We’re big on sailing, so one thing we like to do is sail up to Beaver Island for a weekend. It’s a fun place to bike, has really nice beaches and, I dunno, there’s just something about it, we just like the atmosphere. The people are neat on Beaver Island; we really enjoy their island spirit, that certain independence and self-reliance that island people have.
More often than not we anchor offshore there. Then we’ll go on shore and at some point we always go to the Shamrock. It’s the local watering hole with a pool table, the gathering place for the whole community. You have families, old timers from the island, boaters and people from the ferry.
We generally rent bikes and ride down to the south end of the island where there’s a nice park with a lighthouse. It’s maybe 12 miles one way, but the island is pretty flat, and the bikes they rent there are actually good bikes. There’s a nice park on the west side of the island where you can look out to High Island. Very pretty. There’s also a kayak rental on Beaver and a lot of people do that.
We even celebrated our 50th anniversary on Beaver Island. We rented the Rectory—an inn and restaurant—and had our family stay there. It’s right by the beach.—Martha and Larry Garber
I love BI too! But, sadly, the Rectory has been closed for years (and isn’t close to the beach). Here’s a list of accommodations – https://www.beaverisland.org/accommodations/index.html