RIVER RIDE: ST. CHARLES TO BAY CITY

primary drop off point, lled many weekends with trucks and trailers as riders race up and down between the bridges or take off for a ride to Saginaw. Later in the day many will ride their sleds up from the river, park and eat at the Bad River Bar and Grill, Tony’s or Subway and enjoy some warm drinks and delicious food.

The Bad River Bar and Grill is a favorite among locals and once inside you will see it is decorated with snowmobile and motorcycle parts and memorabilia. Riders can drive their sleds right up to the side parking lot and come in and warm up and enjoy a hot meal before departing on their next leg of the ride.

Tony’s “The Home of the Steak Sandwich” has been a long-time establishment in St. Charles and is open all day to start you off on your journey with a home cooked meal.

The Alley Bar and Grill is just down a-ways from the river, but none the less has great service and delicious warm food to enjoy after a long day on the river.

Have a break down and need some parts? Horger’s Automotive is located right by the river and has many parts in stock to get that sled running in This picture makes me wish the snow was falling and the water ways were turning to deep ice! Won’t be long and this river run will be one more option for snowmobiling fun. As you can tell from the photo, not one of the sleds on this adventure is new or even nearly new, but well maintained. So this photo got us dreaming at the Michigan Snowmobile & ORV of ce that we should do a feature on good ideas for maintenance and attempting to prevent breakdowns on the trail. Just as a sneak hint, keep watching our instagram account and facebook page for more info from one of our new sponsors.

But back to this amazing river ride. This group left from one of the rider’s back yards. But for most of us the St. Charles DNR of ce located at 225 E. Spruce Street very near to downtown St. Charles, MI is an equally great spot. The DNR lot has plenty of parking for vehicles with trailers and a nice spot to go from shore to river using the boat ramp. Obviously, this group waited until the ice is at least 12 inches thick. And when river riding it’s always advisable to stay away from any objects in the water like buoys that can weaken ice. However, if you respect the water/ ice, this can be a great adventure to enjoy with your sled.

Just like in this photo, our group made a few stops along the way. Most of the riders in this group, grew up along this river and they tend to stop in areas they know are a bit more shallow versus the deeper portions of the river. After leaving the St. Charles area it takes about 40 minutes to reach Saginaw, then another 40 minutes to reach Bay City, most of this entire ride offers many options for food, drinks and rest stops all along the ride. The river also changes names along the way. Our group started on the Bad River which changes into the Shiawassee River within about 6 miles of the DNR of ce. Then eventually

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River Ride

St. Charles to Bay City

BY ANN DRZEWIECKI

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RIVER RIDE continued from page 29

turns into the Saginaw River.

For this ride, Scott and I have the added bonus of being within 20 to 60 minutes from home for this trip. In the rare (hopefully) times a break down occurs we have family and friends that could easily pick up a wounded sled at several points along the route. Most of the stretch of M-13 between the Zilwaukee Bridge and Bay City runs close to the Saginaw River. If you haven’t visited this area along M-13 by car, boat or sled there are some very nice parks to stop in and enjoy year round. And, it doesn’t hurt to do a little ride planning if you have a river rider in your family in the event of those rare break downs.

After going through Bay City and enjoying the many snowmobile friendly stops it’s just another few short minutes of riding to reach the mouth of the Saginaw Bay. And, once you reach the bay area, you won’t have to watch out quite so closely for all the ice shermen we share this great Michigan water system with. Or if you like my brother and his friends, you’ve driven your ice sherman special sled on certain areas along this same track for an attempt to catch a few walleyes…

At the end of the day, as your venture back to the DNR of ce in St. Charles, make sure to stop at Bad River Bar and Grill, Tony’s (the Home of the Steak Sandwhich) or The Alley Bar and Grill for good food and a wide selection of beverages. Just make sure to have a designated driver if you enjoy an “adult” beverage or two or three…

Whatever your choice of fun and your pick of stops along the trail with your sled – we just wanted to share this beautiful lower Michigan ride option with you. Hope you had fun imaging riding along with our friends. •

And, if you would like to have Michigan Snowmobiler visit or do a feature article on your favorite Snowmobile or ORV club – Please reach out to us at publisher@faragoassoc.com. We love to hear from our readers ST. CHARLES continued from page 29

no time. Plus St. Charles has not one, but two gas stations located right in town with easy access to the river and the highway for when it’s time to head home.

Recently, the Village of St. Charles installed its new ORV signage throughout town showing riders where it is legal to ride through town on ORVs.

The love of snowmobiles isn’t a new trend here in St. Charles. This community has strong ties to the sport with the Saints Snowmobile Club. Since the 1970s this organization has shared its passion of racing and in 2013 it brought back the tradition of snowmobile races to St. Charles. The Saints as it is locally known is located on S. Fordney Road just outside the Village of St. Charles. These races are held in January and draw a large crowd. The even runs all-day that patrons and businesses alike look forward to. The next race is scheduled for January 22, 2022 weather permitting.

At the “Racin’ with the Saints” you can expect to see: stock, super stock, mod stock, super mod, 50 plus, IFS, powder puff and youth classes throughout the day. Each class is then broken down even further

and just brings a smile to the face of those in the stands watching and cheering on their favorite racer.

The Saints are just one of the organizations, businesses and individuals that support the St. Charles’ Old Fashioned Christmas held in the heart of the Village. For ve years now the St. Charles Lions Club and the Village of St. Charles have put on a beautiful parade and lined the streets with decorated Christmas trees to help a worthy local cause.

Need a comfortable place to stay while you are visiting this charming little town and enjoying the sights? The St. Charles Motel located on M-52 just south of the Village. This family owned and operated motel offers 12 rooms each with their own private entrance and queen size bed. Thinking of only staying one night, but decide to stay longer? They offer daily, weekly and monthly rates for all rooms and also offer senior and military discounts. •

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