Neebish Island

While Nate and I were back in Michigan, we took a full-family-deployment trip to our hunting camp on Neebish Island. It's the kind of place you flee to in the event of a zombie apocalypse. Only accessible by a ferry that runs like, once a year. Ok, I'm exaggerating a little, people do live on this island year round. What a peaceful life they must live.

When we were kids, us Honkanen grandchildren ran amuck on the island wreaking havoc on the native clam population. I have fond memories of slipping on the community bathing suits, taking a sauna bath and running down the dock into the warm waters of Bare Ass Bend. Priceless memories. No running water and no electricity means outhouses and oil lamps...it really is a magical place.

In the winter, the cabin takes on a whole new feel. Vehicles can only take you so far, then you're on foot or snowmobile the rest of the way. The ground, the trees, and the cabins are frozen. A visit to the outhouse is a major life decision. You build a fire and do some manual labor to keep warm. But it's all worth it. You can hear nothing around you for miles except the small animals scurrying in the woods, you are breathing the freshest air. It's then we remember why our grandpa built this place.

1. The North Camp (the habitable cabin) 2. Inside the north camp where that enormous table magically transforms to bumper-pool 3. The frozen St. Mary's River 4. A very important message in the sauna house 5. The South Camp, just a short walk from the north camp, it is home to the "Phantom Finn" and a lot of mice 6. Family photo in front of south camp 7. A freighter breaking through the ice by the ferry dock 8. On the ferry, waiting for this guy to pass, The St. Clair