Start your island day on the mainland, at Cheboygan's State Street Coffee Company (211 W. State St., 231-597-9575) for a cappuccino and croissant. Buy a bag of roasted cashews for the ferry trip to Bois Blanc Island, a quiet Lake Huron hideaway only eight miles away. The Plaunt family has run their Plaunt Transportation passenger ferries out of Cheboygan for more than 75 years (412 Water St., 888-PLAUNTS). Take your car across if you wish—reservations required—or book passage for your bike. There are no rentals in Cheboygan or on the island.

On the 40-minute trip over, set your sights on the freighters plying the Straits, and a glorious view of the Mackinac Bridge.

Debark and set out: The winding dirt shore road that circles the secluded 12-by-6-mile island is a flat and easy bet for biking. The speed limit on the island is 25 miles per hour everywhere—a blessing for bikers—but still watch for cars wending around the bends.

Three miles east of the ferry docks, find Bob-Lo Tavern (231-634-7100) for chef-owner Barb Schlund's spicy dill pickle spears and a Bob-Lo Burger, topped with shredded slow-cooked ham. Before an island treat of fried ice cream anointed in Kahlua, sneak in a round of shuffleboard on the vintage board in the bar.

Another mile east, take a dip at the beach between Rosie Point and Snake Island. Locals named it Snow Beach, as it's one of the only sandy;not rocky shores on the island. Dry out in the sun before circling back the way you came past the island woods filled with chicory, ferns, Queen Anne's lace and black-eyed Susans. End up at Hawk's Landing (231-634-7375), a restaurant, gas station and general store within sight of the ferry docks. Pick up some Bois Blanc paraphernalia and a treat (owner Missy fixes fine apple pies, strawberry shortcake and banana splits to meet the whims of the islanders), then head to your ferry home. Most days the last ferry from the island leaves at 5 p.m. and the Plaunt family runs a tight ship.

MyNorth.com, the vacation site of the North, is refreshed daily by the staff of Traverse, Northern Michigan's Magazine. Deborah Wyatt Fellows is editor-in-chief.

By Elizabeth Edwards with permission from MyNorth.com.

Whether you come by air or sea, Beaver Island's 60 square miles of beautiful terra firma beg exploring. The quiet back roads that wend out of Beaver's only hub, the village of St. James, lend themselves to mountain biking (fat tires are a must for the island's miles of clay-gravel roads). Bring your own bike, or stop by Lakesports' Paradise Bay Gifts and rent one (231-448-2166). Once your wheels are turning, set your sights on the picturesque 46-foot Beaver Head Light on the island's south end. There, you'll climb the circular wrought-iron staircase for a big blue lake vista. You might turn around before you make it the full 18 miles (remember, you'll need to ride back to St. James to catch your ride to the mainland). That's okay, the spectacular tapestry of forest, rocky shoreline and dune beaches you pass along the way are a destination unto themselves.

Stoke up for your ride at Dalwhinnie Bakery and Deli (231-448-2736), where everything from the bread to the bear claws are homemade. Pack along a ham and cheddar on cheese bread for a beach picnic. As you head south on King's Highway, take a moment to stop into the Old Mormon Print Shop Museum  (231-448-2254) to learn about this island's rich history—and why the road is called King's Highway. (Hint: Beaver Island once had a king.) Pick up Elizabeth Whitney Williams's book Child of the Sea. The author grew up at the Beaver Head Lighthouse in the 19th century. Now get pedaling. You'll want time to lounge on the beach by the lighthouse and let Williams's book make this beautiful spot come alive.

Getting to Beaver Island: The 32-mile flight over Lake Michigan from Charlevoix is less than a half hour (Island Airways, 800-524-6895; Fresh Air Aviation, 888-359-7448). The ferry the Emerald Isle takes two hours (888-446-4095), but the payoff for the extra time is freshwater spray on your face. For island lodging info contact the Beaver Island Chamber of Commerce  (231-448-2505).

MyNorth.com, the vacation site of the North, is refreshed daily by the staff of Traverse, Northern Michigan's Magazine. Deborah Wyatt Fellows is editor-in-chief.

There's much to be said for the traditional shoreline ride around Mackinac Island  (877-847-0086). Lake Shore Boulevard, the eight-mile main loop, is, after all, Michigan’s only state highway that’s absolutely automobile free. But bikers can also steal away into the forest for quiet trails. Just be prepared for some heart-pumping hills.

