I can't say enough about Jim and his team at Arcadia Marine. Over a holiday weekend (Fourth of…read moreJuly) my wife and I experienced significant engine trouble on a trip from Northern Michigan and ended up limping into Frankfort on one engine. Many phone calls were made to look for repairs. Due to the holiday weekend there were no available technicians until after the holiday (3 full days)....Until I got ahold of Jim.... He was very honest about not being a diesel tech but would be happy to look at boat. Jim came out ON the Fourth July to diagnose the issue. He was able to identify the issue and with the help of a diesel expert they were confident they could perform the repair. Jim moved the boat (on one engine) down from Frankfort to his Marina in Arcadia and tied it up in is ONLY hoist well. Jim and his team (Peter and Art) worked on the boat tirelessly....14+ hours a day. He kept me in the loop during the whole project. The boat was ready two days after the 4th. My wife and finished up our boat trip back to Grand Haven with a perfectly running boat. Jim's team took pride in all aspects of their work, not only the actual repair but they kept our boat protected and clean through this extremely messy repair.....lots of oil and engine coolant involved. Again, Jim and his team at Arcadia Marine are professional, personable, and a dedicated team. You will not go wrong with this group. Thanks Again for the professional service!!!!

Captain Todd and First mate Mike were great hosts on a clean and well run boat! We limited out on…read moreLake trout and caught a nice 22lb. King as well. My sons and I highly recommend this boat and crew!

My husband, 10 year old son, and I had a wonderful time fishing with Captain Todd and First Mate,…read moreAustin. We targeted King Salmon, & my son, who was afraid to let go of the seat on the boat at first, ended up reeling in 4 big fish by himself...altogether we caught more Salmon than our freezer will hold! (apparently this was not even what Captain Todd considers a big catch!) We stayed out later than promised and caught a gorgeous sunset as well as quite a few extra fish. Captain Todd and Austin cleaned them all for us so they were ready for our midnight meal. I wouldn't look anywhere else for charter fishing in Northwest MI! We are guaranteed to be back out on the boat with Captain Todd next time we're in Traverse City!

Renters BEWARE!!!! I would not recommend renting the Aspen cabin from Jeff with Crystal Adventures!…read moreWe had a horrible experience at this cabin. Upon arrival, we discovered a lady bug/beetle infestation. The dishes in the kitchen cabinets were dirty and also had beetles on them. The kitchen is also not a full kitchen as advertised. of the two bedrooms, one of them does not have heat, and the other one has a hidden baseboard heater which you are not made aware of. This resulted in us sleeping without heat before the first night. The bathrooms are absolutely filthy. Only 2 of us (out of 6 people) showered the entire weekend as the showers were very unclean. We had dog hair in the sheets of our bed. We realize mistakes can happen with cleaners so tried to work with the property owner, Jeff in hopes of working something out and issuing a partial refund for everything we encountered last weekend. He was very unprofessional and left us no choice but to contact AirBNB for help. After seeing our photos and videos, they agreed that we deserved a partial refund. I just wanted to help inform others to avoid renting from Crystal Adventures at all costs! It was a very unfortunate situation for our family.

The staff at Crystal Adventures were very friendly and helpful. They helped us get our canoes and…read morekayaks into the river and explained what to expect (portages/timing etc.). The river was just beautiful and less busy than others in the area. In hindsight I wish we had each gotten our own kayaks instead of doubling up in canoes as the river is tricky to navigate in the larger sized vessel at times. I'll definitely come back to Crystal Adventures.

Stayed here in July with my two kids. Friendly front desk, comfy beds, nice strong AC in Cabin 9…read more I've stayed in lots of cabin places like this, in this price range, and this was by FAR the cleanest. It was small and basic but had everything we needed. Towels were actually fluffy! The pool was an excellent bonus. Seriously though, the cabin was so spotless I think they must have done updates recently. And the location was convenient to a few places to eat and an easy drive to Sleeping Bear Dunes. I don't fish but they seemed to have a nice set up and it's right on the river.

