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Great Lakes Islands
Great Lakes islands are close to the top of my list for fall getaways. It's hard to recommend just one, but I visit Beaver Island as often as I can. The quiet beaches, autumn-colored woods, peaceful country roads and Irish heritage draw me to this remote Lake Michigan haven (30 miles west of the Straits of Mackinac). You can reach the island by plane (15-minute flight) or aboard the Emerald Isle car ferry (two-hour trip), both available from the Michigan shore town of Charlevoix (70 miles northeast of Traverse City).
Many of the 550 residents trace their roots to Irish immigrants who made the island a bustling commercial fishing center during the early 1800s. The 53-square-mile island reminded these early settlers of their homeland. You can learn about the island's history at the Mormon Print Shop and Museum along the harbor.
Trim clapboard homes and weathered, shingle-covered storefronts selling artists' works and nautical clothing ring the harbor in the island's only town, St. James. You can bring along your car on the ferry, or rent cars, bikes and boats just steps from the ferry dock. Guided tours also are available. Visitors stay in comfortable motels and cabins or pitch tents at wooded sites. Good accommodation options include Beaver Island Lodge, with lake-view rooms and dining at Nina's Restaurant, and Laurain Lodge, with two-bedroom housekeeping units in a forested setting. Stop for a burger and brew at The Shamrock Restaurant & Bar or start your day with a pastry from Dalwhinnie Bakery & Deli.
Nature trails and country roads with lyrical names such as Paed Een Og ramble through the forested interior. You can fish in seven inland lakes or claim a stretch of secluded beach for swimming or sunning. Don't miss the sunset over Donegal Bay!
Other Great Lakes island options:
Drummond Island in Lake Huron, a 10-minute ferry ride from De Tour Village at the eastern tip of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Drummond Island Tourism Assoc. (800/737-8666).
Carless Mackinac Island in Lake Huron's Straits of Mackinac, between Michigan's Upper and Lower peninsulas.
Pelee, Canada, 22 miles north of Sandusky, Ohio, in Lake Erie (40 miles west of Cleveland). Pelee Island Tourism (519/255-6530).
South Bass Island, a 22-minute ferry ride from Port Clinton on northern Ohio's Lake Erie shore (70 miles west of Cleveland).
Washington Island, just off the northern tip of Wisconsin's Door County Peninsula in Lake Michigan (90 miles north of Green Bay). Washington Island Chamber of Commerce (920/847-2179).
