Midwest Traveler: Paddle a boat, or build one, in Les Cheneaux Islands

Jessie Hadley knows the Les Cheneaux region inside out — its islands, its secrets, its secret marshes.

"Les Cheneaux is an opaque place," says Hadley, owner of Woods and Water Ecotours in Hessel, Mich. "It is word of mouth or a connection. You have to have the veil lifted, the secret passed."

So let's just say that I'm about to rip off the veil.

Many in the Midwest have never heard of 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 on the eastern end of the Upper Peninsula.

In French, Les Cheneaux means "the channels."

Says Hadley, "it's not a cookie-cutter place."

But what's here? 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 American Indian 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.

Since you can't invite yourself to an island home for a vacation, I'd recommend three ways that a stranger can get a feel for this place: Go kayaking, take a boatbuilding class or visit the Antique Wooden Boat Show and Festival of the Arts every August.

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.

Kayaking entered the Great Lakes about 30 years ago, and Les Cheneaux is perfect for the sport, Hadley says, because the islands protect small craft from the open waters of Lake Huron. Many marshes are tucked into small spots where kayaks can silently slide, unlike other boats.

"It's a sheltered channel, and the bays and islands are protected. If you feel like you want to go around an island, you can," she says.

Hadley does kayak training for groups, but she also is getting more families with children ages 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.

I suck in fresh air. I listen to the hypnotic sound of our paddles slicing through the water. I feel the rain pattering on my head. And you know, I feel good.

More info: Woods and Water Ecotours and Outdoor Shop, Hessel, Mich. (upecotours.com, 1-906-484-4157). Paddling Les Cheneaux day trips, $75-$120 per person. Also offers custom trips and longer paddling trips to Government Island and Isle Royale National Park. Discounts for children under 18.

In Hessel, I meet Margaret Robinson of Shorewood, Wis. She has come all the way to the eastern U.P. to take a 5 ½-day class at the Great Lakes Boat Building School in Cedarville.

"I'm building my own kayak; it is two-thirds of the way done," she says, adding she is using something called the stitch-and-glue method. "I wanted something light enough for me to pick up," says the retiree.

Boatbuilding workshops teach participants how to build paddleboards, kayaks, dinghies, canoes or other types of boats. It also has two-year programs for future boatbuilding professionals. Les Cheneaux is famed for its wooden boat heritage, so this is a natural fit and a unique offering.

Les Cheneaux features one unusual sight: small wooden mahogany boats from the early 1900s to 1930s that are regularly used by families to get from their island homes to the mainland and other islands. 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 annual Antique Wooden Boat Show and Festival of Arts, last held on Aug. 13. Featuring about 150 classic and antique boats, the show also has a juried art fair with about 70 artists. The show has been a huge draw to the area since 1978.

More info: The festival returns in 2017 for its 40th year; lciboatshow.com or lchistorical.org.

Hessel and Cedarville, Mich., 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 (cedarville.net/lakeviewmotel; 1-906-484-2474). On Hill Island is the Hills Point Resort (hillspoint­resort.com: 1-906-236-2449).

Beyond: Les Cheneaux Islands are about 25 minutes west of Detour, Mich., where you can catch the ferry for Drummond Island.

For more: Les Cheneaux Islands Chamber of Commerce (lescheneaux.net), Les Cheneaux Islands Tourist Association (lescheneaux.org).