VAN MORRISON

sings about sailing into the mystic as we near our destination (and the end of my road-trip playlist). We turn down an unnamed dirt road, marked only by a single campground sign, and plumes of terracotta dust begin escaping from beneath my tires. My lack of four-wheel drive briefly rises to front of mind, tickling my anxiety. But relief comes swiftly as we arrive at a small cottage at the end of the road, a placard that reads “Loons Point Office” hanging from the knotted wooden rafters.

AFTERa two-and-a-half-hour, blue-sky summer drive, Traverse Northern Michigan Managing Editor Carly Simpson, Digital Content & Social Media Strategist Rachel Soulliere and I have arrived at the Loons Point RV Park & Campground, nestled on the eastern end of Cedarville— our home base as we explore the Upper Peninsula’s Les Cheneaux Islands over the next couple days. I sense a collective exhale as we exit my snug, luggage-laden Mazda. We’re wrapped in a cool bay breeze and treated to a panoramic view of the sprawling, cerulean Cedarville Bay, glistening under the midday sun.

Holly—a petite woman with a big, beaming smile—is a literal ray of sunshine, greeting us warmly inside the cozy office and getting us signed in. She makes small talk as we browse brochures and loon-embroidered shirts and caps. I sign the receipt, and Rachel teases that my last name will be changing soon.

“Oooh, is this a bachelorette party!?” Holly pokes with a grin. We laugh and dash her hopes … but it’s not not a girls’ weekend. While we’re here on assignment, the trip feels like a celebration of new friendships forged by a shared passion: exploring and sharing the wild places that call to us.

Holly hops up into her golf cart and shows us to our tent site. “If you ladies go out tonight, just call me and I’ll come and get you!” She laughs as she zips away, but I’m fairly certain Holly would’ve answered our late-night call, had we felt the urge to don tiaras and “Bride’s Crew” swag and hit a local bar or two.

That’s the magic of Les Cheneaux. Sure, it’s a slice of pure Up North paradise, with its 36 islands and classic wooden boats cruising the ribbons of blue in between. But it’s the people who make this coastal haven so welcoming. Holly’s gracious energy and infectious smile. Our guide, Mark Clymer, who’s earned the title of friendliest city government official I’ve ever met. Our intrepid kayak tour guide, Sue Bakkila. And the woman who connected us with all of these incredible people—Anne Fleming of Little Traverse Conservancy, which protects so many of the precious wild places left in the eastern U.P. and lower peninsula.

Our mission this weekend: to explore as much of this archipelago oasis as we possibly can. After settling into our campsite, we stop to grab lunch before meeting up with Mark, at the now-closed but much beloved Narley Whale Fish Market. And I can’t help but smile when I see a sweatshirt for sale that reads: “Who has more fun than us! Cedarville, MI.” There’s no doubt in my mind, as I wait for my whitefish lunchbox, that the folks who call the islands home, or who take the time to visit this hidden gem destination, do, in fact, have the most fun. Here’s how they do it.

Cruise The Islands

“So, are you guys stress-free now?”

Clark Township Supervisor Mark Clymer lofts that question back at us as we dart past multicolored boathouses in his 25-foot 1930 Dodge Watercar, the striped mahogany hull mirroring the fluffy white clouds above.

The long answer? My stress melted away three islands ago.

We’re discovering in real time what Les Cheneaux residents already know: It’s hard not to smile while making waves on a classic wooden powerboat. As Mark shares some of the islands’ history, I take in the vintage details of the Tomorrow—from the winged chrome mermaid with windswept hair at the bow, to the cluster of antique gauges adorning the dash.

In Les Cheneaux, wooden boats aren’t just a vessel for waterlogged summer days, they’re a way of life. Hessel— the islands’ second anchor city, just west of Cedarville—is home to the first Chris-Craft dealership in the world, E.J. Mertaugh Boat Works, Inc., which opened in 1925. A true pioneer, Gene Mertaugh built the first boathouse out of scrap lumber and navigated his Chris-Craft inventory up Lake Huron via compass.

Today, the shop partners with community organizations to host the annual Les Cheneaux Antique Wooden Boat Show every second Saturday in August (Aug. 12 this year)—the largest show of its kind in the world. Expect to see more than 150 classic boats (and 10,000 boaters) gather this month in Hessel.

And for those of you who want to get on the water but don’t have a boat of your own, not to worry. You can book a day-long excursion, including a ride on a classic wooden boat, with MackTours, or check out Island Charters for fishing trips (everything from big-lake fishing to fly-fishing) and custom tours from Mackinac Island to Les Cheneaux to Drummond Island. You can also take a five-hour Les Cheneaux Lighthouse Cruise, offered by Shepler’s Ferry, that boasts views of six lights, as well as a look at the archipelago’s many channels.

TIP TAKE LUNCH TO-GO

Mark suggests heading to Cattails Cove on Cedarville Bay for the freshest fish basket around (choose from walleye, perch, whitefish or bluegill). Soak in the view from the waterfront patio, or take your food to-go and enjoy lunch out on the water. Mark recommends Liberty Beach on Hessel Bay or boating around Government Island.

