Travel

Saugatuck noted for fall beauty from the water

If you were asked to name the top spots to see fall colors from a Michigan lake or river, you could probably come up with dozens of top-notch suggestions.

Well, Discovery Boating lists a single Michigan location – Saugatuck – as among the eight top spots in the country to view fall foliage from the water. “With spectacular views from the water of tree-lined hillsides, dunes and Lake Michigan sunsets, this is the perfect spot to take in the autumn’s hues,” Discover Boating says about Saugatuck.

While I don’t disagree with that choice, I might have chosen a different Michigan waterway – like the Au Sable River as it winds east toward Oscoda and Lake Huron, creating a ravine though thick woods. It’s simply breathtaking from a canoe – or from the road, for that matter.

Discover Boating’s other choices are equally interesting (they were actually selected by a network of boating experts), and most of the locations are in the eastern United States. They are:

Bar Harbor, Maine

Lake Chelan, Washington

Lake George, New York

Lake Jocassee, South Carolina

Lake Monroe, Indiana

Lake Tahoe, California

Lake Tellico, Tennessee

“If you’ve ever taken to the water during fall, you know it’s a magical experience ” the warm sun bouncing light off of the water and trees create a spectacle like no other,” says Carl Blackwell, a spokesman for Discover Boating, the promotional arm of the National Marine Manufacturers Association. “We believe we’ve found the best-of-the-best with our ‘top eight’ fall foliage destinations so grab your family and friends and make plans to share the experience of autumn from a boat.”

Not a bad idea.

Greg Tasker
Greg Tasker is a Detroit News assistant business editor who has been writing about travel for more than a decade. His travel stories have appeared in AAA Living, Frommer's Budget Travel, Scouting, AMC Outdoors, Vermont Life and Island Life.

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