After many profitable years on Big Bay de Noc, he wishes to thank the employees, vendors and guests who brought the resort to life.

Johnson, who grew up in Escanaba, said he loved the Great Lakes and worked as a lifeguard at the municipal beach before moving to Colorado for work. Then while in the area for a class reunion, he was inspired to buy a plot of land in Nahma formerly owned by American Playground.

In 1997, Johnson became the owner of what is now the No-Nah-Ma Resort — a whimsical play on the name of the town, which comes from the Ojibwe term for “sturgeon.” The land was developed into a resort with cabins, campground and rentals of personal watercrafts, paddle boards, canoes, kayaks and bikes.

Longtime employees were Mary LaVigne, Jeannie Kennedy and Paula Brown, all of whom provided great customer service and local knowledge of the history to all the guests and tourists who passed through in the summer months, Johnson said. They handled daily operations and “saw to the customers and vendors and campers and all,” he said.

Carl Johnson and daughters Brit and Allie enjoy a summer at No-Nah-Ma Resort. Families have camped and boated at the destination on Big Bay de Noc in Nahma for years. (Photo courtesy of Carl Johnson)

Johnson, his wife Kay and daughters Brittany and Allie spent the summer months in the area. During their yearly time at Nahma, they helped to develop new services, amenities and products.

“Mary, Jeannie and Paula loved the resort and enjoyed the six to seven months of employment and the owner miles away,” said Johnson, who continues to work at an accounting firm in Colorado, living there about four months of the year and traveling when he can. “Also, Bob Miron was a local contractor who helped the staff fix almost anything on the resort. (He was) a shy local and would stay in the background of operations. We all miss Bob Miron, who passed away in a resident’s home fire a few years back.”

Local happenings that stood out during the No-Nah-Ma Resort’s 28 years in business were the fall of the historic saw mill burner, the destruction of the Eagles Nest golf course by high water and a large fire that took multiple buildings from the original lumbering days, Johnson said.

Now, “It’s time to pass on the business to others,” Johnson said.

Earlier this year, he sold the property to Max Constantino, who reportedly enjoyed the resort for years as a child with his family.

Johnson hopes Constantino will carry on his dream of providing good memories on the land that had previously been used by the Bay de Noquet Lumber Company and then the playground company, both of whom, at different points in time, owned the entire town.