HESSEL, Mich. — Jessie Hadley knows the Les Cheneaux inside out — its islands, its secrets, its secret marshes.
“The Les Cheneaux is an opaque place,” says Hadley, owner of Woods and Water Ecotours. “It is word of mouth or a connection. You have to have the veil lifted, the secret passed.”
Many in Michigan have never heard of the Les Cheneaux, much less visited it. Pronounced Lay-Shen-O, it is a group of 36 small islands plus two small towns, Hessel and Cedarville, that hug the Lake Huron shore in the eastern Upper Peninsula. Drive across the Mackinac Bridge, turn right at M-134, and about 20 minutes later, you’re there.
In French, Les Cheneaux means “the channels.”
It is an incredible paddling and classic boat destination along 12 miles of Lake Huron shoreline. Visitors also will see some glamorous, rustic family homes passed down through the generations. The area has two golf courses, a small native casino, some tiny grocery stores and shops, extremely decent ice cream, and lodging that is mostly old-fashioned, pine-paneled Upper Peninsula-style motels and cottages.
IF YOU GO
Hessel and Cedarville have many summer residents. In winter, it is mostly a retirement community.
• Stay: Mostly old-fashioned cottages and lodges, such as the Lakeview Motel and Cottages, Hessel (www.cedarville.net/lakeviewmotel/, 906-484-2474.) On Hill Island is the Hills Point Resort (www.hillspointresort.com, 906-236-2449).
• Dining: The 1-year-old, nonprofit Les Cheneaux Culinary School and Restaurant trains chefs of the future and also provides summer residents with a high-end dining experience in Hessel (www.lcculinary.org). Locals like the less expensive Ang-Gios Restaurant on M-134.
• Beyond: The Les Cheneaux Islands are about 25 minutes west of Detour, where you can catch the ferry for Drummond Island.
• For more: Les Cheneaux Islands Chamber of Commerce (www.lescheneaux.net), Les Cheneaux Islands Tourist Association (www.lescheneaux.org).
Other than that, much of the Les Cheneaux is greenery — protected land owned by state, U.S. Forest Service or nature conservancies devoted to keeping the “wild” in the wilderness.
I’d recommend three ways that a stranger can get a feel for this place: go kayaking, take a boat-building class, or visit the Antique Wooden Boat Show and Festival of the Arts in August.
• KAYAK WITH A GUIDE.
Jessie Hadley began her company in 2000 after working for the Michigan Department of National Resources in the area for many years. She takes families, individuals and groups on kayaking excursions ranging from two hours to a week. Some trips include overnight camping on nearby Government Island or sunset paddles.
Hadley does kayak training for groups, but she also is getting more families with children about age 10-16 who want a day paddle, plus more groups of women, who want a weekend of paddling plus good food and pampering while they’re at it.
For more: Woods and Water Ecotours and Outdoor Shop, 20 Pickford Road, Hessel, www.WoodsWaterEcotours.com, 906-484-4157. Paddling Les Cheneaux day trips, $75 to $120 per person. Also offers custom trips and longer paddling trips to Government Island and Isle Royale National Park. Discounts for children under 18.
• LEARN TO BUILD A BOAT.
Boat-building workshops teach participants how to build their own paddle board, kayak, dinghy, canoe or other types of boats. It also has two-year programs for future boat-building professionals.
For more: Great Lakes Boat Building School, 485 Meridian, Cedarville (glbbs.org, 906-484-1081.) Boat-building workshops are offered through September. Tuition is about $800, plus the cost of the boat kit, about $1,000.
• CLASSIC BOATS ARE A DRAW.
The nation’s first Chris Craft dealer opened in Hessel in 1925. The area still is a premier spot for classic boat owners to have their boats babied.
One way the public can get in on the fun is to attend the 39th Annual Antique Wooden Boat Show and Festival of Arts on Aug. 13. Featuring about 150 classic and antique boats, the show also will have a juried art fair with about 70 artists. The show has been a huge draw to the area since 1978.
For more: The Les Cheneaux Historical Association sponsors the show, Aug. 13 at the Hessel marina and waterfront. Admission $7; children under 12 free, www.lchistorical.org.
