My husband and I have been coming to the Tawas area every year for almost two decades. We had heard…read moreabout the Charity Island tour, and finally decided this is the year to do it! We're so glad we did. The experience involves a 60 minute boat trip to Charity Island, a brief trip through the woods, a lecture about the history of the island and its lighthouse, and dinner. The boat departs around 4 pm, and is timed to allow people to see the sunset on the way back to Brown's Landing (a few miles south of Tawas City). The boat is a converted fishing vessel that seats up to 35 people in folding chairs; there were about 25 of us on this trip. Our boat had a canopy (much appreciated, since it was threatening to rain). Once we got to the island, we were met by another boat that departed from another area. I noticed that boat didn't have a canopy, and felt a bit sorry for those folks. The ride over was exciting. I've spent very little time on boats, having spent much of my life in a landlocked city. The waves were up a bit, and the ride was, shall we say, bouncy. Grab ropes strung from the ceiling of the canopy allowed us to move around the boat. We were warmly welcomed by the captain and crew. Once the journey began, they provided soft drinks and cheese and crackers. We disembarked at the island, where we were offered the opportunity to walk the 1/4 mile through the woods to the lighthouse, or to ride in an open trailer. With the threatening rain, most of us opted for the ride. A word of advice: wear comfy shoes and bring bug spray. The mosquitoes on the island are relentless, and the terrain did not lend itself to one lady's cute (but utterly impractical) footwear. Also, bring a jacket. Even on warm days, the wind and the spray on the boat can make you shiver. One lady had a waterproof poncho--smart move. We got off the trailer and made our way to a lovely pavilion that was set up for dinner. The staff had place cards set up with our names on them. We sat with two delightful ladies, and very much enjoyed our time with them. Soft drinks and wine were offered as Mr. Wiltse, owner of part of the island, greeted us and gave a terrific presentation on the history of the island and the lighthouse keepers. His passion for the subject made him a sparkling speaker. I won't share his stories here, as I don't want to provide spoilers. Suffice it to say that this man has done a ton of research and has met some pretty interesting people along the way. Dinner was served, and the food was great. My husband and I both chose the steak, and our dinner companions chose the fish. Dinner came with hot, crusty bread, a perfectly cooked selection of vegetables, and red potatoes. The steak was tender and flavorful. The other ladies at our table sang the praises of the fish.The meal was served informally on disposable plates and with plastic wear. While initially I was put off by this, it later occurred to me that there were very few staff doing the work, and that dishwashing was probably not practical on an island that is completely off the grid. After dinner we toured the house and lighthouse. The house is currently occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Wiltse during the summers only. Accessing the island in the winter is very difficult. The tour started in the basement, where whale oil for the lighthouse light used to be stored. It continued through the main living area, and on to the upstairs bedrooms. The house is run off of energy generated from two large solar panels and a wind turbine. Batteries that store the energy are located in the basement. We were also able to go inside the actual lighthouse. It's clear that it needs a lot of work, but the original iron spiral stair way is still there and is sturdy as ever. Looking straight up from the bottom of the staircase induces a bit of vertigo, but is well worth it. After the tour of the house, some of us went to the tiny gift shop. It featured a selection of shirts and other Charity Island items. Of most interest was containers of honey (made from the bee hives that are on the island) and maple syrup made from the numerous maple trees that populate the island. Mr. Wiltse spent several days in February tapping the trees. Be sure to bring cash, though--they don't currently have the technology for credit cards. The rain returned in full force, delaying our return for about 20 minutes. We sat on the spacious front porch and watched the storm. It soon passed and we piled in the trailer for the return trip. The staff provided umbrellas for us. The trip back to Brown's Landing was rougher than our first. The lake was stirred up from the storms. The staff served cheesecake and soft drinks for dessert. Nearing our destination, we were greeted with a glorious sunset and a rainbow--a perfect ending to a fun and informative trip. Bottom line--if you have a chance to do this, do it. Experiences like this are way better than any souvenir.

