Most summertime vacation destinations have the same issue, when it comes to Midweek Reservations. No different here on Beaver Island. Yes, to a small in-crowd, Beaver Island is known to be an idyllic, super relaxing vacation destination and has been for a handful of decades. But to most, it is still a secret Paradise Island waiting to be discovered. Yes, the season is relatively short and yes the water is a bit cool if you’re used to Caribbean temperatures, but the island’s nature and animal kingdom is unparalleled and the waters combine a spectrum of azure blue and turquoise clean and the Sounds of Silence on our lake view balconies are relaxing to the core.
Summer weekends are busy on the island, often reaching maximum carrying capacity, especially when various hospitality entities on the island hold their events of choice, varying from music festivals to folklore celebrations like the Irish Festival in early September.
So here is a tip for those whose lifestyle affords midweek breaks, instead of being anchored to weekend getaways. The lodging rates between Sunday and Friday are substantially better than in the weekends; service in bars and restaurants is quicker and a bit more personal; bike- and car rentals are easy-peasy; the “locals” have more time to attend to your wishes and it’s an all around more authentic Beaver Island experience.
Yesterday morning (Monday) we watched a young Mallard mother and her ten youngsters quickly cleaning the restaurant patio of a few bits of bread leftovers from the evening before, as three deer were grazing on freshly cut grass in the clearing.
Sights you don’t see on weekends! Other sights you hardly see on weekends are chefs coming out of the kitchen to talk with guests or a wait staff with time to explain every item on the menu. A midweek reservation simply allows for more intimacy with Beaver Island and its people’s everyday life in Paradise.
The Lodge Midweek Reservations Promotion
So, here at the lodge we have an additional attraction for you. For Midweek Reservations between July 14 and the end of the Summer Season, we have a Gift that will remind you of your stay with us on Beaver Island: a beautiful artist signed 11 3/4 x 36″ print of a painted island scene.
Well-known painter/writer Mary Blocksma came to Beaver Island sometime in 1994 while writing her docu- novel The Fourth Coast: Exploring the Great Lakes Coastline. Sometime earlier that year this Michigan librarian and writer, set out to explore the Great Lakes coastline from New York to Minnesota, the longest continuous coastline in the United States. Driving a minivan and camping all by herself, she completed the 5000-mile journey in 90 days. During the final writing process she came to Beaver Island, where she became a summertime icon and attraction for the next 15 years. She spent the winters mostly in Saugatuck painting and writing and in the summertime she ran the Beaver Island Book and Art Shop and painted gorgeous land and waterscapes of Beaver Island. Commissioned by previous owners of the Lodge, she then painted a series of amazingly variegated panoramas in 2007, which can still be found in frames throughout the public areas of the Lodge.
The surprise.
While getting ready for this year’s summer season, we were cleaning out a dark area in the wine room and found a treasure trove of 60 plus signed pristine prints, individually rolled into plastic sleeves to assure safe travels. We have since received many request to purchase these prints, but instead we thought it would be a nice gesture to give them to guests who Book Midweek Reservations this summer.
Of course this promotion is ruled by First Come First Serve, until we run out.