times while they are in the area is a real treat. It was John who recommended Traverse City to us and we are so glad he did! They like to travel in their motor home as much as we do so it’s always fun talking about the places we have been to and giving each other tips on where to stay and what to see!

The first day trip we made was 50 miles up the road to Charlevoix. What a pretty little town right on the shores of Lake Michigan with a beautiful town park and a harbor that feeds in from Lake Michigan into Lake Charlevoix. There is a drawbridge that runs right through the middle of the downtown area that goes up rather frequently stopping all the traffic and pedestrians! The largest boat it lets into the harbor is the Beaver Island Ferry.

We parked the car and walked around the harbor’s marina and park taking pictures and getting our bearings as to what we wanted to do first.





We checked the ferry office to see what time the ferry would be arriving from Beaver Island. After finding out that it would be docking around 1:30, we decided lunch would be a good idea. So we headed to the Weathervane …a restaurant that was one of Rosi and John’s favorite as it was of several others who had recommended it.





The Weathervane sits overlooking the canal and drawbridge. We were lucky that a table on the outside patio had become available. What a view of the boats coming and going! A beautiful sunny day with friends enjoying the fun of an entertaining setting. It was perfect and the food was absolutely delicious! Frank was in heaven with the French Onion Soup, but he ranked it #2...Jean Phillip's still being the best!

After our leisurely luncheon, it was getting close to time for the ferry to arrive from Beaver Island. Now, the interest we had in this ferry was because Gary McDonough’s brothers captain the ferries, and we hoped to say hello if there were any McDonoughs on board.

The ferry arrived right on time, and sure enough, Joe McDonough was the Captain. I learned this from one of the workers on board when I asked him if he was a McDonough. He said, “Thank God, No!”…Irish humor! After a few more joking remarks that he had never heard of “a Gary McDonough“, he told us it was Joe captaining the ferry. We watched Joe working through his routine of giving his crew instructions to get the ferry unloaded and reloaded. There were lots of people going over to Beaver Island that day…full load of cars, people, building supplies and groceries. Captain Joe was so busy that we only briefly got his attention to say hello. We’ve never seen Gary work that hard!!*L*


Pictures of Captain Joe at Work...His Back Was Always to the Camera!!



Do You Think These are Some of Gary's Cousins Going Back to Beaver Island?

Leaving the ferry behind, we shopped a bit and also found a farm market with fresh vegetables, flowers, honey, and of course fresh picked cherries. One farm was named “Rocky Top” so of course I had to ask…”are you from Tennessee?” They weren’t, but guess where some of their relatives lived? Murfreesboro! Small world when you get to talking to people!

Before leaving Charlevoix, John and Rosie drove us through the town and into the residential areas. The streets were lined with the most gorgeous flowers neatly planted and so well maintained. The cool nights that range in the 50’s and the abundant rain showers, keep these flowers looking so fresh and beautiful….a myriad of colors!

The houses that were a curiosity in Charlevoix were what were known as the “mushroom” houses. This is a style of architecture created by Earl Young…a style of Hobbit or Fairytale houses…started in 1918. His houses have rolling uneven cedar shake rooflines and the house itself is made of stone…some even boulders. The masonry work is also curved and built in uneven lines of brick and stone. We felt like we were in a magical world of elves and other exotics while viewing these curious looking homes. The Weathervane restaurant also stands as a legacy to Mr. Young’s style. He died in 1975 at the age of 86.


It was a super day sightseeing with John and Rosi. They showed us places we most likely would not have found on our own. The next day we got up and did it all over again…this time going to Petoskey and Harbor Springs!

I will tell you about that trip another day. It's time to stop Blogging and go to Moomer's for Sunday afternoon ice cream! Frank has to get his "fix"!!