Lakeland_Boating_-_September_2016

PHOTO COURTESY OF

BELLAIRE PHOTO COURTESY OF SHANTY CREEK RESORT; KAYAK PHOTO COURTESY OF PADDLE ANTRIM; LAKE BELLAIRE PHOTO COURTESY OF PRNEWSWIRE

Bellaire to Ellsworth

“We like to say we’re in the middle of nowhere and the middle of everything,” notes Chris Hale,

vice president of Bellaire’s Shanty Creek Resort. The resort boasts four championship golf courses

— including Arnold Palmer’s The Legend — some of the state’s most challenging skiing courses,

restaurants and a spa. One golf course offers FootGolf, a growing sport where you kick a soccer ball

over the course into a series of enlarged holes.

You can drive a ball off the patio of nearby winery Torch Lake Cellars, or sip some Deepwater

Point, a locally made Pinot Grigio named after a Torch Lake drop-off; 330', a red named after the

lake’s deepest point; or Torch River Riesling. Bee

Well Meadery is locally-minded as well. Head to the tiny tasting room on the edge of town to sip a mead

crafted from local cherry juice and honey, another from local apples mixed with Sri Lankan cinnamon, or one

made from locally-grown hops combined with wildflower honey. The story is fun, too: It’s run by brothers

whose great-grandfather once bottled and sold water from the natural springs along the banks of Clam Lake.

Shanty Creek offers a shuttle into downtown Bellaire, home to a variety of shops and restaurants

anchored by Short’s Brewing Company’s brew pub. Owner Joe Shorts’ expanded pub offers live

music, indoor and outdoor seating, a large food menu and such creative microbrew blends (often with

particularly kooky names) that he’s developed a cult following; beer lovers occasionally fly in for a visit

just to drink Short’s beer. Try ordering Beery McBeerface with a straight face as part of a sampler,

accompanied by options like Power of Love, Alien Einstein, Hoppin’ the Cherry and Controversiale.

Shorts launched the Chain’s trademark event, the 40-mile Paddle Antrim Festival (this year held

September 16-17), which was originally offered as a celebration of the region’s pure water — a critical

element in both beer and tourism fun. Paddling is also the only way to cover the entire Chain, since

kayaks can navigate the shallow connections between some of the upper lakes and portage over the

Bellaire Dam. All of the upper lakes are open to motorized boats, too. The adjacent towns are worthy

stops, and the region surrounding them even more so.

Chain’s end

Just north of Intermediate Lake, Central Lake has thriving wildlife and a relaxed downtown. This

friendly village is along the Chain’s no-wake zone and offers a tranquil rest stop.

Shoppers love Adams Madams for its fun mix of housewares, local art, clothing and wall hangings

with truisms like, “A day at the lake is worth a month in the city.” Bachmann’s General Store offers

much of what it did decades ago: Old-fashioned candy, Slinky’s and Magic 8-Balls. There’s a treat

for grown-ups at new Mammoth Distillery; opened in June of 2016, it offers tastings of its locally

distilled vodka, gin, rum and whiskey.

Ellsworth, at the Chain’s end on Ellsworth Lake, features a little downtown but plenty of off the beaten

path destinations. Fish off the pier, explore the archery range and walking paths, or walk one of the Midwest’s

largest labyrinths in the town’s 4-acre park. Celebrate at Rowe Inn, where the French country cuisine

and extensive wine list have gotten national acclaim, or dine instead at a spot where the region’s heart is

as memorable as the food. At Ellsworth’s volunteer-run Front Porch Cafe, meals come with suggested

donation but no set price. Nearby shorelines teem with osprey, eagles, herons and migrating sandhill cranes.

“You sort of see it all by paddling through,” notes Drake. “But there’s beauty that’s equivalent.

Some prefer lively Torch, while others prefer the upper Chain, where you’re closer to the shoreline

and have a quieter, more natural experience.” ★

Resources

Bellaire Chamber

BELLAIRECHAMBER.COM

Elk River Chamber of Commerce

ELKRAPIDSCHAMBER.ORG

Paddle Antrim

PADDLEANTRIM.COM

Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council

WATERSHEDCOUNCIL.ORG

Village of Ellsworth

VILLAGEOFELLSWORTH.COM

Visit Alden

VISITALDEN.COM

Traverse City Visitors

TRAVERSECITY.COM

Paddle Antrim Festival Shanty Creek Resort and Lake Bellaire

Downtown Bellaire

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