It’s not where you go or what you do as much as who goes along for the ride.
We are at such an awkward juncture during these pandemic times. International travel and mega cruises are largely out of reach. We presume vaccinations will keep us safe at weddings, concerts, festivals – until a friend’s breakthrough Covid case requires hospitalization.
Do we resume elbow bumping instead of hugs? Beg off on our turn to host the book club? Cancel those plans for Vegas? Hold our breath and buy more face masks?
All I know is that a cautious and close-to-home escape with people who matter – and who will stay vigilant – works for me, for now. As temps grow frosty, I reserve the right to change my mind. Again.
We’ve had a lot of time to reflect upon and reconnect with good people who grew distant while raising kids, moving away, toiling for promotions or dealing with life’s bad hands.
That is what led to my reunion with college housemates during one long, summery weekend in quiet, southwest Michigan. Five of us were raring to go, months ago.
But one couldn’t shake a cold and tested positive for Covid, the day before our departure. Another canceled because of a parent’s medical condition.
That left three to get acquainted with Union Pier, unincorporated and less than 10 miles north of the Michigan-Illinois border. Our contemporary, two-bedroom cottage had Wi-Fi, A/C, skylights, a patio with grill, wood-burning fireplace (too warm to use), everything we needed to cook (but we didn’t) and towels for the beach as well as bathing.
Two blocks west and 50-some steps down was the public Town Line Beach and access (because of our rental’s rules) to the more private Gordon Beach. Both were prime for taking a dip and viewing Lake Michigan sunsets.
Absent was the commercialism. No beachside vendors. No lakeside bars or bistros. What remained was a web of easy-to-walk, residential roadways that took us past a mix of mansions and bungalows.
It was a neighborhood of rules: quiet hours from 10 a.m. to 7 a.m., many signs about private property and where to not park, a monitor to keep interlopers away from the private beach, others who emerged to politely point us away from private pathways.
We happily explored the area by foot and car, slept as long as we wanted, began and ended our days with hours-long chats, turned on a TV for maybe two of 72 hours.
“It truly was a retreat,” one of us concluded. Just what we needed: connection and space.
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Our home base was arranged through Bluefish Vacations Rentals, a management company with 100-some properties of one to 11 bedrooms. The rate and minimum stay depend on time of year, size of property and individual wishes of owners in the network.
A one-week minimum stay is typical during summer, but some allow three or five nights. When the off season begins Nov. 1, Bluefish co-owner Jason Milovich says a rate of $500 per night might drop to $100. bluefishvacations.com
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We kept it simple during this getaway and especially appreciated:
Skip’s New Buffalo European Farmers Market, whose vendors fill a Union Pier steakhouse parking lot on Saturdays and Sundays, mid May to mid October. Not huge, but a choice selection of merchandise. We left with hand-carved kitchen utensils, gourmet cheeses, par-baked pizzas, inexpensive sunglasses, Red Haven peaches, artisan-made jewelry and more. Pop-up boutiques for new and vintage women’s clothing included stylish Luxe Wagon, billed as “mobile fashion merchants.” skipsrestaurantandcatering.com, luxewagon.com
The Creative Sage Cottage, Union Pier, whose owner gives psychic readings by appointment. Selling New Age merchandise you’d expect – crystals, tarot cards, herbal incense blends, sage smudge sticks – and offering workshops, one-to-one attention. Think drumming circles, personalized candles, blessing balls. Outdoors are pleasant areas to linger. creativesagecottage.com
New Buffalo, population 1,858 and on waterfront, four miles southwest of Union Pier. Roam the boutiques. Expect a wait for dining at Stray Dog Bar and Grill, Bentwood Tavern. Lots of yachts harborside. newbuffalo.com
Three Oaks, population 2,446 and six miles inland, near farmland. The pretty drive through tree canopies ends with the hamlet’s eclectic surprises. Here are four.
Locals rave about ready-to-eat rings of boloney (their spelling) at Drier’s Meat Market, a national historic site that began business shortly after the Civil War. We picked up a quarter ring of liverwurst too. driers.com
The cavernous Journeyman Distillery is unusual because it is certified organic and kosher. The setting? A revamped corset and buggy whip factory. Take a tour, sip a Lavender Gimlet, nosh on Amish chicken or Idaho trout. We left with a jug of O.C.G. Apple Cider Liqueur, good chilled or heated, and a double gold medal winner. journeymandistillery.com
The former factory also is big enough for a five-bedroom, 7,000-square-foot rental (minimum two-night stay) and 250-seat performing arts theater, The Acorn, whose upcoming shows include tributes to Pink Floyd (Sept. 10) and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young (Sept. 25). acornlive.org
We avoided most of a cloudburst by ducking into Trilogy Antiques and Designs, not your typical antiques store. More like a museum of domestic and international oddities, arranged as eclectic art galleries. Or, as the website suggests, “a meditation on the unconventional and the preposterous.” Unique offerings? That’s an understatement. One example: a mid 20th century funerary costume with boar tusks from West Papua, for $3,488. trilogyantiques.com
Left untouched by us – shockingly! – were the wineries, too many to list. Century-old St. Julian Winery is the state’s largest and has won the most awards. One of its six tasting rooms is in Union Pier; the main winery is 70 miles northeast, in Paw Paw. stjulian.com
Check out harborcountry.org for more about imbibing, hiking, antiquing and doing whatever else you choose in southwest Michigan.