When Capt. Chris told me that Viaggio was chartering in the Great Lakes, it struck me as a bit odd. Charter a yacht in the Great Lakes? Never had thought about it, the usual summer destinations of New England, the Med, and the Great Northwest coming to mind. Why not the Great Lakes, for heavens sakes? Invited to experience the area for myself onboard Viaggio, I jumped at the chance.

It was late in the season when I finally found time to come up and join them, late September as a matter of fact. Stepping off the plane, the fresh, clean cool air was almost intoxicating after the hot, humid air of South Florida where I live. Capt. Chris had come to the Traverse City airport to collect us and take us back to Viaggio. The city marina is only a few miles from the airport, as quick ride and we were welcomed aboard. Viaggio is a 65’ Viking that was simply perfect. Dinner was served on the flybridge, and as the evening progressed and the air became chilly, snuggly Viaggio blankets were brought out and we all bundled up, sipping wine, laughing and enjoying the cool weather and each other. I will admit to being the first to head below to my berth.

The following morning, I was up early, but Jessica, our stewardess, was up before me and the smell of fresh brewed coffee greeted me as I opened the door. The thought of “bless you” went through my mind as I followed the wonderful aroma to the galley. With my coffee mug firmly in hand, I went out to the aft deck and sank into the comfort of one of the chairs to enjoy the sights and sounds of the soft Midwestern morning. Tinges of color were just starting to brush the tips of the leaves. The air was still, the water serene and glass-like as it reflected the images above.

The weather report was for increasing winds as the tailend of the hurricane that had lashed the east coast spun itself out. Hmmm, there was a real bonus for chartering in the Great Lakes…no hurricanes! The breeze was not to be felt yet, so we decided to explore Traverse City a bit before we left.

We spent the next couple of hours happily poking about in shops and chatting with some of the locals at the coffee shop. Horizon Books anchors the eastern edge of East Front Street. Large and friendly, it rivaled my local Border’s in South Florida for selection. The coffee smelled heavenly, but we passed on having yet another cup! Our other favorite store was Wilson Antiques, a four-story building which houses scores of dealers with finds as precious and varied as a weathered outhouse door, beaded moccasins and Persian rugs. We wisely decided against purchasing the old outhouse door as a joke for Capt. Chris.

There is plenty to do in the area for a much longer stay. During the summer, the streets must bustle with tourists. Traverse City is home to the National Cherry Festival (arriving July 3-10 in 2004). The weather in the area is perfect for cherries and the festival celebrates them with everything from a cherry pancake breakfast to pie-eating contests. There are cherry-inspired articles everywhere, from towels to trowels. Even the local airport isn’t immune, as it is named the Cherry Capital Airport. No kidding.

Music abounds in the area, since the world famous Interlochen is only a few miles away. Year around, world-known performing artists join staff and students to fill the lakeside forest setting with the sounds of music. There are daily concerts in the summer (except for Mondays), but since the musicians often practice under the trees, music continually fills the air of this enchanted sanctuary.

Thirty miles away by car is the Sleeping Bear Dunes Nation Lakeshore. There simply are no dunes like the ones that border the Great Lakes anywhere else. Not Florida, not New England, not in the Med. Climb 450 feet to the top of the “Dune Climb” at Sleeping Bear, and you will admit that the panoramic view of Lake Michigan is well worth the hike. From there you can also see North and South Manitou islands, which are also part of the Park. Space shuttle astronauts report that the white dunes stand out against the deep blue of the lake. Simply awe-inspiring.

There are a couple of museums in the area, including a Maritime Museum in the “ghost town” of Glen Haven. But wouldn’t you rather go visit some of the local orchards and vineyards. Yes, vineyards. There are at least 14 of them that line the Leelanau and Old Mission peninsulas and most of them offer tasting rooms. Better have your Captain drive you if you are going to visit them all. Or visit a few and get back to the yacht and continue on your adventure, like we did!

Grand Travers Bay was glass-like as we pulled away from the marina and headed North, up the bay toward Charlevoix. It was a pleasant ride, and we were in no hurry as we passed by the Old Mission Lighthouse, then on past the Grand Traverse Lighthouse. The whole area lends itself to an active charter. Most of the woodland and shorelines are open to exploration, as they are publicly held land. There are many “Natural Areas” and Forest Preserves with trails to explore. The clean air and clear water invites you to explore, not just with Viaggio’s tender, but by canoe or kayak, too. Since it was late September, there was not a chance that I was going to brave the chilly waters, but in mid-July, it would have been hard for Capt. Chris to keep me from diving off Viaggio’s swim platform!

