About Us
We are excited and proud to be the new owners of Borchers on the beautiful Au Sable River.
Abigail grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana and first came to Borchers as a teenager with her parents who came yearly to the Au Sable River. She journeyed further north to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan where she earned a degree from Lake Superior State University. After college, Abigail landed a job in the exciting world of insurance. Logging nearly 20 years in the industry, she will continue her role as a Senior Underwriter working remotely from Grayling.
Justin, a native of Charlevoix, took the long road to Grayling and didn’t discover the natural beauty of the Au Sable River until later in life. One of the first trips Justin and Abigail took as a married couple was to Borchers. Here Abigail renewed her love for the Au Sable River and Justin fell in love with not only the Au Sable, but Cheri’s famous Borcher Pie.
Justin proudly served his country in the United States Marine Corps. After being honorably discharged, Justin completed his education at Indiana University – Fort Wayne and embarked on his teaching career which ended in the spring of 2021 when he and Abigail purchased Borchers.
Our goal is to continue the long-standing traditions that Mark & Cheri have built over their 30-years of ownership. We hope to inspire future generations to love and respect the river as we have. We look forward to meeting returning guests and welcoming new ones. And as you enter the B&B, look up…our wish is that you “enter as strangers, leave as friends”.
Thank you from Mark and Cheri
Thank you for 30 years of great memories.
It was a hard decision, but at this stage of our life, (being 29 plus years of age), we needed to think about the next phase of our lives.
We purchased Borchers on Christmas Eve 1991 and finalized our recent transactions on Christmas eve 2021. It has been an eventful and cherished 30 years!
Our personal and professional goal was to provide a family atmosphere both on the river and at the lodge. For our paddling public, we provided an experience to instill respect for the resource and a love of the outdoors. For our B&B guests, we provided a clean, comfortable facility to allow relaxation and an opportunity to renew family ties, friendships, and sense of self. We surrounded ourselves with handpicked staffers who embraced and presented exceptional customer service. We are extremely proud of our Borchers history.
We are delighted that past guests became the new owners. Justin & Abigail will write the next chapter in the Borchers story. We feel that they will continue the goals that we have lived by for 30 years and add a fresh perspective to the operation.
Borchers was a way of life for us. Guests, staffers, and business associates have enriched our lives.
We have joked for years that we were here through the witness protection program, well, our cover has been blown and we must move on.
We plan to stay in the area, but it is time for us to do a little exploring in the world and to spend more time with our kids and our three grandkids. Mark will continue his “real job” for a little while longer and Cheri is going to have a support role on Justin & Abigail’s team for the 2022 paddling season.
We thank you all for the wonderful memories, the laughter, and the friendships. We look forward to dropping in at the campfire or for a cup of coffee from time to time and hearing about the adventures that originated for all of you from this little piece of property on “the river”.
We wish you the best of everything!
Mark & Cheri
About Us
Thank you for visiting our website!
We took ownership of Borchers on Christmas Eve 1991. We had no idea how close the acquisition was to a package under the tree, would the contents be a good fit or would this be headed for the re-gift pile? As we approach three decades at Borchers, we like to think it is a match made in heaven.
We were high-school sweethearts, married young, and had two sons. We both enjoyed camping, canoeing, and the Grayling area.
We were not looking for a business, but when we discovered Borchers, we found the location and anticipated lifestyle charming.
Cheri’s parents were looking for a retirement opportunity and so with parents and sons, we brought three generations of our family to Grayling to provide river and lodging service to generations of guests.
Our sons have moved on to dreams of their own.
Our oldest son is an officer in the Merchant Marine and travels on bodies of water larger than the AuSable River.
Our youngest son and his family live in Lake Tahoe. He works with Achieve Tahoe continuing the family tradition of providing outdoor recreation.
We have three grandchildren who love the outdoors and we can’t wait to share trips down river with them. Our goal is to provide a family atmosphere both on the river and at our lodge. For the paddling public, we hope to provide an experience that will instill respect for the resource and a love of the outdoors. For our B&B guests, we provide a clean, comfortable facility to allow relaxation and an opportunity to renew family ties, friendships, and sense of self. We surround ourselves with handpicked staffers who embrace and present exceptional customer service. We are extremely proud of our team.
Borchers has become a way of life for us. Guests, staffers, and business associates have enriched our lives.
We may tell you, tongue in cheek, that we are here through the witness protection program, but it is through the most fortuitous happenstance that we live on this river and help create memories for ourselves and our guests!
We have made wonderful friendships. A gift from one favorite couple hangs over our door and sums up our feelings for our guests, “Enter as strangers, Leave as friends.” We still find a little time for a shared love of history, movies and for travel adventures of our own in the off season. Walks on the Rayburn property are still a family favorite.
Thanks for taking the time to learn a little bit about us.
Come and see us and let us learn a little bit about you!