ABOUT THE LES CHENEAUX ISLANDS:

The Les Cheneaux Islands, affectionately known as “The Snows”, is a group of islands hugging the shores of Lake Huron in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. My father’s parents purchased a cottage there in 1945, along with a mahogany Chris Craft boat they christened “The Kid”. My parents met there a few summers later, as my mother’s family had a cottage down the channel near the town of Hessel. As a child, I spent a part of every summer there with my immediate family, as well as with my grandmother, aunt, and two cousins who shared the cottage with us. It is where I learned how to swim, water ski, canoe, sail, windsurf, build campfires, eat s’mores, and drive a boat. It’s a magical place where, for me, time has managed to stand still, with only minor changes to the landscape in my lifetime. And it’s the only place I can still call home.

Every summer I embark on a two-day car ride back to paradise with my dog, Sophie, riding shotgun, both of us anxious to be soothed by the cool waters, warm breezes, and a blanket of stars at night, unspoiled by city lights. I long for my Mom’s incredible cooking, reading on the dock, singing on the porch, and playing golf (badly) with my Dad. I hope everyone has a place in their life as special as Les Cheneaux has been for me.

—Mary Gerwin

Sample Mary’s most recent CD, The Shores of Les Cheneaux.