By Steve Ellis
Taking the ferry over to Mackinac Island, I had always wondered about the large, wooded island to the right.
I did a little research and learned that it is called Bois Blanc, and you reach the island by way of a ferry out of Cheboygan. The island covers 34 square miles, is 12 miles long, six miles wide and contains six lakes. The natives pronounce the name “Bob Lo.”
A few years back, I convinced some old camping buddies that this would be fun, and we headed to Cheboygan. We boarded the ferry that has been run by Plaunt Transportation since 1923. They charge $81.50 per vehicle and $22.50 per adult. This ferry service is a little more low key than the Mackinac ferries. We paid in the back of an old dark building and boarded the ferry a mile or so up the river from Lake Huron.
It is a short 20-minute ride over to the island. The Bois Blanc Visitors Center at the dock is a small building with a few notes on a bulletin board with notes like: “Jim and Carole! -We will be back Tuesday -The Carlson’s.
We headed to the far side of the island to find the campground. The entire island is dirt roads and the road leading to the campground was a two-track. An old wooden sign proclaimed “Bible Road.” I was later told that “Bible” was the name of the family that once had a farm near the campground. We found a half dozen or so camping spots tucked back in the woods near the rocky beach. The campsites had no electricity or facilities, but we did find an old outhouse with no door back in the woods. Mackinac Island could be seen to our left and was very pretty at night.
Bois Blanc’s main hub is The Outpost General Store, Restaurant and Bar. The “store” is a small room in back for selling the basic essentials.
The island also has Bo-Lo Tavern with a small TV and wooden shuffleboard table. We spent time here watching the Tiger games. The bartender told us that by the end of October, the Outpost and the bar close for the winter and no more gas for vehicles. There are a few dozen or more folks that spend the winter on the island and either stock up in advance for many months or take a plane over to the mainland for groceries, medical appointments, etc.
Our initial reaction an hour or so after arriving on the island was, “What are we going to do for four days?” We quickly found that limited cell phone service, riding bikes all over and sitting and talking on the beach was very relaxing.
One morning, we awoke early and noticed a lighthouse out on a point several miles to our right. Hopping on our bikes, we found a very rough trail through the woods back to the lighthouse. Along the way, we spotted the remains of an old steam engine on its side, deep in the woods. Arriving at the lighthouse, we saw private property signs in front but were able to walk around and enjoy the beauty. As we sat and relaxed, we heard talking and were surprised to see a half dozen kayakers rounding the point. We later learned that they were heading to Drummond Island the next day.
We saw a note at the store about Saturday’s Ice Cream Social, Antique Car Show and Book Sale at the Community Center.
Having nothing on our calendars, our group headed in and were served scoops of ice cream out of large buckets and got to know some of the folks on the island. The car show consisted of 4 or 5 vehicles that were still being used for transportation on the island.
In the small museum I read that Bois Blanc was ceded by the local Chippewa to the U.S. federal government in 1795. During the War of 1812, U.S. Navy Captain Arthur Sinclair’s fleet took shelter at the island while waiting to attack the British at Fort Mackinac and in 1880 the island provided a haven to alleged murderer Henry English who escaped from Pennsylvania authorities before his trial. He was apprehended on Bois Blanc by Pinkerton agents.
Bois Blanc is not for everyone in that there is little in the way of shopping, golf or nightlife, but if you are looking for a very relaxing, peaceful place, not overrun by tourists, you will find it very enjoyable.
Note: Detroit-area folks know “Bob-lo” as the amusement park on Bois Blanc island in the Detroit River downstream from Detroit. In its heyday, ferries carried hundreds of people from a dock in downtown Detroit.