From the owner: Our Signature "1857 Island Lighthouse Dining Adventure Cruise" to Charity Island beginning Saturday…read moreMay 28th will run every Weekend through the second Saturday in October. For the General Public we run every Friday, Saturday, & Sundays and typically have tour groups on weekdays with a General Public seats also available on those dates. Call for weekday availability.

You know some times you just have to do the kitchie tourist things. I can't count the number of…read moretimes, I have driven by and never thought about getting on this great relic of a boat. A hot Thursday afternoon in July needs a boat ride, doesn't it? And a boat with a snack bar, sodas and a few cocktails? Even better! The history of the boat, the bad pirate jokes and the opportunities to steer the boat were a lot of fun. P.S. while the music was appreciated, it's a little too loud for conversation with friends or the captain on the lower deck.

Enjoyed it immensely a few a few years back. Saw an eagle…read moreand Got a free bloody Mary. Good time

By sheer luck, we were able to snag a spot for Father's Day weekend. It wasn't just any spot, it…read morewas one of the few non-permanent spots with an unobstructed view of Tawas Bay/Lake Huron. We were able to hear the waves crashing and we basically had a private beach. You couldn't book online, but the person who helped us set up the reservation was very courteous. When we arrived with our camper, the manager actually rode his bike in front of us to guide us to our spot and helped my husband as he was backing up the camper so that the door would open right on the cement pad. It does come with an above ground half barrel firepit. We didn't use their facilities since we had full hookup (I'm pretty sure all the spots have full hookup). The playground, albeit small, was within view of our campsite so we were ok with letting the kids go play on it while we set up camp. And it looks like they have a boat onsite that you can charter out for fishing, but with just the 4 of us and 2 of us until the age of 7, it wouldn't have been a value add to the quality of our trip, especially since I was pretty familiar with the Tawas area and we were less than 10 minutes from downtown. If you're looking for a party campground, this isn't it. There are a lot of seasonal and permanent residents onsite, so weekend sites are hard to come by. My family enjoyed the experience so much, we plan on calling them early next year to try to get the same spot way in advance so we can go swimming from our own private beach again! Highly recommended.

We stayed here this past summer, 2013 and it was very quiet and serene. You would never know it was…read moretucked in the woods just off the main road. You were close to town, (Tawas), and the farmers market and all shopping. You had your own private beach and boat hook up. They even hosted a Chartered Dinner Cruise on the weekends. The sunrise was breathtaking and worth getting up early to see.

Great Customer Service! So Wonderful and Kind. Thank you Big Mike for letting us use your Canoe!read more

I would never use this Kayak and Canoe service again…read more "Big Mike" was completely unprofessional and tardy. My large family group rented more Kayaks than we brought and as "Big Mike" refused to transport them with his trailer (even though there was Plenty of Room) the starting process took almost an hour and a half in it's self. He seems to be a lazy and completely unreliable person. I highly suggest not using this service.

Beautiful Friendly…read moreNice new showers & bathrooms Great spot for a an overnight pit stop No bars or restaurants within walking distance

We just bought a brand new Crest pontoon boat from Jerrys Marine. Working with Terri and Jim was an…read moreabsolute pleasure. Their price point was incredibly competitive and their service was top notch. They delivered our pontoon to us (all the way in West Bloomfield) incredibly quickly so we could enjoy it in time for 4th of July weekend. They helped make everything happen. We are thrilled with our boat and couldn't recommend Jerry's Marina more! 5 star experience!!!

My family decided to rent a pontoon boat on a beautiful weekend. The boat was very clean, in…read morepristine condition, and had an amazing rate! The staff inside were very helpful and kind, and the owner made sure that we had an amazing time. There were two girls at the end of the dock who seemed to be cleaning boats, as well as filling gas, who were also very caring and kind. When we returned our boat, we unfortunately witnessed a rude customer, and the girls handled to situation with kindness and confidence. They most definitely did not deserve to be treated like that, as this business has surpassed all boat rentals that I have used in the past, in every aspect. I will most definitely be using Brian's Lakeside Marina again! 20/10 experience! Thank you so much! -The Debbie

We were in town for the week and Brain's was recommended to us for a pontoon rental. Great staff…read morevery knowledgeable and just all around NICE!!! They calmed my nerves as a first time boater and showed us the way around the lake for fishing/shallow areas to avoid. Would highly recommend!!! Great price-great service-clean boat!!!