A small channel leads in from Lake Michigan to Round Lake, which feeds into Lake Charlevoix. The town of Charlevoix surrounds tiny Round Lake, and a more enchanting village would be hard to find. In fact, it is known as “Charlevoix the Beautiful”, and with good cause. As Viaggio enters Round Lake, Capt. Chris directs our attention towards two of the most enchanting houses I have ever seen. They look like they are straight out of a movie set for the Hobbits in Lord of the Rings. But they are real and just two of dozens of structures created by Earl Young (1889-1970). Young’s buildings reflect his life-long love of boulders, the majestic flight of seagull and the waves of Lake Michigan. Like his contemporary, Frank Lloyd Wright, Young believed that buildings should complement their topography and be constructed of indigenous materials. Trademarks of his buildings are: mullioned windows, massive fireplaces and chimneys, and cedar shake roofs where there is no such thing as a straight line. Absolutely entranced by these buildings that came straight out of my childhood Mother Goose book, we had lunch at the Weathervane Restaurant. Views of Lake Michigan, the channel and Round Lake…and even better, it was built and designed by my new hero, Earl Young. Food was great, but the sight of the enormous boulders forming the fireplace (one is the shape of Michigan!) was even better. Walking back to Viaggio, we admired the massive baskets of petunias that hang from the lampposts. The Keep Charlevoix Beautiful group sponsors “Operation Petunia” in early May. Since 1982 when the tradition started, hundreds of volunteers turn out to plant 50,000 petunias in one hour. Their efforts further enhance this beautiful town.

We return to Viaggio to head for Harbor Springs where we will spend the night. By now the wind and grey weather that was forcast had arrived, and we can see Lake Michigan’s waves wearing white crests as we head out through the channel. No problem, Viaggio is more than equal to the challenge, as Capt. Chris put the throttle forward and Viaggio pranced across the tops of the waves like show pony performing for an appreciative audience. We all gathered up on the flybridge to enjoy the exhilarating ride, bundled up in the famous Viaggio blankets. Occasionally, sprays of water would splash up…refreshing fresh water, not the nasty, sticky saltspray that I had become accustomed to. Hmm, there is another big plus for chartering up here – fresh water, no feeling like a salted fish by the end of the day!

We were quickly to Harbor Springs and protected from the waves by the natural harbor. One of the great advantages to chartering in this area is that the harbors are close together, and there is always another protected cove to explore. Lake Michigan is the 4th largest freshwater lake in the world, really an inland sea, and is capable of being smooth and serene, or generating waves worthy of any ocean.

Harbor Springs proved to be a lovely little town. There were fountains everywhere, along the streets in front of stores, in front of homes, in the park, literally everywhere. Many with tin cups hanging by pump handles, some just merrily bubbling away. The water was the thing of childhood memories. Sweet, with the slight tang of iron, so cold it made your teeth ache. The water I remember growing up drinking from the pump on the farm. Water that you don’t find anymore, not from municipalities, not from bottles. It took us a while, but we finally figured out the reason for this abundance, the town obviously was built on over several springs, hence the name, Harbor Springs. We also learned that of the 1,567 permanent residents from the 2000 census, 45% were male, 55% were female. As a single female, this was not the place for me!

The next morning we made an early start for Mackinac Island, our next destination. The winds had settled down, and we took a leisurely pace, with Capt. Chris pointing out various places of interest and bits of information about chartering in the region. For instance, famous Door County, Wisconsin was a short two hour run from Traverse City, had we had time and desire to run over to experience that beautiful part of the area. Door County is the bit of Wisconsin that sticks out like a thumb into Lake Michigan and shelters Green Bay. Probably one of the most beautiful places in a beautiful state. But we are heading for Mackinac Island, a place I had heard of for years, but never had the chance to visit until now. Running North up the coast of Michigan, we are sheltered to the west by Beaver Island, which has quite a unique history.

