PHOTO BY MARGE BEAVER EAGLE PHOTO BY JAMES DAKE/GRASS RIVER
Aerial view of Elk Rapids port (bottom right), Elk Lake (main), Lake Skegemog (top) and Torch Lake (top left).
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f the sky is the deep, cloudless blue of a northern Michigan September day, the water a trademark aqua more often associated with the Caribbean, then somewhere in the middle of stunning Torch Lake is where you’ll likely find Paul Fabiano. He’s the guy in the neon shirt emblazoned with the name “Pizza Boy.” The name started as a joke, but he wants to be easy to spot as he delivers a double cheese with pepperoni — maybe some ice, soda and sundries, too — to the sandbar that has become a swimming hole, a boat dock and a social center all in one. Fabiano didn’t want to make boaters lift anchor and lose a prime spot on Torch’s sandbar just because they got hungry. Order a pizza and he’ll deliver that and other convenience items from Fabiano’s on the River directly to your boat. Or simply stroll in the knee-deep water to Dave’s Grill Burger Barge where you can have burgers fresh off the pontoon grill. This casual vibe permeates the Elk River Chain of Lakes Watershed — a 55-mile-long waterway consisting of 14 lakes and connecting rivers that stretches from Elk Rapids along the Grand Traverse Bay to the village of Ellsworth to the northeast. While Torch is the Chain’s sexy cover model with its Caribbean resemblance, prize muskies and mega-mansions lining the shore, there’s much more to explore. Venture through the Chain to find nesting loons, bald eagles and river otters in the protected rivers and wilder lakes; small towns with old-fashioned general stores and new-fashioned cuisine; orchards with overflowing farm stands; and a growing number of microbreweries, distilleries and wineries with a regional flair all their own. Small boats can navigate the majority of the Chain — which is only broken up by the dam north of Lake Bellaire — while larger boats can easily run their engines between the lower lakes (Elk Lake, Torch Lake and Lake Bellaire), which are favorites for sailing and watersports. The rivers and lakes that make up the upper Chain (including Six Mile, Hanley, Benway, Intermediate, Wilson, Beals and Ellsworth lakes) are some favored venues for paddleboarding, kayaking and fishing. You won’t be disappointed, no matter what part of the Chain you travel.
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SEPTEMBER 2016
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