Whitehall, MI - (our homeport for now)
by Dave and Judy Jones
We spent three seasons at
the Whitehall Municipal Marina before moving on. Situated at the east end of White Lake, just north of the
hustle of Grand Haven, Whitehall and Montague (just over the bridge) are both
very small towns. Montague likes
to think of itself as the “better half” but there is not much to choose between
them. The attraction of stopping
here is the quiet and well-protected lake.
To the south and north of
the channel into the Lake are good anchoring locations and you can tuck in
fairly close to shore for protection. There are no real points of interest if you dinghy ashore here other
than the White Lake Lighthouse which is open to the public and worth
seeing. The Lake is well buoyed to
its east end and it is well to stay in the marked channel as the lake shoals
quickly. Heavy weed covers much of
the south side of the Lake. There
are only short “no wake” zones at each end of the lake for those that want to
“open it up” (unless you are over 40 feet where the speed limit is 8 kts).
There are several private
marinas but the only transient slips are at the Whitehall Municipal Marina,
with a limited number at White Lake Moorings (formerly Moxie Marine),
Crosswinds, and Whitehall Landings. Best facilities as of writing are at the Municipal with good bathrooms,
well-protected docks and a great location within the park. (White Lake Moorings is going through
some major upgrades and it may be worth checking it out)
Whitehall has a very small
downtown with limited stores. Check out Pitkin Drug Store, a local landmark (if they don’t sell it,
it’s probably not being made any more). Good hardware store just east of Pitkin. Just north of the first traffic
light is the Harborview Restaurant overlooking the river mouth (or at least a
lot of reeds). Recently re-opened,
the restaurant has an excellent chef and the prices are very reasonable. The only other restaurant we would recommend
is Sam’s Bistro, a short walk east along Colby St. Breakfast choices are limited with Sam’s doing breakfast at
the weekend and Gary’s a good walk east on Colby. There are a couple of restaurants near the Municipal, Scales
(recently re-opened) and Whitehall Landings – check for current
ratings.
The Howmet Playhouse, a
short walk from the Marina, is the center for the area’s arts events hosting a
variety of Michigan musical groups during its the fall and spring seasons, and
a summer fine arts festival. Usually has a summer stock program. Check out Pekadill’s, deli and ice
cream nearby.
Montague has several
attractions for boaters - a supermarket and a small marine store, both just
over the bridge, and a canvas shop. Also check out Dog-N-Suds by the bridge for excellent
hot dogs and root beer. Another
block north is the “World’s Largest Weathervane,” a local landmark. You have to have your photograph taken
under it! Montague has more
antique (used loosely) shops per capita than anywhere we have been but good to
browse. The Book Nook and
Java Shop on Ferry Street is worth a visit with casual seating, good coffee and
an interesting magazine selection (they had a copy of American Tugboat!!). Also have a selection of used books at
good prices. At the weekends they often
have live music.
At the corner of Ferry is a
small gallery with local artists.
One of the main attractions
in the area is the Hart-Montague Rail Trail, a 25-mile paved bike trail
beginning at the Whitehall Library and ending in Hart. It can be accessed just opposite the park behind the “For
Sale’ bowling alley. The Trail was
one of the things that attracted us to the area when we had our sailboat. When the weather didn’t favor sailing,
we rode our bikes. The trail
is well graded, and easy riding, passing through a few small West Michigan
towns, but is mainly in woods and open countryside. For the more adventurous, there is a good ride along the
south side of White Lake to Duck Lake on the shore of Lake MI, where there is a
popular beach.
During the summer months,
both Whitehall and Montague hold a number of weekend festivals including a
wooden boat, car, and art shows. Montague has a Saturday Farmer’s Market on the left after crossing the
bridge.
If you kayak, a trip up the
White River can be a pleasant way to spend a sunny afternoon. The river winds its way inland with very few straights and has both open and wooded sections. There water is fairly shallow (3-4’)
and the current is weak so paddling either way is easy. Watch for bald eagles, as there are
several nesting on the river. If
the lake levels are up, you can dinghy up the river for several miles if you watch
out for the shallow areas.