A little pricier, yes, but it's because you're getting very nice, well kept pontoons and great…read morecustomer service. Next time I come up here I'm coming right back here.

Houghton Lake Matina has been awesome to work with. They have been their helping us countless…read moretimes. I wouldn't go anyplace else

3 out of 5 stars is the best I could give SunnyBunns for only one reason. Communication…read more Communication amongst employees seemed to be very poor & lousy. We rented a Pontoon boat on lovely Foote Damn Pond about 5-6 miles East if Oscoda. But getting to the boat was another story. Employees told us to go to old orchard campsite just a mile or two north of the boat launch at Foote Dam Pond. That campsite they told us to go to had closed barriers blocking road and not one sunnybunn employee was waiting in their pavilion where they told us to be at the right time. Okay that's not cool right? So we try calling sunnybuns phone number roughly 15 times and never got ahold of someone. Mind you they already took our money for the rental so it was our job apparently to find out what was going on? So I had to drive 8 miles back to town to their rental shack they have in town to actually talk to a employee. I did get greeted very politely young guy. I think he could tell I was upset but who wouldn't be after you paid $250 to rent a boat and they weren't where they said they'd be or answering their phone. He then admitted he gave us the wrong address To where the boat is actually launching from that day and said the boat is at the boat launch Just south of the campsite. He then stepped aside and made a phone call two his coworkers We then were told the owner had to leave so two younger adults/teenagers were waiting for us. So then we had to travel 6 miles back to the Foote Dam pond to the boat launch and we FINALLY found them. They seemed nice enough. I was just irritated with having to run around and find out what was going on. Not cool. I am a honest guy so I do have to review the positive of the trip too! After that headache finding out what the F was going on we were given a lovely pontoon boat for our 4 hour rental. Foote Dam pond is amazingly beautiful and huge! There could be a lot of boats out there but it's so big you don't have to worry about being super close to people and other boaters. We did on fact have a lovely time on the boat Tho. So final review is 2/5 maybe 3/5 only because of their communication and lack of information. The boat ran great and the pond we were on was amazing but Kinda wish I got a phone call back after leaving voicemails. Apology from the owner of the operation would've been nice but that's just what I would've done if I made someone go through that crap. If my friends/family was looking for a rental in Oscoda I honestly wouldn't tell my friends/family to go through them. But they might have a better experience than I had.

I rented an 18 seater pontoon and it was a fantastic experience. I expected it to be smaller but it…read morefit 18 people without any issues and the seats were comfortable and good quality. The young gentleman at the dock helped park when necessary and filled up the gas when needed. Came with a full tank of gas that lasted several rides over multiple days. There wasn't any extra rules or unexpected costs. I was happily surprised by the experience. Decent speakers and the radio supported Bluetooth. Just wish they had fishing electronics to locate those fish!

The Clear Lake Bar (The CLB) is everything you expect from an "Up North Bar" and more which is…read morefamily- friendly and it is across from the beautiful Clear Lake and hundreds of miles of ORV and Snowmobile trails. There are always snowmobiles, quads, side × sides parked out front. The owners Bob, Brent & Joe are extremely great hosts, and the entire staff are outstanding (You get a fresh drink in seconds flat) The food choices are from a big selection of appetizers, the best, pizza, 1/2 pound hamburgers, grinders, and wings to upscale dinner options, including fish, pasta and smoked meat. I'm not sure, but around 20 beer tapes, including one of my favorites (Amber Bock). A bonus is occasionally they have live entertainment and special events... Just 11 miles north of West Branch and close to St. Helen and Rose City

My family has frequented the Clear Lake Bar for probably more than 5 decades. It is the…read morequintessential Up North bar. Weekends can be busy, but it's busy for a reason. This is where you go when you are in the area. The current owners have made some updates and changes these past few years and all for the better. They even have their own named micro-brewed beer on tap. You gotta love a bar with knotty pine walls, cold PBR in cans, Kessler's behind the bar, and an ample supply of Cajun picked eggs for the late night snack.