“Kayaks and luggage first!” yelled the captain of the mail boat/ferry headed to South Manitou Island, west of Michigan’s Leelanau Peninsula. I had brought neither and suddenly wished for both. I wasn’t camping, as were most of the families and friends in line for the ferry, but was headed to the island to spend the day hiking and enjoying the beach with my friend Lisa and my family. Once we all boarded and claimed seats on the top deck where we could get the best views, I couldn’t help but notice who was sitting next to us. Several clusters of kids prattled on about what they were going to do once they unpacked. They seemed to outnumber their chaperones 3:1. And three gals, presumably in their sixties, were dressed in pink shirts emblazoned with “The Busty Ladies.” Necklaces and bracelets of plastic beads in every mismatched color imaginable completed their flashy ensembles. They were there for a women-only weekend. A little eavesdropping told us that their luggage was mostly wine — they favored red — and that this was their third Labor-Day weekend celebration.
Walking the beach is one of the best parts of a camping vacation on South Manitou Island, Michigan.
When the ferry landed, out ran the welcoming parties. The kids were soon collected by their extended families, which included enough adults to even out the ratio a bit. And then more pink. More ladies, plastic goblets filled with something we can all easily guess, came to greet their friends as well as the captain and crew, with whom they greeted rather flirtily. Oh, and it was only 11:30 am. No judgment.
But there was enough island for everyone. The kids dropped their packs and plotted their hikes across the island. The ladies seemed content with the beach and their beverages. And we set off to do a little of both, although our canteens carried nothing stronger than Gatorade.
If you’d like to bring a group camping on South Manitou Island, start with a permit. Group campsites are available for $23 per night and accommodate up to 20 people. Details here.
And you’ll have to purchase a ferry ticket, which costs $30 per adult and $16 per child. Click here for the schedule.
Campfires are allowed, albeit in designated areas only. Unfortunately, I boarded the ferry again at 4:00 pm, so I’ll never know if it was songs by Aretha or The Wiggles that were sung between rounds of s’mores.
Thanks to amyscoop for the beautiful South Manitou Island photo.