Birch Lodge, the " Family" Resort on Trout Lake

The past week has been a busy one, and all about families. We've hosted families for reunions at the Trout Lake Township Park and one attending a wedding at a nearby lake home. We also had an older couple who have been coming here since the 1970's.

Birch Lodge also served as the base of operations for two great families, one from southern Michigan and the other from Texas.

They ventured out from the motel for day trips to visit Tahquamenon Falls, Mackinac Island, the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and Glass Bottom Boat/Shipwreck Tour in Munising and other attractions.

We also had a grandfather and grandson stay on route to the boys parents back downstate. They liked the rowboat and beach, and spending time in the bench swing on the lawn.

One thing all had in common - a LOVE for Deb's coconut and oatmeal raisin cookies and brownies!



More importantly for us, the young families seemed to breathe life back into the old resort. All kinds of joyous noises enlivened the place as they frolicked on the beach, enjoyed the lakefront swing, spent time in the screen house at the lake, and went boating and kayaking.

We even dug out the horseshoes (and literally the horseshoe pits) for a game of "shoes." The board games also got a workout, as did the old console jukebox in the Birch Bar where vintage songs, particularly "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Boy", apparently have enticed a new generation of admirers.


Work has also begun on the lakeside patio-fire ring. Archaeologist Bill hates digging anything without passing dirt through screens. However, Deb convinced him speed is of the essence so we can offer a place for a safe camp fire that will not threaten the lodge.

Bringing back the shuffleboard court is also out on the horizon. More work, yes, but worth hearing the sounds of laughter in the air.

Old-Fashioned 4th of July

As the oldest resort on Trout Lake, Birch Lodge has seen over a hundred Independence Day celebrations. Trout Lake really puts on a show each year - a full-scale all-invited community parade, fireworks over the lake, softball tournament, pancake supper, barbecue, flea market, family reunions at the township park - just like "the old days." And, just like the old days, the motel was filled for the holiday weekend - Woo-Hoo!!!




So, how did we celebrate? We launched the first of our Birch Lodge "fleet" - the row boats that guests may use. She is cleaned and shined, and re-painted with the Birch Lodge name. The next two "ships of the line" are in progress, as we are restoring two of the original galvanized steel boats from the 1940s.

Two couples have already gone fishing, and the score, wives: four pan fish one pike, and a walleye; husbands: ZIP. Interestingly, the guests and some local folks found the same spot a short way off our dock that the osprey and eagles fish. We saw an osprey take a walleye there too the other day!

We set up our screen room for guests to use to watch the fireworks over the lake a dusk, just in case the skeeters are biting. We are now planning an outdoor lakeside "patio" area with a fire ring so that we might have safe fires lakeside. Maybe even host some neighborhood pot-luck dinners too!

Deb whipped up a batch of red, white, and blue sour cream sugar cookies (as well as some plain ones for those who might not be feeling so patriotic . . .).

How did Bill spend the "holiday"? Well, we all know he always does things a little differently. Hopefully not starting a new tradition - he was red with sunburn, white with rage and blue with melancholy after digging a trench to expose a leaking water line to the laundry.

To think that all started out by going to fill in a hole behind the old fish cleaning house..... It's amazing what a guy can accomplish when powered by enough sugar cookies! Oh, and the Bunn coffee maker the electrician gave us! Coffee anyone? Now off to rake the beach......