Something happens once a year, after being cooped up inside watching snowflakes fall from the sky for six months of the year. My boat gets summerized and it’s time to head out for a good float!
I often wonder if its just me, or does everyone feel giddy when they sit behind the steering wheel of a boat the first time each summer. Torch Lake, located in Northwestern Lower Peninsula of Michigan is my “Home Lake”. I grew up here. It’s crystal blue even on a cloudy day! The south end is famous for it’s sand bar (Not just because Kid Rock wrote a song about splashing through the sand bar!) Sometimes it looks like party central. It’s fun, but I always keep in mind the lake is 20 miles long and there’s more to it than just the sand bar.
A few favorite places of mine, aside from the sand bar, to anchor include the shoreline at the Alden Ball Park, North of French’s Point on the West Side, and Indian Road Point which offers a Caribbean Blue shoreline.
My favorite hangout destinations after a long day of boating for some good food, cocktails and friends include:
- Mico’s Torch Riviera for Italian and American Cuisine and wonderful entertainment! This is located at the south end of the lake by Torch River
- The Dockside at Clam River is located about 1/2 way up the lake on the east side. Pull up to the dock and tie off. Then go in and enjoy a few drinks and burgers… or a giant burrito!
- Torch Lake Beer Company is another stop located downtown Alden. The town offers a public docking pier to tie up at while you go in for Pizza, Burgers, and beverages.
Don’t have a boat? There are several places to rent a pontoon, or ski boat!
- Torch River Marine at the south end of the Lake
- Luhr’s Landing on Torch River
- Torch River Shack at the Mouth of Torch River
- Dewitt Marine on Clam Lake
- Elk Rapids Marina in Elk Rapids, on the Elk River
So if your up for a day of boating, head on out! Torch Lake is the largest lake on a chain of lakes that includes Elk Lake, Lake Skegemog, Torch River, Torch Lake, Clam River, Clam Lake, Grass River, Lake Bellaire, and Intermediate Lake. There’s so much natural beauty here, you may never want to leave!
Living Vicariously... through Traveling! 
Torch Lake is beautiful! One summer, me and my sisters rented a cabin on the east side of the lake, across the road near a public beach. It was wonderful. My nephews had a blast. Have you ever been to Stone Circle on the west side of the lake? I don’t know if he still does it, (it was a long time ago) but Terry Wooten is a story teller who lives there. Sometimes on Friday night he would let people come. There would be a big bonfire with large boulders around it that you could sit on. He would recite from memory a long poem, then anyone who had a poem memorized could get up and recite it. It was fun.
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