Chateau Aeronautique Winery & Blue Skies Brewery | Take flight in Onsted with Michigan-made beer and wine

A drive down Michigan Avenue through the Irish Hills these days offers a steady parade of shuttered reminders that this place isn’t what it used to be. Remember the Prehistoric Forest, go-cart tracks, stagecoach and all the rest of the attractions that were Irish Hills destinations? They’re gone now, their scattered remains sometimes still standing among tall grass.

It’s nice, then, to stumble across something that represents progress in the Irish Hills. The Chateau Aeronautique Winery & Blue Skies Brewery sits just off the main strip where Pentecost Highway leads south toward Sand Lake. It’s a different clientele than those who once flocked to the nearby putt-putt golf course, but these are changing times. The winery and brewery represent one of the region’s newest attractions, with a long menu of wines made from Michigan-grown grapes, Michigan-made beers, and a patio stage that puts tribute bands in the spotlight nearly weekend of the year. For food, the selection is notably thin, headlined by pizza and calzones. But it was never about food at Chateau Aeronautique Winery and Blue Skies Brewery – it’s all about the drink.

The business was started in owner Lorenzo Lizarralde’s Jackson County airplane hangar. That humble start led to a wine tasting room in Jackson, then the winery/brewery in Onsted, and eventually a third location in Auburn Hills. The entire operation celebrates Lorenzo’s pilot past, perhaps no other feature more than the bar top in the Irish Hills. It was once the wing of an airplane that crashed in Colorado. Lorenzo salvaged it, brought it here, and now his staff serves flights of house-crafted beers and wines on it.

It's a great example of repurposing something that no longer fulfills its original purpose. Now, what to do with those Prehistoric Forest leftovers?

Hidden Lake Gardens | Pick a day to go green in a quiet corner of the Irish Hills

Odd that one of the first things to jump out should be a little black plastic tag, only because it’s followed immediately by another. And another. And then a hundred more or maybe a thousand more or who knows how many, they’re everywhere. There are no shortage of wonders as you slow roll through Hidden Lake Gardens near Tipton, Michigan - one being the massive collection of plant life that lives there, and another being how meticulously every species is labeled.

Hidden Lake Gardens is a 755-acre spread that lets visitors enjoy a winding drive along a six-mile one-way drive that carves through forests and fields and over hills, winding its way around – you guessed it, Hidden Lake – surrounded by every type of tree, plant or flower fit to survive in Michigan. Those that can’t hack it have a home in the multi-domed conservatory, where visitors can wander the walkways and get up close to plants that thrive in tropical and arid climates.

Once gifted to Michigan State University by original owner, visionary and Adrian businessman Harry Fee, Hidden Lake is managed by the MSU Horticulture Department. It’s a constantly evolving landscape, what Mr. Fee envisioned to be “a dream as you go development.” Hikers can leave their cars and take on one of many curated trails for a walk through the woods. And in the fall of 2022, MSU is planning to add a Canopy Walk, which will take explorers 700 feet high for a spectacular view of the entire grounds.

Hidden Lake Gardens is located on the north side of M-50 just west of Tipton, which is just west of Tecumseh. It’s the best 5 bucks you’ll spend all year.

Lake Hudson | Dark skies and wandering waters in Lenawee County

Usually only the larger lakes get this type of naming treatment. Lake Michigan. Lake Superior. Even Lake St. Claire. You know, the big ones. It’s not a rule set in stone, but that’s usually how it works.

Venture inland, “lake” typically moves to the back end of the name. Higgins Lake. Devils Lake. You get it. They’re out there by the hundreds across Michigan, and more often than not, the name comes first, and “lake” follows.

Then you stumble upon this 500-acre lake wandering like an ink splatter just north of the Ohio border in Lenawee County. Lake Hudson? Did you mean Hudson Lake? Where the hell am I? Funny you should ask, because it won’t be the first time. You slow-glide across these no-wake waters and just when you thought you’ve seen all of it, another small opening leading to another of its tucked-away corners pops up, and on you go, around another corner where another fishing boat has found another hole to snag another bluegill. Or yellow perch. Or muskie.

This lake is chock full of them, part of the Lake Hudson State Recreation Area, a Designated Dark Sky Preserve that spreads out over nearly 2,800 acres and includes a rustic campground, picnic areas, beach and boat launch. The area is protected against light pollution, and on summer nights you’re likely to find stargazers scattered about. 

At the center of it all is this lake, where outdoorsmen gather year-round. In the fall, don’t let the sound of gunfire from across the lake startle you. It’s just some hunters bobbing around in yet another hidden corner, separated by one of the many jagged peninsulas that jut out.

The unusual shape can be explained by the story that tells how this all started. Years ago, there were three different lakes – Bear Lake, Covell Lake and Claire Lake – connected by Bear Creek. When the creek was dammed on the southern edge, the water swelled and swallowed up all three. Presto! Hudson Lake – umm, Lake Hudson – was born.

One day we may even see all of it.