(Sittin' On) Donegal Bay

On the northwest corner of Beaver Island - which sits about a two-hour ferry ride off the northwest corner of Michigan's Lower Peninsula - you'll find Donegal Bay. Half a world away, on the northwest corner of Ireland, you'll also find Donegal Bay. We'll assume there's a connection.

Anyway, the Donegal Bay that's closer to home for folks in Michigan is a hidden gem, with a sandy beach that stretches out and looks out across Lake Michigan at High Island. The water seems a different shade of blue than what you find elsewhere around the state, and the sea floor is shallow and sandy. 

To find it, drive to Charlevoix and hop on the Beaver Island Boat Company ferry. Watching the island gradually appear over the horizon is a highlight. And as you swing into Saint James Harbor, you'll feel like you visited a different part of the world. But not Ireland. As for that other Donegal Bay, we didn't go to that one. Dave hasn't been to either.