Summer sunshine and warm weather draw tourists to Michigan's many islands. But for the people who live and work on them, the islands are more than a vacation hot spot; they offer a sense of community some might think can only be found these days in the fictional town of Mayberry.
"What attracted us originally--we just thought it was a fantastic place to have a family," says Eric Hodgson, owner of the local watering hole, the
Shamrock Restaurant and Pub on Beaver Island.
"We're very proactive," he says. "We raise our family as a community. If you see someone's kid not doing the right thing, you might make a phone call and say, 'You might want to see what Billy's up to.'"
It's this type of close-knit lifestyle that Hodgson loves, but he says it's not for everyone.
"Everybody knows everybody's business," he says with a laugh. "The Island is a great place to spend a week, and it's a great place to live. It's completely different from any place I've ever been. It's a different lifestyle, and it doesn't appeal to everyone."
Hodgson, who is married and has one son, moved to Charlevoix from Detroit as a kid in the '70s. He married a Beaver Island native and the pair are now starting their 16th season with the bar and restaurant. Hodgson also owns the Harbour Market and the Beachcomber.
Although the Shamrock stays open year round, summer proves to be the busiest season.
"Our season starts right about when school's out, and slows down in August," he says. "We have to make our nickels quickly."
The restaurant, resplendent in hunter green and darkened knotty pine, gives off an Upper Peninsula vibe, complete with bucks flanking a stone fireplace.
"It's a bit of a hodge-podge look," he says.
The Shamrock has been around before Prohibition, and served as a speakeasy during that time.
"I always say, 'We don't own the Shamrock. We're just taking care of it until the next owner.'"
Hodgson has a stake in the success of the business to the island, and he also aims to support local business.
This island, home to 600 year-round residents, is a haven for weary suburbanites, offering wilderness, and sightseeing opportunities.
"This is a place where people bring their family year after year," he says. "It's a cottage-type community. There's people that have been coming here 60 to70 years."
"It's arguably the best family vacation if you want to reconnect with your family. It's kind of like the movie, The Great Outdoors," Hodgson says.
Fellow islander Mark Valente was also drawn to Beaver Island for the quiet lifestyle. He grew up in Detroit and moved to the island about 34 years ago and now makes a living that was a driving force for Western expansion--trapping animals for their fur.
"I never liked Detroit--growing up in Detroit," he says. "I always wanted to be outside. I've always liked trapping, ever since I moved here."
Though Mark had worked in many physically demanding jobs, including commercial fishing, logging and construction, he never had training making hats, earmuffs or mittens.
"It was very hard making money trapping," he says. So, he started having them tanned. About four and a half years ago, he started making and selling his own hats and accessories--
Beaver Island Flattail Furs--after customers started asking where they could get hats and other items.
"I'd never sold anything before," he says. "So it was a learning experience."
Valente's items range in furs, mostly beaver and fox, and come in a variety of colors. He sells out of his house and ventures with other craftspeople on Saturdays to sell his items.
"Every year gets better and better," he says. "I get a lot of repeat business. Everything I sell, I trapped and made myself--from start to finish."
One of his favorite items is beaver mittens with coyote trim. He blends fur in many of his items, saying, "It makes it more unique."
Custom orders are available and items can start as low as $28 for earmuffs, and go as high as $350 for hats.
Valente also started using Etsy, an online marketplace for handmade and vintage items.
Though the island is not teeming with strip malls or movie theaters, it offers the solitude Valente seeks.
"It's very peaceful," he says. "I enjoy being by myself. I never take the keys out of my car. I don't even know where the keys to my house are."
He boasts his girlfriend, who migrated from Chicago--a city known for its thriving shopping, dining and recreational activities--is never bored.
"She said she's busier than she ever was. There's always something to do. I can never do everything I want to," Valente says.
Though not as remote as Beaver Island, Mackinac Island business owners must also make the most of the summer season.
Mary Jane Barnwell owns
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 e-books.
"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, (she also owns a store in Mackinaw City), except that books are delivered by boat, then horse. The challenge isn't that the store is located on an island; it's the seasonal business.
Because she wants to stock the shelves with the latest titles, she sends books back that don't sell--and the postage comes out of her pocket.
"It's very costly," she says. "We want to keep fresh titles."
Barnwell, who doesn't watch a lot of TV, says choosing new titles keeps her current.
"It's an indication of what's going on in popular culture. It's like finding a hidden gem."
And Barnwell wants to bring that to her customers.
The store also has a
Twitter account, and frequently updates followers on island information.
"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. But we'd like to see them support their local bookstores as well."
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.All photos by Shawn Malone. She can be reached via email.