And in the moments that followed, Lake Huron's water rushed in to fill the gouges. Of course, it was the claws of an Ice Age glacier that formed these islands, not those of a bear. And the result of this geologic violence produced one of the most fascinating and varied places of protected waters in the Great Lakes, perfect for small boats, fishing and sheer enjoyment of the outdoors. In spring, its trees draw birds migrating north from South and Central America. To the visitor, Les Cheneaux is a place of cerulean waters plaited with island strips dark with pine and cedar.
Human fishers stalk the waters.
It is more like Michigan of times gone by. Restaurants are called Cheryl's and Pammi Jean's rather than Burger King. It's a haven for wooden boats People can still be found here who work with their hands. Men like Bruce Patrick, whose family dates back to the late 1870s, can actually build wooden boats, beautiful boats with lines that have ballerina-like grace. Bending steamed wood to just the right shape, he can build boats from scratch or reconstruct a family's backyard embarrassment into a floating heirloom.