Betsie river valley bike trail, Benzie County, Michigan
There is a way for this 57 year old to feel like I am 10 again. It includes the wind in my face, the pavement flying by underneath my feet and a yet to be discovered destination spread out before me. Today that place was the Betsie River Valley Bike Trail in the Northwest region of Michigan. Starting in Elberta, Mi and biking 10 miles to Beulah, Mi and then back was a great way to spend the final morning of a vacation before piling back into the car and heading home to Northwest Ohio. We parked at the old Lifesaving Station located at Waterfront Park in Elberta. The first mile or so we dealt with a detour due to some flooding and had we realized this ahead of time we would have parked at the River Road parking lot. It was an easy enough detour to navigate though and before we knew it we were on the trail.
The first 5 miles or so of the path is paved and a very pleasant ride along a narrow river through the woods. The entire path is flat with very few roads to cross making it a very manageable trail for cyclists of any ability. On this very late summer morning we enjoy just a hint of the color to come in the next several weeks.
About 5 miles in, the path turns to crushed aggregate and this is where it also turns very interesting as the trees and river make way for Crystal Lake. The trail hugs the lake so tightly that I almost feel as if I am on a boat. About a mile in there is an observatory tower to climb where we get our first breathtaking expansive view of the, (for real!), crystal blue waters of this beautiful inland lake. We climb down the steps of the observatory tower and hop back on our bikes. As we continue we begin to get a glimpse of what vacationing on Crystal Lake must be like. We pass by large homes on high with a dizzying amount of stairs leading down to the beach, long yards of lush grass leading up to the water’s edge, and homes of all shapes and sizes with one thing in common: an incredible view. Cottages line one side of the path and their little private beaches littered with Adirondack chairs, fire pits and small boats line the other. There must be bustling activity on either side of the path in July and August, but it is quiet and peaceful on this chilly September morning.
We ride to the quaint little town of Beulah and the smells in the air make us consider stopping at either the Hungry Tummy cafe for an early lunch or The Cherry Hut for a slice of cherry pie. We choose neither only because it is getting colder and we are not sure if the wind will pick up. On our way back to our starting point we enjoy the chance to see everything once more.
Before we know it we are back to Elberta Waterfront Park. Stormcloud Brewery is a quick drive across the Betsie River in Frankfort where we enjoy beer flights, flatbread pizza and perfectly handcrafted sandwiches. It’s after 3:00 and we know it’s time to turn our thoughts and our car to home. It’s a 4 and 1/2 hour drive , a drive we were glad to move to the latter half of this last vacation day to get in one more adventure on our little getaway to Northwest Michigan.