Port Washington, Wisconsin

 August 26, 2021  Port Washington, Wisconsin

Nice little town with an actual downtown!  There are quite a few pre-Civil war buildings, making for interesting walks through town.  Dominating the skyline over the town is a beautiful steeple on the top of a very heavily wooded hill – from the bottom, where the downtown and the marina are, you can only see the steeple.  On our evening walk, we did find a very long staircase that leads to the church, but we were not in the mood to climb it!  Also on the top of that hill is a lighthouse that was built in 1860. 

As we were securing the boat after arriving, a man standing there was interested in where we are from, where we left from, etc.  He is originally from Grand Rapids, so was happy to talk to some Michiganders.  He recommended a restaurant, fairly new, called The Steerage.  He said it’s the best food in town.  Well, we went there and had a lovely dinner, cocktails, appetizer, and dessert for $61 – quite a bargain these days.  And, the food was delicious.  The owner came around and actually was our waiter. 

The next morning, I took advantage of the cooler weather and went on a walk.  Climbed a pretty long hill looking at some nice homes with porches, then realized I was on the level with the beautiful church and lighthouse.  So, I walked over and got some nice pictures!

Next stop, McKinley Marina in Milwaukee, where the fuel prices are the cheapest around!  Looking forward to 3 days in this large city exploring and seeing interesting things!

Sheyboygan, Wisconsin

 August 25, 2001   Sheboygan, WI

Loved our time in Sheboygan!  The marina was top notch – nicest facilities we’ve seen.  Huge restrooms and showers, swimming pool and hot tub.  Marina was in a park, with lots of opportunities to walk.  Right in that park was the very interesting recovered wreck from a 100 year old boat!  Gave us non-divers a chance to see the remains, walk through and see the structure. 

My favorite walk was through an older neighborhood with some really lovely homes, many with large front porches.  Dan and I rode our bikes around the first night, exploring the area around the Sheboygan River.  We found only one restaurant open, a barbeque and pizza place that was really hoppng.  Enjoyed some beverages and a dinner.

A local couple, who are Loopers but not on their boat right now (lucky us!} are not technically Harbor Hosts, but certainly functioned in that capacity.  Rich drove us all over town, showing us the various areas and relating some history and local color.  He drove us to the grocery store for a much needed provisioning.  The next morning, we were scheduled for a Kohler factory tour that started at 8:00.  Rich volunteered to pick us up at 7:30 and drive us there and back – what a hero!  That evening, he and Sue met us at our boat for some before dinner drinks.  That afternoon, some other Loopers arrived, and they joined us for the drinks.  They were three brothers, who bought a boat together and are doing the Loop.  Lots of fun conversation.  Amazingly, Rich and Sue were desperate to find a marina or dock space near Ft. Myers at Christmas time.  One of the brothers has a home with an 80 foot dock in Cape Coral, very near Ft. Myers.  Their dock will be unused at that time, so Rich and Sue, plus their traveling buddy boat can stay there!  What a fortuitous meeting!  After drinks, Rich, Sue, Dan, and I went out for a Mexican dinner.

Next stop Port Washington.

Manitowoc, Wisconsin

Kewaunee, Wisconsin

Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, last stop on the Door Peninsula

 August 12, 2021 Sturgeon Bay

All the towns we have visited so far in Wisconsin have been on Green Bay.  To get to the town of Sturgeon Bay, we had to leave Green Bay, enter Sturgeon Bay, go under two bridges.  The marina we picked is the same astounding price as all the other Wisconsin marinas so far.  This is a small marina that has very recently been bought by Bay Marine.  It is fairly small, but the dock is fine, the bathrooms and laundry are fine.  Very quiet here – no dock employees on site, but we have met some of the boat owners and everyone is friendly. 

We were excited that the Antique Boat Show was being held while we are here – just a few blocks away at the Maritime Museum.    What fun to see some beautiful old boats.  One event that spanned the two days was a contest, where participants are given 3 sheets of plywood and some marine sealant.  They are to build their boat on site.  They are timed.  On Sunday, each boat is launched with 2 people, with the goal to (1) stay afloat!, and (2) to paddle around two buoys.  So fun.  Some boats never made it away from the dock.  Some made it a little ways, then either broke apart or filled with water.  The Coast Guard had a boat entry, and the two Coasties came out wearing dinosaur costumes.  They finished the course.  An interesting entrant had built their “boat”, which was actually a box, in one hour.  They got lots of points for such a speedy construction.  But, their speed in completing the course was very slow.  These two women had actually won the contest in other years, as ungainly and ugly as their ‘boat’ was!  The winner, a carpenter and his wife, built a canoe with nice lines.  It took them 2.5 hours to build it, but their speed around the course was very fast. 

Some of these people compete every year.  The canoe won first place this year.

Sturgeon Bay has an active downtown, with a number of good restaurants.  We enjoyed putzing through some of the shops, had a couple of meals.  We had the best pizza in a while at Sonny’s, which is right by one of the bridges across the Bay.

Leaving Sturgeon Bay, the city, via Sturgeon Bay.  Years ago, a canal was dredged that connects Sturgeon Bay into Lake Michigan.  It makes a great shortcut from Green Bay into the big Lake. 

Next stop is Kewaunee, a small town on Lake Michigan.