Grab Dinner At The Culinary School

After spending the day boating, we hustled to ensure we’d arrive on time for our reservation at Les Cheneaux Culinary School, and quickly found ourselves unwinding on the restaurant’s sunny patio, a gentle breeze blowing in from Hessel Bay. This vocational school serves up delicious farm-to-table dishes sourced from local producers, and they won us over right off the bat with their citrus salad sprinkled with fresh dill, and a house-milled country loaf with sour butter. We sipped margs and lemon drop martinis, and filled up on main courses—red curry with local veg and roasted half chicken with linguine—sadly leaving zero room for dreamy desserts like honey panna cotta and blueberry galette. The school’s menu changes seasonally; we’ll definitely be back for dessert.

Top: The breezy patio of the Les Cheneaux Culinary School is the perfect perch for a summer bevvie. Above: From the moment you arrive, the culinary students serve up plenty of smiles with their farm-to-table fare. Right: Carly and Rachel share a dockside laugh before jumping in. Opposite page: A family of kayakers takes a break on the beach at Government Island during our guided trip with Woods & Waters; Carly propels our tandem kayak while I pause to focus on steering (and documenting).

Camp By The Water

A private beach dotted with white Adirondacks. A dock made for soaking in sunsets (and impromptu swim sessions). Cornhole with a view of the bay.

We couldn’t find a single thing not to love about Loons Point Campground. Walking down the dock at sundown, taking a quick dip in the bay and drying off later by the bonfire was the perfect way to end our first day in Les Cheneaux. Tucked between towering conifers, we had frontrow seats to dark skies dotted with the kind of mesmerizing starry display you can only find in the North’s quiet wilderness.

TIP Les Cheneaux is home to plenty of rustic camping options, too—like Search Bay Nature Preserve west of Hessel, or Government Island (the only public island in Les Cheneaux) that can be reached by kayak, canoe or motorboat. The island offers hiking trails and leave-no-trace camping.

KAYAK TO GOVERNMENT ISLAND … AND BEYOND

We rose early the next morning, fueling up with bagels, coffee and tea at Les Cheneaux Coffee Roasters before our 8 a.m. guided kayak trip with local outfitter Woods & Waters. Leaving at daybreak is necessary, owner Sue Bakkila says, so we can enjoy Lake Huron while she’s calm(er).

This slower-paced tour allowed us to really take in more of our surroundings—nesting eagles and osprey, picturesque cottages, wild forested shorelines. With our time constraints lodged at the very back of our minds, we opted to extend our trip to Government Island when Sue offered, and I’m glad we did. Conquering the ever-increasing undulating waves and floating over calm, crystal-clear turquoise waters as we landed on a remote, cedar-lined beach was about as cool as it gets.

TIP Woods & Waters offers numerous trip options, including a nightly sunset paddle and a full moon paddle. This summer, they’re also hosting special events like star gazing and star lore with historian and author Mary Stewart Adams on Aug. 10, and a free stand-up paddleboarding session at Hessel Beach on Aug. 19.

Sip Spirits At A Distillery

We’ve earned a drink! … and some food. That was our first thought after setting foot on solid ground. For a late lunch, we headed to Les Cheneaux Distillers in Cedarville, and while all of our drinks and meals were delicious, the real winner was the Boot Bloody Mar y (served with ALL of the pickles). When you head to this intimate micro-distillery for spirits, beer or even a glass of small-batch wine, make sure to order some Potato Mashers for the table (and don’t skip the Green Goddess dipping sauce).

Left: Gorgeous apple trees greet visitors as they walk up to the charming Applecore General Store. Bottom: Les Cheneaux Distillers offers an array of cocktails to choose from, plus beer and wine all crafted in-house.

Shop The Cutest General Store

Running short on time, we made the hard choice to limit our shopping spree and ventured over to the ridiculously charming Applecore General Store. Owner Amy Polk’s idyllic one-stop shop, surrounded by apple trees, of course, was a sensory treat. We perused nature-inspired prints by artist Katie Eberts (you might recognize her work from the annual Aldo Leopold Festival held each June in Les Cheneaux), and sniffed local handmade soaps from Cedar Shore Soaps (I walked away with a luxurious juniper spice sugar scrub that Amy makes herself with Les Cheneaux Distillers’ gin botanicals). Be wise and budget more time than we did—Applecore is made for lingering.

TAKE

A HIK

Conveniently, our last stop was situated right across the road from the general store. Anne Fleming at Little Traverse Conservancy recommended hiking the 207-acre William B. Derby Nature Preserve, and this magical boreal forest didn’t disappoint. The preserve sits along the northern shore of Lake Huron and is excellent for birdwatching (it’s even a designated stop along the North Huron Birding Trail). It’s also a popular stopover point for kayakers looking to have lunch among the cedar trees.

TIP Mark your calendar for next year’s Aldo Leopold Festival, May 29–June 2, 2024. Leopold, one of the country’s most influential naturalists, spent several months a year with his family in Les Cheneaux, at their cottage on Marquette Island. The festival celebrates his legacy with an array of nature-based events including paddling excursions, orchid and wildflower tours and birding trips.

Beyond the festival, there are countless outdoor rec opportunities in Les Cheneaux; head to Little Traverse Conservancy’s website ( landtrust.org ) for more info on preserves and trails waiting to be explored.

The William B. Derby Nature Preserve features a gentle hike through a whimsical boreal forest; the lesser-fringed gentian