Bois Blanc Island, MI + Straits of Mackinac

Lee and I found each other through the black hole of Instagram stalking a few months ago, when I commented on a post she made about potentially offering a lakeside yoga retreat at her beautiful Fieldguide Farmhouse - obviously I’ll travel for that. She responded, I enabled post notifications for the @FieldguideFarmhouse and next thing you know, I basically felt like we were old friends and that I was ready to cuddle up to Louie CK, her adorable pup. She proposed the idea of a pop-up, I’ve had the concept on my brain since Lake Effect Co. was coming to life, and it turns out that a lakeside pop-up at her farmhouse was the perfect motivation to make that happen. So, after a few weeks of working to put this event together, next weekend Lee and I will see our dreams of a True North Market come true. Other than her obvious love for Intermediate Lake in Central Lake, MI where the farmhouse is located, Lee talks about the lake that makes her Pure Michigan heart come alive below.

Favorite lake? The Straits of Mackinac (Lake Huron-side) and Bois Blanc Island . The Straits are a series of narrow waterways between Michigan's Lower and Upper Peninsulas. The main strait flows under the Mackinac Bridge which connects Great Lakes, Michigan and Huron. The main strait is five miles wide & incredibly deep, and in fact, the two connected lakes can technically be considered one: Lake Michigan–Huron. Bois Blanc Island, in the Straits, is just Southeast of Mackinac Island, and is rich in history. "Bois Blanc" is French for "white wood" commonly thought to be a reference to basswood's white underbark which was used by Native Americans and French-speaking fur traders for the sewing up of canoes and the manufacture of snowshoe webbing. 

Closest major city & airport? Cheboygan / Pellston Airport

Distance to nearest grocery store? Hawk’s Landing General Store.

Reason lake is important to you and your family? I can count back to 5 generations that our family traveled north to spend time on Bois Blanc in the summer. My grandparents met each other there and then brought their five children. From generation to generation the individuals change but the experiences remain the same: exploring as kids, working summer jobs as teenagers, bringing boyfriends and girlfriends over to pass the ‘Island Test’ and now watching the next generation, our young children enjoy it’s pure, wild and rustic environment.

Favorite lake activities/foods/traditions? Catching the ferry to the Island is key, sitting on a beach, porch or deck with family and friends, swimming, kayaking, water skiing and wakeboarding, tubing, shipwreck diving, bonfires, skipping rocks, riding bikes, exploring the North Shore, hanging out on the Old Dock, card games and star gazing.

What do you do when it rains? Games, cards, fires, reading, drinking, eating, napping.

Local joints to check out?Hawk’s Landing General Store and Barb’s Tavern are the two joints.

Fish that’s prominent in the lake? Fresh salmon and whitefish are our favorites.

Lessons learned at the lake? Independence, family time, friendship, summer love, summer jobs, respect water, adventures and misadventures, don’t miss the ferry boat, best sleep is from spending all day and night outdoors.