Saugatuck, Michigan

The Fish and Mitten

Last week, while my entire state was preparing to do battle with Hurricane Dorian, I was away experiencing the state of Michigan for the very first time. West and northern Michigan, that is–my boyfriend, a native Michigander, insists there is a difference and that these areas are superior to the rest of the state.

“Is it weird,” I said to him, “that I have always thought of the part of Michigan that isn’t the mitten as the fish?”

“WHAT!? Yes!” he said, with a look that was a mix of perplexed and appalled.

“Because it sort of looks like a Dr. Seuss fish, so I’ve just always thought it.”

He continued to stare at me and said something sarcastically about how “in that it’s a vague, elongated object, sure”, so I made this for him.

He was impressed when he saw it and said, “Oh, wow! It actually kind of does!” Honestly, I’ve thought of it this way since I was a little kid studying maps of the USA for the first time, and it’s just been ingrained in my head ever since. My apologies to all Yoopers. However, if you’d like to steal my idea for the name of a British pub–The Fish and Mitten–somewhere in the vicinity of Mackinac where the two meet, be my guest. You’ll never unsee it now, despite my lack of artistic prowess.

So we flew into Grand Rapids and our trip officially began in Saugatuck.

Now Entering Saugatuck

Saugatuck is an adorable coastal town with a population of under 1,000 in the county of Allegan, which I still haven’t figured out how to pronounce. (Al-LAY-gan? Al-LEE-gan? Al-LEE-jen?) On our first day there, we had lunch at Pumpernickels and ran into the Mayor. Having been two decades removed from small-town life this year, I thought being out to lunch and making sure to say hello to the Mayor while you were there was a thing that only happened in 1950s sitcoms and Gilmore Girls. If that’s the sort of idyll you’re missing in your life, you might consider moving to Saugatuck.

There are lots of cute little shops and galleries in Saugatuck that close down this time of year, as all the tourists leave before it gets cold outside.

I had a tasty bowl of clam chowder on the outside patio at Pumpernickels, and followed it up with some sips at Fenn Valley Tasting Room. While I’m normally a dry red fan, I’ve been branching out a bit lately. I sampled a white wine with peach and honey flavors, and something like a slightly spicy aftertaste. It was absolutely the perfect wine for relaxing on the patio on a September afternoon in Michigan.

Conquering Mount Baldhead

And after that first day, relax we did! We began our morning with a climb up a set of 302 stairs to the top of Mount Baldhead for a spectacular view of the town. We really should have stretched beforehand. Both of us had aching calves for the duration of the trip, and I found out I am in absolutely horrendous shape! I almost didn’t make it up (but fortunately there were places to sit every two flights of stairs), and on the way back down I had to grip tightly to the rail, as my legs had turned into jelly. I had to lie down on a picnic table until the urge to be sick left me! Yet, astoundingly, I did not even break a sweat, despite being in long sleeves.

A thing you probably wouldn’t know about me is I actually really, really love being outside–but only when it’s crisp and cool or even chilly. Sweating is one of my least favorite pastimes, so, being in Florida, I only get to enjoy my love for the outdoors for about two months of the year. The rest of the time I am safe indoors where the air-conditioning is. I guess most people get Seasonal Affective Disorder when the temperature starts to drop, but for me it’s just the opposite. Autumn and winter are when I come alive, and Michigan, even in the end of August, met that need for me for a week. Every time we stepped outside, which I made sure was frequently, I had a huge grin on my face. I just couldn’t help it–I lit right up.

The Saugatuck Chain Ferry

To get to Mount Baldhead, you have to take the Saugatuck Chain Ferry across the Kalamazoo River. This is one of only three ferries like it in the entire world, if I heard them accurately, and I was actually on one of the other two when I was 12, so I guess I need to find the last one now and go for a ride. The guys operating the ferry had already taken off when we returned to the dock, but saw us about to fall over and very kindly came back for us.

I should probably also mention that Mount Baldhead isn’t actually a mountain, but a dune. Because there are dunes in Michigan that are the size of small mountains. If that sounds remarkable to someone who gets to live in a place with hills year-round, imagine how it must have been for someone who spends about 110% of her life in flatlands, practically forgetting that beautiful places with higher elevation still exist out there somewhere.

They allow anyone who wants it the opportunity to try cranking the ferry along, so here I am caving to that peer pressure.

My boyfriend said that my attempt was “weaksauce”, but I couldn’t move the way I was supposed to because every time I did, my purse threatened to slip off my shoulder and into the Kalamazoo, so…just…nyah to that, mmkay?

In Closing…

We finished up our first day with dinner at The Grill Room at Clearbrook, where I got to try fresh northern whitefish. I doubt there’s a single item on that menu that doesn’t taste absolutely fantastic. The owners were very friendly and seemed to know everyone. Such a pleasant dining experience.

Check out more street views of Saugatuck below, and stay tuned for the next post, where we continue our journey in Holland.