Watervale Inn is simply amazing; the most important word being "simply". You will lose yourself…read morehere in amazing views, delicious home-cooked meals, and great company. I stayed here for an anniversary party/family reunion, and what a perfect spot to be with the whole gang... plenty of space, huge dining room where you can all sit together for a hearty breakfast... this place is actually owned by my aunt's family, so it felt even more homey having a sense of familiarity here. You can go hiking, swimming, boating, water skiing, or just sit on the porch of your cabin and breathe it all in. I could've stayed there a very long time and not felt tired of it. It's a shame for me that I live in California- so far from Watervale- but I'll be back. Definitely.

American writer Janet Mock once said "I think of family as community. I think of the spaces where…read moreyou don't have to shrink yourself, where you don't have to pretend or to perform. You can fully show up and be vulnerable. And in silence, completely empty and that's completely enough. You show up, as you are, without judgment, without ridicule, without fear or violence, or policing, or containment. And you can be there and you're filled all the way up. So we get to choose our families. We are not limited by biology. We get to make ourselves, and we get to make our families." And, in short, that is all that Watervale is; it's a family that you choose. As a good friend of mine named Avery Kaplan once said, "it's the people, it's always been the people". And in its simplest terms, that's it. Watervale is a place where society is absent. Regardless of your social standing, economic status, or personal withholdings, everyone is equal. Each person is an individual, judged solely on the strength of their character, and the conviction of their person. Watervale offers a place of universal acceptance: whether you are working on yourself, finding a purpose, or you are perfectly content with who you are, you will find love and compassion that is incomparable to any place in the world. This past year has offered me true acceptance, and a real family. Over the course of the summer I gained eighteen wonderful brothers and sisters. Eighteen peers and mentors. Eighteen of the best friends I will ever have. I could not have asked for a better group. At every turn I felt truly accepted and appreciated, and I acknowledge how much of a gift that truly is at this time. All the late nights and early mornings. All the hard days of work and small moments between them. All the tears (there were a lot) and all the laughs (there were even more of these). Each moment, and each and every person that enabled them, will always be held deep in my heart. Thank you all for making this the best summer of my life. I love all of you more than I could ever explain. Just know that each and every one of you have impacted my life in immeasurable ways, and I love and appreciate all you are. Watervale is forever, and so are our staff memories. 5 stars incredible service.

Family. One word to describe the atmosphere around the marina. Highly recommend docking on your way…read morethrough, or rent a slip for the summer. Looking to salmon fish? There are multiple to choose from.

Trip was awesome! My son and I could not have asked for a more relaxed outing. Getting on the fish…read moreright away and staying busy the entire trip out. Captain Dave answered every possible question a 12 year old could have asked. It was our first time on Lake Michigan and we will definitely be back to go out with Tiny Bubbles again!

Dave and crew never disappoint. Fished 3 days and caught our limit - even got back to dock early…read moreeach day!

Bay Port Lodging was honestly a lot nicer than I expected! I'm not typically one to stay at a drive…read moreup motel but this was pretty decent. We booked just a couple weeks before Memorial Day weekend for just one night and we felt the price was fair, especially to split between 2 people. There was 2 full size beds, a tv, a mini fridge, and a couple other things available. Clean towels and clean bathroom. They also had a table and chairs right outside the door for some outdoor patio seating. I couldn't find any way to control the air conditioning, if the room even had any?, but we felt cool throughout the night anyways and slept well. Of course it's a little older but that's what you're gonna get in a small up north beach town. It got the job done for what we needed. It was within walking distance to town and we did not have any trouble parking on the property, right in front of our room. The women at the front desk was friendly when we checked in and provided us with the Wi-Fi password. The only real disturbance was a man parked next to us dumping opened cans of beer from his car, right next to our car and feet at 8am when we were leaving.. classy lol

Cosy. Rooms clean and nice. Beds comfy. Really nice people in office. Will stay here again…read more Frankfort is really cute and visitor friendly. Beautiful waterfront.

Portage Lake Motel is a charming, updated 1950's style motel. It has very clean and comfortable…read moreground floor level rooms. The "new" owners were very welcoming and accommodating, making sure that all of our needs were met. We thoroughly enjoyed the private beach with beach lounge chairs, a couple of fire pits and a smaller sand beach area. The mini frig, coffee maker and coffee pods were greatly appreciated. The was plenty of bath towels and toiletries. The bed was very comfortable. The next time we are in the area and are in need of accommodations, we will be staying at the Portable Lake Motel.

Cute motel in a wonderful town . Right across from the lake. Owner very nice and accommodating.read more

Asked Jim Barnes for barbecue fare that our son and daughter-in-law wanted for their rehearsal…read moredinner and he delivered! Our guests raved about the food. Even the last of the yummy cookies were fought over. Jim was easy to work with and kept to my budget. His assistant Marleen was our awesome server that night! Definitely recommend Crystal Lake Catering. Cathi and Jack Soullier

I've never contracted Jim and the CLCC crew myself, but I've attended weddings and other events…read morewhere they have catered, and the food is always top notch, as local as possible, and super yummy!

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay. The room was clean, well lit, very comfortable bed, nice amenities…read morelike recharging ports, refrigerator, coffee pot. Owner very accommodating. Would definitely come back.

Excellent stay Very comfy beds, high quality bedding…read more Clean and quiet at a great price Will stay again Mariada is the best!

No frills, budget friendly, very clean, centrally located, family run motel by Bear Lake…read more My wife and I stayed for two nights. The Inn is a great home base for visiting nearby Traverse city as well as Empire to enjoy the beautiful Sleeping Bear Dunes. The Inn itself is situated in a small town of only 500 people, friendly folks everywhere. There is a breakfast spot within walking distance called Lakeside Cafe. The Inn is owned and operated by a veteran and his wife, we arrived after 9pm on a Fri and the wife greeted us with a smile and gave us some info about local attractions. The room had two queen beds which were very comfortable. The room was spacious, very clean (in fact one of the cleanest hotels or motels I have stayed in), flat screen TV with numerous channels, reliable wifi, there is also a pool which can be used during the summer. The only cons are the Inn is located on highway 31, which although not a busy highway, you can hear cars during the day and night. Our room was the 2nd closest to the street but not all the rooms are the same distance to the road. For a little over $80 per night including the 11% tax from the state and city, this spot is very reasonable and comfortable.

A nice roadside motel! It is definitely dated but its exceptional maintenance makes up for it…read more Plush towels, comfy-ish beds, fridge in the room, and a pool! The grounds are clean and well maintained too! The "continental breakfast" is quite basic and might satisfy some but I just grabbed some fresh brewed coffee and did a full breakfast elsewhere.