The Chelsea Standard
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Local residents offers 'family' hospitality
PUBLISHED: April 10, 2008
Bonnie Papin and husband Ron own Papins Resort on Drummond Island. Bonnie recently participated in a Q&A with Heritage Editor Terry Jacoby.
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Q. How long have you lived on Drummond Island?
A. We have lived on Drummond Island since 1988. We first moved to the Upper Peninsula in 1985 and lived in DeTour Village because we couldn't find a house on Drummond Island right away.
It was August and school was about to start. We moved from a small little town called Black River, Mich., which is about 20 miles south of Alpena. Ron was a logger and the opportunity looked good.
Q. What is it like living on Drummond Island?
A. It's great living on Drummond Island. The schools are small and personal. There are two grades to a room in the elementary school. The kids loved growing up at the resort and they made a lot of friends from year to year. We have watched a lot of kids grow up coming here because we have a lot of repeat customers. Many people that come here come back every year.
Q. What is it like raising a family on Drummond Island?
A. I think it is the perfect place to raise a family. Two of our kids still live, work and have families in this area.
Q. What are some of the advantages and disadvantages to living on the island?
A. The small town atmosphere is a major plus. A disadvantage might be the fact that you plan your time off the island with the ferry schedule. It is a bummer when you miss the ferry. It runs every hour if not more during the summer so it's usually not a problem.
Q. When did you first get into the cabin renting business?
A. We bought the resort in April of 1988. There were six little cabins here and an old cement block bait house.
Q. What makes Papins special?
A. I would say it's the family atmosphere here. We are friendly and love to accommodate people. I figure a lot of people are only going on a weeks vacation once a year and it needs to be special every time.
Q. You build almost everything by hand, including the kitchen tables, lamps, decks, etc. How long have you and Ron been builders?
A. We have been building our own log cabins/homes for almost 20 years now. We also build for other people. For the last couple of years we have pretty much turned the building for other people over to our daughter and son-in-law. We mainly just keep them supplied with the building material.
Q. What are some things people can do on Drummond Island?
A. There are a lot of things to do here. There is boating, fishing, hiking, canoeing, kayaking, hunting, biking, snowmobiling and more.
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