Michigan's two peninsulas offer a variety of summer recreational activities--island hopping being a major perk for weary folks seeking sun and sand. For island business owners though, summertime is the season for making money and losing sleep, as tourists from all over the Midwest flock to these vacation destinations.
Drummond Island offers wilderness, fishing and golf in rustic comfortDrummond Island Tourist InformationEmailPhone:1-800-737-8666
FacebookOn Drummond Island, a 10-minute ferry ride from DeTour in Chippewa County, Mike and Melody Helfand manage several different businesses in one location.
"We're a mom-and-pop operation," Melody says. "We're crazy. We work 16-hour days. We get in the house, take a shower and go to bed."
Mike, originally from Detroit, came to the island more than 20 years ago on a fishing exhibition. After several hours and no bites, he ended up catching a monster walleye weighing in at nearly 10 pounds. But it wasn't just the fish that was hooked; Mike decided he was staying for life.
"I love the water. You have over 50 outlying islands," he says. "It's really pristine."
Mike ended up buying the existing bait and tackle shop, and expanded--offering several services including the Port of Call restaurant, a confectionery shop, and the Gourmet Galley, among others.
The same walleye that caught Mike's attention now stares down at customers, mounted behind a counter of deli goods and chocolate treats.
The store walls are lined with gourmet items and imported beers, including Peroni, Einbecker and Boddingtons, flanked with fishing tackle and T-shirts.
"You can get night crawlers and get a New York strip," Mike says.
He's even created his own fudge flavor--puddingstone--after a unique stone found on the island. Rich and creamy, the fudge has Michigan cherries and English walnuts. And while the stores close in the winter,
the confectionery takes orders online year round. The two also support other local businesses, and note they want success for their competitors, because any success helps the tourism industry overall.
"We want other people to do good," Mike says. "So if people have a good experience, they want to come back."
Despite the ever-rising gas prices, the couple remains optimistic that the natural appeal of Drummond will keep the tourists coming back.
With more than 40 interior lakes, Drummond Island is a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts. Kayaking, biking and hiking are all draws of the rustic island, but you won't find strip malls or nightclubs here. The "four corners" is the main intersection for businesses, all regulated by a yellow blinking light.
While camping, rental homes and motels offer visitors a home away from home, the Drummond Island Resort and Conference Center creates a rustic setting for vacationers year round. But the real highlight is
The Rock, the resort's acclaimed golf course.
It's nearly impossible not to catch a glimpse of wildlife while on the green, says Keli Higgins-Davidson, course director. She says golfers have seen deer, birds and even bear before.
Mackinac Island welcomes visitors back in time--preferably with a good bookMackinac Island Tourist InformationEmailPhone: 1-800-454-5227
Facebook On a very different island, Mary Jane Barnwell spends her time perusing books for
The Island Bookstore on Mackinac Island.
While Borders and other brick-and-mortar bookstores have been shuttering stores throughout Michigan, Barnwell's island store is brimming with reading material and fashion accessories, catering to the leisure readers. It's doing well, in part because of its loyal customers, Barnwell says.
"We're primarily a resort bookstore," she says. "We're not aggressively looking for year-round business. We're not competing with Amazon."
The island harks back to a gentler time, of Victorian charm sans automobiles. Homes are painted in sherbet hues bedecked with window boxes overflowing with flowers.
In an age of Kindles and Nooks, Barnwell says the store is updating to sell ebooks.
"Customers come in because they love books and they find a lot of goofy things. A good portion of our business is island and Michigan titles."
Running the business on an island is pretty much the same as the mainland (which Barnwell would know, since she also owns a store in Mackinaw City), except that books are delivered by boat, then horse, she says. The challenge isn't that the store is located on an island; it's the seasonal business that creates challenges, like keeping up with the latest book titles and staying fresh in customers' minds.
The store remedies some of that problem by keeping in touch with customers and tourists via a Twitter account, where it frequently updates followers on island information. There are more than 7,000 Twitter followers for
@IslandBOOKstore.
"We want to talk about the island," she says. "It's a big conversation and people want to know what's happening on the island. We can also use it as a vehicle for book signings, luncheons and advertising."
Barnwell is optimistic about the season.
"I think we are going to have a great season," she says. "We'd love to see (tourists) come up to the island."
Valerie West is a community editor at The Oakland Press located in Pontiac, Mich. She is the creator of The VALunteer Project, a weekly blog that focuses on volunteering. She obtained her bachelor's degree in English from Northern Michigan University.