Blog #2 Drummond Island!

My first destination that I'm going to share with you is to Drummond Island, in the UP. Drummond Island holds a special place in my heart because that's where I have spent my summers since I was 3. I am Indian and our tribe originates in Sault St. Marie, which is right near Drummond. We usually stop there to visit family and gamble at the casino near the reservation. My dad and grandparents have taken me on that 6 hour road trip more times then I can remember and I know that I have cherished every time. We stopped going as a family when my grandma passed away 9 years ago, but I still have those memories tucked away in my brain and often find myself looking back on them and smiling. We went there to fish, swim, take walks through the woods, and other outdoor activities. We would target shoot and ride quads through the woods. The first time I went, I may not remember, but my dad tells me stories of how truly obnoxious I was at 3 years old, in the car. I have a favorite story that he tells me and I ask him all of the time to retell it because it always puts a huge smile on my face. In his words, I was sitting in my car seat and I would not stop crying. I always called my pacifier a Nukabah (I have no clue why.) He said that I loved driving over the bridge with the windows down and that specific time I was very grumpy. He said that I kept throwing my "nukabah" out of the window and then screamed for it, wishing I had it back. He also added that they bought me several two packs of "nukabahs" throughout the trip and actually found it humorous that I was tossing them out of the window, repeatedly. 

Though we stopped going as a family, I have not stopped visiting my child hood vacation spot. My friend Miranda and her parents owned a cabin on the water, until they recently sold it. I went there to spend some time with friends and snowmobile. Trail riding there is absolutely beautiful and is also super entertaining. The locals actually built an outdoor ice skating rink, which I visit every time I am there. I think its the coolest thing because its outdoors and we don't really have anything like that here in Bay City. Also, we went there during spring to boat, fish, and hike through the woods. Usually, the water is freezing but is totally worth the mist of the boat ride to catch some fish and spend some quality time on the crystal clear waters. Although, its completely different without my grandma, I love that I still get to revisit my childhood and make more memories there. Drummond Island is such a small town, that everyone knows everyone and makes you feel like you are welcomed, no matter where you're from. Whenever I'm there, I try to take everything in and just breathe and embrace every second. I know that whenever I am there, my grandma is there with me and that's one of the many reasons I love it there. It helps me to feel close to her. The picture above, is my friend Miranda. The photo below is her mom, who owned the cabin.