#131  Doug Kuhn – Back to Book 3
 
     I have been known to say that I was born in March and on the Belvedere in June.  Each summer was spent in Charlevoix with my sisters, Janet and Maggie, as was my father’s, and my grandmother’s (Granny) before that.  My great grandfather, Albert Metzger, built the cottage beginning with plans drawn in 1914, and we’ve been there ever since.  Our children, Megan and Amy (fifth generation), are looking forward to many years in the red barn on the Belvedere, the footprint not having changed since building, and the good times continuing.
 
     Early memories include riding bikes across the Rustic Bridge, Capture the Flag and Spud games in gang at the Casino, “Sugar Beet, Two Mile and Home” sailing races, archery, tennis, and golf lessons, canoe trips (with tipovers) down the Jordan finishing with a jump off Rogers bridge.  We would spend the entire summer up on the Belvedere along with our friends. We had the gangs build a float for the Venetian boat parade, a whale complete with a working mouth and spout.  We won with “Have a “WHALE” of a time in Charlevoix!”
 
     One “Gang” trip in particular stands out.  We decided to picnic on Bisbee Point sailing there in the Rockets.  We had a good following wind and got there in good shape. We had our lunch, then started to reboard our anchored boats, however gale force westerly winds had come up, and our “anchors” (cement blocks) weren’t up to the task, nor were we able to tack into the wind.  Eventually all the boats ended up beached.  The sailing instructor, when we didn’t return on time and realizing our predicament, came out on the skiff and drug us all in, 2-3 hours past our due time, all the more wiser for the experience.
 
    A core group of kids spent the entire summer “up north” becoming lifelong friends. Buddies in Indianapolis had no idea of the allure until I would talk them into a visit—an “aha” moment.  The number of activities would bring out their inner FOMO, and they would wear themselves out trying to keep up.  Good friends from gang remain, and now have cottages of their own; Chris Payne, John Fox, Mary (Morris) Larimer, Richard (Dickie) Mueller, Peter Flanagan, Bobby Schrock (my gang leader), Tori (Tower) Folliard, Sunnie (Ware) Hellman, Steve Reese, Faith (McDonald) Campbell, Mike Meyer.
 
     New members to the Kuhn’s, as well as other families, were vetted by the membership.  Whether meeting at a party, during sports contests, at the beach, the light was always on the newbie.
 
     Trips to Beaver Island, Mackinaw Island, and Petoskey were on the list of things doing for the summer. I remember taking the train to Petoskey—-nothing like my great grandparents who took the train from Indianapolis to Chicago, a ferry to Ludington, then another train to the Belvedere stop, and with four kids!
 
     Changes through the years—new boathouses, new pier, golf course irrigation, Rustic Bridge destruction, hotel tear down, gazebo construction, new Kiddie Koop and lifeguard shack with bathrooms!  Even with those changes, I have correspondence from my great grandfather concerning money matters of the Belvedere, and the view....the issues remain the same today!