I recently spent a week at Betsie Riverside Resort, a charming escape nestled alongside a tranquil…read moreriver. The cabins and facilities are undoubtedly the highlights of this place. Each cabin is well-maintained, offering cozy interiors that perfectly complement the serene natural surroundings. The resort's attention to detail is evident, with clean and comfortable accommodations that provide a genuine sense of relaxation. The communal areas, including the indoor pool/spa, playground, and fire pits make for a perfect family getaway. However, it's worth noting a few aspects that potential visitors might want to consider. The owners are quite vigilant, with surveillance cameras placed throughout the property. While this does contribute to a sense of security, it feels intrusive, particularly if you're looking for a more laid-back and private getaway. The owners make it no secret they actively watch the cameras and will provide real-time feedback of guest's activities. The owners also have extreme cleaning requirements for checkout. If you do not meet these requirements they will send you a followup email containing details and pictures of your transgressions. For example, there is an unwritten expectation to clean the toilet before leaving even though a toilet brush is not provided. I have never encountered such expectations at other resorts, vacation rentals, or hotels. Additionally, the owners have a clear preference for individual cabin rentals. Large groups and children are discouraged, which might be a consideration if you're planning a family vacation, reunion, or a group trip. This focus on maintaining a serene environment may not suit everyone's vacation plans. However, if you're a retiree looking to go fishing or kayaking this is your place. This was our second summer at the resort and will be our last. Our family group rented 6 cabins, some traveling from out of state. Our group ranged from grandparents to young kids. We are a fairly quiet group that doesn't "party", nor do we stay up late. We did our best to stay out of other guests way and share the communal areas. The owners made us feel like a bother and unwelcome during our stay. We cleaned up after ourselves and cleaned the cabins before we left. Even still, we received emails after our stay indicating toilets were not cleaned and a couple of crumbs were left on a counter. While I can appreciate the owners' high standards for cleaning and grounds maintenance, they do not have enough staff to maintain those standards and instead push the responsibility onto their guests. Overall, Betsie Riverside Resort is a lovely destination for those seeking a peaceful retreat in well-kept surroundings. Just be mindful of the owners' preferences, expectations, and the presence of active security camera monitoring if you're looking for a more relaxed and private experience.

Riley and Mark are great to work with. We love the Pine River and seeing this crew every summer. It…read morewas fun paddling the river after the flood this year! Our daughter also enjoyed her cool new shirt to show off while we went from Lincoln to Dobson (~3 hrs).

We rented an e-bike from Ethan and partner (wife). Super cool people. He cut us a little slack on…read morereturning the bike after hours. They helped us load out and we biked an amazing trail between Empire and Glen Arbor that was dazzling. Highly recommend these peeps.

Coastline recently tuned up my bike. They did a fantastic job! It has never run so well!read more

It's a beautiful place to visit, but just be very careful if there are high winds, waves or storms…read morecoming in. This USCG rescue happened Tuesday September 7, 2021: A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crew rescued two fishermen who were stranded on the Frankfort Pier in Lake Michigan overnight. UpNorthLive.com reports the two men went out on the pier to go fishing on Tuesday night, but strong wind gusts and high waves rolled in, making it too dangerous to leave the pier. They ended up staying overnight hoping conditions would calm down, but eventually called the Benzie County Sheriff's Office for help. https://www.mlive.com/news/2021/09/fishermen-rescued-by-uscg-helicopter-after-spending-night-stranded-on-lake-michigan-pier.html

One of my all-time favorite spots to pier-jump because one side of the pier is super protected from…read morethe wind and waves, it's plenty deep, you have lots of company, everybody cheers the rest of the group on and so many et ceteras. It doesn't hurt that every time I pier-dive there people are totally wowed by my back dive, even though it really isn't that snazzy a trick (I saw a guy do a gainer flip off there this week -- now THAT'S brave). On our recent visit, the water was Caribbean clear on the calm side of the pier, and we had the best time watching the fish and oohing and aahing at the beautifully rippled sand beneath us. This is also a stellar spot to watch the sunset, to lie down on at night and watch the stars, and it's adjacent to the most awesome beach in Michigan (although glass is prohibited, alcohol isn't, and they even have a dog-run area where pooches can play off-leash). It's all a big bunch of "la" (my favorite joy-word), if you ask me!

My friends and I were supposed to go to a music festival out of the state last fall but of course…read moreplans changed, so we decided to book a camping weekend at Orchard Beach State Park instead. Located in Manistee, there is plenty to do nearby but unfortunately the weather was pretty rainy for most of the weekend we were there. The access to the beach was closed due to erosion but there are other beaches available. Checking in was easy and there is onsite ice and firewood for sale. The host site was awesome with lots of books for use and a whiteboard with local info. Our site had water and electric hookup, so we were tucked in amongst several RVs and motor homes. The campground was very quiet, which was nice! The restroom facilities were clean and functional, although one had a small set of stairs leading into the actual bathroom area which made it not so accessible. We were on spot 95, which is right near the highway. We knew this going in and could see from the photos that it didn't look that close. Well, it was pretty close, and very loud with road noise. This wasn't a big deal for us but if noise bothers you I'd skip this part of the campground. Another thing to note is that some of the sites hold water when it's been raining, so maybe not the best for tent camping. Our site seemed ok but it was mostly dirt so it did get a little muddy. Nothing too terrible, though. Overall we enjoyed our stay but this definitely wasn't my favorite of the state parks we've visited or camped at. There is a nice lookout point over the lake that made for some nice photos, and getting into town was easy.

Small compared to other state parks across Michigan, but a stunning state park nonetheless located…read moreon bluffs above Lake Michigan! The campground is wonderful and we really loved that it was one that was more underrated and less trafficked. We had a prime camping spot with an uninterrupted view of the lake and even though the weather we had during this weekend wasn't the best, we made do with cozy time in the tent, did a hike through the state park that was lovely and well maintained, and explored the nearby downtown of Manistee, of which Orchard Beach State Park is located just 5-10 minutes north! A wonderful weekend and state park in my books!