The Odawas (Ottawas) arrived and permanently settled on Beaver Island in the mid-1700’s. Traders and trappers appeared in the early 1800s and by 1850, a community of 100 people lived at Whiskey Point, but that would soon change. In 1848, James Stang formed a colony of Mormon’s on Beaver Island. It grew until soon it had the numbers to elect Stang to the state legislature. Trouble with the “gentiles” led to the “War of Whiskey Point” which the Mormons won by firing a cannon into the crowd gathered at the trading post. Soon most non-Mormon’s had left the island and Stang had himself crowned king and began taking additional wives. Attempts to oust him by legal methods failed and he was finally assassinated in 1856 by two disgruntled followers, thus ending the only kingdom ever in America. The rest of his people were soon driven off the island by a mob from Mackinac Island. Beaver Island is home today to 550 permanent residents, but swells greatly in the summer, thanks to having 2 airports and multiple daily ferry service from Charlevoix.

We pass under the Mackinac Bridge, connecting the Lower Peninsula to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It held the record for being the world’s longest bridge for many years, and is an incredible engineering wonder.

Capt. Chris barely had Viaggio secured to the dock before we were leaping off her, eager to explore. There are two very important things to know about Mackinac Island: 1) there are no cars, only horse-drawn conveyances and 2) every other store is a fudge shop. I understand that the locals often refer to the tourists as “fudgies”.

One of the first things on our agenda of things to do was take an island tour. The Mackinac Island Carriage Tours offers tours which cover many of the natural and historical attractions. It lasts about 1 _ hours with a final stop at the Fort Mackinac entrance. Livery carriages, saddle horses and drive-yourself-carriages are also available. We chose the regular tour. For a group of six, I would recommend a private tour. It would cost about the same, but without some of the more colorful characters that tend to be in a larger group. For those who are worried about the horses, don’t be. They have a much better work schedule than any human could ever hope for. We were trying to figure out who lobbied for them to see if we could hire them to get our working conditions as posh as the horses have it!

With the steady clop, clop, clop accompanying our tour guide’s explanations, we proceeded around Macinac Island. Past the Grand Hotel…built in just over 90 days. Yes, you read that correctly. Best known for its beautiful 660-foot long porch, the Grand Hotel is simply that…grand. Ties and jackets are still required for dinner. And if you are not a registered guest, there is an admission fee to look around. We continue our tour, which enters the forest of Macinac Island State Park. Many of the trees are identified as to species, there are caves, unusual rock formations, including Arch Rock, rising 146 feet above the water. Spanning fifty feet at its widest point, geologists explain that the arch was formed over thousands of years by wind and water eroding the soft rock below, leaving only the hard breccia rock which forms the arch. The tour then continued towards its final destination: Fort Mackinac.

In 1780, the British paid the Chippewas 5000 British Pounds in exchange for their permission to construct Fort Mackinac. A formidable bastion built high on a bluff, the Island would be almost impenetrable to an enemy attack from the east, south or west. The town nestles 150 feet below the cliff. Fort Mackinac was held by the British until after the Revolutionary War, when the Treaty of Paris in 1783 ceded Mackinac Island to the colonies. The British hated to give up such a prize though, and did not evacuate until 1796. In 1812 at the very outbreak of the second war with Englad, the British and their Indian allies returned and landed on the far north shore. At dawn on July 17, the sleeping American garrison was attacked. Outnumbered and out maneuvered, Lt. Port Hanks surrendered and Fort Mackinac was once again under British control. The English held the fort until 1815, when the United States regained control by treaty. Fort Mackinac is a large complex with several building to explore, and there are plenty of guides in period clothing to answer questions and bring this historical area to life.

We had scheduled a “taxi” to take us to Wood’s Restaurant for dinner. Our taxi driver took the “scenic route”, though it might be pointed out that there is simply no place on Mackinac Island that isn’t scenic. We meandered along curving paths through the forests, finally arriving at Wood’s, which turned out to be a delightful old hunting lodge, fireplaces blazing. A wonderful dinner and a carriage ride under the stars back to town. Very romantic. We were ready to return to Viaggio, but an Irish pub proved too enticing and we just had to stop. Much to our delight, there were a couple of 1812 “soldiers” enjoying a cup of cheer and we joined them, with one of party soon being led out to dance an 1812 “period dance”.

The next morning came too soon, and it was time to leave for Mackinac City, across the bay on the Michigan lower peninsula. The taxi arrived shortly after Captain Chris had docked Viaggio, a taxi with 4 wheels, not 4 legs this time. The holiday had been so beautiful, so wonderful, I simply didn’t want to leave. I never imagined a charter to the Great Lakes could be so incredible. And we had only started to touch the beginnings of possibilities. So the next time someone asks me to recommend an extraordinary destination for a summer charter, I will simply answer: “the Great Lakes” without a moment’s hesitation.