For a woodsy escape, ride up the center of the island, past Fort Mackinac, to Garrison Road. Be ready to pop the kickstand and ramble around historic sites; along the way, you'll come across old stone-walled Protestant and Catholic cemeteries, Skull Cave and the battlefield-turned-golf course, Wawashkamo. Garrison Road dead-ends at Lake Shore Boulevard, where you’re treated to a panorama of the spectacular five-mile Mackinac Bridge  that links Michigan' Lower and Upper Peninsulas.

Pedal along toward the island' southwest lobe to spot some of Mackinac Island's most famous features. Arch Rock, a stand of fragile brecciated limestone, is instantly recognizable and a popular photo-op. Several winding bike trails and carriage roads, most of them paved, lead back to another famous limestone tower: the pockmarked and craggy Sugar Loaf, a ritual burial site of the island's early Native American inhabitants, juts up 75 feet into the air at a horseshoe in the pathway.

QUICK BITE: Try Mary' Bistro  for relaxed dining at the west end of Mackinac Island's historic downtown. Think chicken potpies, and sirloin with horseradish sauce and grilled bananas. Grab a seat on the back patio to watch the rooster-tailed ferries zip in and out of the harbor. 906-847-9911.

YOU SHOULD KNOW: Established as a national park in 1875 (second only to Yellowstone), Mackinac Island State Park  became Michigan's first state park in 1895. Eighty percent of the island is still parkland.

MyNorth.com, the vacation site of the North, is refreshed daily by the staff of Traverse, Northern Michigan's Magazine. Deborah Wyatt Fellows is editor-in-chief.

Before our mountain bike ride along Ocqueoc Falls Pathway, we walked over to take a look at the cascade itself, one of only two natural waterfalls in the Lower Peninsula. From the parking lot off M-68, it’s a short stroll to this series of rock ledges where the Ocqueoc River quickly descends six feet.

Ocqueoc Falls is not Tahquamenon Falls by any stretch of the imagination. It’s not even what my son, Michael, remembered.

“It looks small,” he said.

“Well, it’s the middle of the summer,” I said, “and you’ve grown.”

Michael was first here as a 5-year-old tyke who viewed the rushing current from a different perspective, about three feet closer to the ground. The pathway is a six-mile loop with two crossover spurs, and we hiked the first loop that day, a three-mile walk that ended with him on my shoulders.

Now, 15 years later, we were back with our mountain bikes, and this time I wasn’t worried about my son finishing the ride on his own. He’s taller than I am, and as a mountain bike route, Ocqueoc Falls is a fairly easy outing.

The trail is a wide, firm single track, the riding non-technical, and the terrain level, with the exception of a few gentle slopes. This makes the state forest pathway ideal for young riders or, in our case, older ones who like to ride as much for the forested scenery as a spirited workout.

From the trailhead in the parking lot, we began our ride like we did our hike, following the pathway in a counter-clockwise direction to save the best for last. Within a few minutes we climbed a low ridge and then followed the pathway along the edge of it for the next two miles.

This is casual cycling, mountain biking so mellow that you spend more time viewing the river and the high hills that encase it to the west than the trail in front.

Eventually, we descended off the ridge, crossed the Little Ocqueoc River and, for a couple of miles, meandered between open meadows and small pockets of woods. At post number four the trail swings sharply to the west and emerges at the banks of the Ocqueoc River. For the first time since we jumped on our bikes, we stopped pedaling.

We were hardly tired. But the idea of sitting on the riverbank, watching the current roll along without a soul around, was too inviting to pass up. There are times when we ride to work up a sweat and times when we ride to slow down.

The final two miles of the pathway is perhaps one of the most scenic stretches for mountain biking in the Lower Peninsula. Here, the trail hugs the Ocqueoc, sometimes dipping down to the water itself but mostly skirting a high riverbank. Near the end we came to a junction with one trail curving back to the parking lot and the other heading straight.

We continued straight and ended this casual ride at Ocqueoc Falls, where we took an extended break, not knowing how long it might be before we were back here again.

Ocqueoc Falls Pathway: Is a 6-mile loop with two crossover spurs that form shorter loops of 5 and 3 miles in length. The pathway is open to hikers and mountain bikers.  Easy to moderate in difficulty. No fees. For more info., call Gaylord Dept. of Natural Resources at (989) 732-3541. To get to trail from Rogers City on M-23, head west on M-68 to reach the trailhead parking lot (12 miles).

Jim DuFresne is a Clarkston-based author of more than a dozen guidebooks. His newest title is “Backpacking In Michigan” (University of Michigan Press).

Michigan BLUE magazine is "Michigan's Lakestyle Magazine" and is published bi-monthly by Gemini Publications.  Lisa Jensen is the editor.