MUSKEGON, Mich. — There's a certain calm that comes over Muskegon Lake. The water is still, the only smells that linger are sunblock and boat exhaust, and the birds chirp happily overhead.
But one newlywed couple is making waves there on the weekends.
Megan Ward and Isaiah Kinney have done a lot in their first year of marriage. They got married, moved, adopted a second dog and started a small business.
The two own Ice Cream Afloat, a pink pontoon boat that travels around West Michigan, selling classic ice cream on the water. It's the first-of-its-kind for the area.
“You have ice cream trucks, but what about the people that are out boating all day?” questioned Isaiah.
Softly playing over the hum of their motor, customers flock like seagulls when they hear the ice cream truck music on the loud speaker.
“The best part is, we get a lot of funny looks," said Isaiah. “You can’t drive a truck on the lake, I guess a boat with ice cream is the next best thing."
“You get the kids screaming for ice cream, the adults waving us down, honking their horns, it’s a lot of fun," he said.
Megan, a former high school teacher of nine years, was ready for a change when they made the move to Michigan.
“It's all of the fun parts of hanging out with kids, essentially, none of the hard parts that also come along with being a classroom setting.”
But she says it's meant for kid-like adults, too.
“You can see the the child come out in every adult when they see an ice cream boat," laughed Megan, “You see the smiles and people reminiscing on ice cream trucks.”
Aside from captaining the boat, Isaiah has quite the day job, too.
“I'm a pop tart maker," he smiled.
During the week, he works long days at the Kellogg's factory in Wyoming, making the batter used to create pop tarts.
On the weekends, the two-person crew is making a surprising splash in the market.
"Once we got up here and realized that there really weren't any food boats in the area, we thought it would work pretty well," said Megan. "From the research that we've done looking at other ice cream boats, most of them are on coastal cities or more southern."
After moving from West Virginia, their dream wouldn’t stay frozen long.
"It was a whirlwind of very rash, rash decisions," said Megan. “But they all worked.”
It was a leap they said they don't regret in the least.
“I get to spend all day on the boat and I get to sell ice cream and make everyone's day. It definitely makes it worth it," said Isaiah.
Now, the couple can’t make it 20 feet without docking for a new customer.
Maybe there’s just something in the water. Or maybe, their customers recognize what it looks like when hope floats.
"Having somebody to do it with I think makes all the difference," smiled Megan, looking to her husband.
Ice Cream Afloat visits bodies of water all over West Michigan. You can see where they’ll be next by checking their Facebook page here.
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