Glen Lake and Little Glen Lake are in northwestern lower-Michigan. We visited three summers in the mid 50’s. The first time, we drove there by driving north from Elm Grove, Wisconsin, entered Michigan, and took a boat between upper and lower Michigan (a 5-mile road over the water now exists).
Following that first year, we instead took the huge Car Ferry (named SS Badger) from Milwaukee to Ludington (about six hours), and then drove north an hour and a half to Glen Lake. One time, there were heavy waves; my sisters and I stood near the outdoor front of the boat, the wave would hit, and we would hide ourselves beneath the side of the boat to avoid the flying water.
One year, while we were crossing Lake Michigan on SS Badger, I glanced at four women playing bridge. After the cards were dealt, one woman would take her 13 cards, and hold them so that her partner could see her cards. After a few seconds she would fold her cards and hold them properly so that her partner (and her two opponents) could no longer see her cards. Classic cheating.
We would stay at Glen Lake for a week or ten days in a rented cabin, which was owned by Tom House and his family. The lake was famously “cold and clear.”
I learned to sail (using small, home-made boats). Sara also learned to sail, but at first could only sail down-wind; to return to our pier, she walked along the edge of the lake with the sailboat rope in-hand.
Early some mornings, dad took one or two of us fishing. Dad made some fishing poles, using a small piece of wood and black string. We could see down to our worms into the clear water, and caught some perch.
One night the moon had a partial eclipse, and we sat with some friends in a small boat to watch it.
There were two baby birds which we tried to keep alive. Two little boys came to our cabin, and said, “The bird is dead.” We buried them in a box, and jointly grieved.
Other kids visited our cabin during a day of heavy rain, and we played a wonderful, simple card game called “spoons.”
We walked down the road to a small store; we bought candy and snacks.
Huge sand dunes (Sleeping Bear Dunes) were adjacent to Little Glen Lake, and they extended for miles before ending at Lake Michigan. Walking up those huge dunes was exhausting.
Our friends from Elm Grove, the Hauters, had a permanent house on the other side of Glen Lake. We visited them a few times (and our parents visited them at Christmas time). One summer, dad had rented a boat with a 2-horse-power engine, and was ridiculed by the Hauters, since they had a big, powerful boat.
One winter we also visited Glen Lake during Christmas vacation. I had hurt one knee, but Ann and Sara skied locally. My main duty was to get wood for our indoor fireplace, and thus keep the family warm.