 

 

Egg Harbor, Wisconsin

 

August 10, 2021  Egg Harbor    

Another charming harbor and town on the Door Peninsula.  Again, the harbor was down at the bottom of a steep hill.  The town has a lovely harborside park that covers the hillside.  There are cool scultures, benches (situated to enjoy the sunset), beautiful gardens.  One night we were there, there was live music in the park that we could hear from our boat.  I took a walk and found a nice nature trail that took me down the road to the public beach.  Again, a steep hill down to the water, with beautiful sculptures, gardens, and benches down the hill.  The beach was nice, and several families were enjoying the warm water and lovely day.  On my walk back into town, I went directly east and connected with a different road that went into town.  On that road was a woman’s gallery with interesting jewelry, a lovely church (St. John the Baptist Catholic), an old filling station (now a shop, but restored to its former self with gas pumps), a distillery, a brewery.  A couple we had met on Washington Island, Joy and Mike Wissing, were there for one night.  We also met another looper guy briefly, since he left the next morning.

Fish Creek, Wisconsin...on down the Door Peninsula

 

Fish Creek, August 10 thru 11

After only a two hour cruise, we arrived in Fish Creek.  Another charming little town – flowers everywhere, lovely homes, nice beaches with families playing.

One “requirement” in Fish Creek is to attend a ‘fish boil’ at Peletiers Restaurant.  So, we did!  Didn’t sound appetizing to us, ‘boiling fish’??  But, first, it was quite a show!  A large crowd, about 50 people, all gathered around a huge pot boiling on a fire.  The cook shoveled in some salt, and last, some corn.  At a prescribed time (?) he threw some kerosene on the fire and WHOOSH, the fire went really big, then came down again.  Everyone went to his/her table to be served.  Second point, the meal was delicious!  Fish, probably white fish or cod, potatoes, corn, a small sweet onion, plus bread.  It was surprisingly very very good!  Maybe it just means that you can put lots of salt and butter on most anything, and it tastes good!

Sister Bay, Wisconsin

 

Sister Bay, Wisconsin   August 8 through 10

Wow, what a difference!  Although the marina slip cost the same, the marina couldn’t have been more different. The marina itself had beautiful landscaping, good and solid docks, and professional dock attendants to help us land our boat (in a pretty narrow slip in a really strong wind!).  The whole town had amazing flower gardens throughout.  I may have overworked my phone camera!

One fun sight was the Al Johnson restaurant that had grass roof.  Several white goats are in residence, during the day, on the roof! 

Our new friends, Joy and Larry, arrived the day after we did.  Joy and I went on a nice walk to do some shopping – a part of which was up a VERY steep hill!  They left after only one night, so we bid them luck as they transitioned to a different style of travel.  Larry has some problems with his back, and handling the chores relating to boating are just too much for him now.  They are putting the boat up for sale and will be traveling on roads now, in their Allegra bus – a pretty nice way of traveling!

Another couple we met in Sister Bay are fellow Loopers, Angel and Scott.  They had just arrived from Washington Island before us!  They had been at a different marina on Washington Island.  It’s always fun to encounter other folks who are on this Loop journey.  Many experiences and plans are shared and enjoyed together.  We had dinner with them as well as breakfast the next morning!  We never lacked for something to talk about!  Their boat is about the same age as ours, and they have encountered many of the same issues we find on our boat.  Scott seems to be about as knowledgeable as Dan on ways to fix things, so they had a real comfortable time relating boat stories.

Washington Island, Wisconsin (bye, Michigan, for now!)

 

Washington Island, Wisconsin  August 6 through August 8, 2021

For our first Wisconsin stop, we went to Kap’s Marina on Washington Island.  The price per foot for the marina slip was close to twice what we had been paying for all the Michigan marinas.  Naturally, I expected to find a pristine, luxurious, beautiful marina.  Nothing could be further from the truth!  Kap’s Marina has seen better days.  Only a few slips, grass (weeds) unkempt, dirt or gravel walkways.  The restrooms were fine, at least.  We were appalled, frankly!  There was a restaurant right at the marina.  Dan stopped in and decided to buy 2 of their cinnamon buns – price was $9.50!!  Yikes, they were pretty proud of their pastry!

After our initial reaction, we talked to some people from the Looper Forum to get some perspective.  The Michigan harbors were all largely funded by the State taxes, have mostly all been redone, with excellent docks, facilities, and the price was about $61 per night.  Wisconsin marinas are on their own to finance their operations.  Paying over $120 per night for a marina that was so lacking was irksome.  But, the people who owned the marina were very nice.  And, once we looked around the island, we could see the charm of the island.

There are only about 175 people who live on the island year round.  The island’s total industry is tourism.  Ferries come constantly from nearby Wisconsin ports,  at times adding 1,000 people a day!  Many just come for the day, and they enjoy renting jeeps, bikes, kayaks,  for exploring the 10 mile long island. 

We were docked beside a Coast Guard boat, and the “Coasties” were housed just across the road.  Dan and one of them had a very involved conversation about Dan’s career with the SEALs.  I enjoyed watching these young men, young enough to be my grandsons!

We met a couple from another dock (Joy and Larry Wissing), and hit it off nicely.  We enjoyed conversations with them and had dinner with them at the restaurant.  They aren’t “Loopers”, just fellow boaters with plenty to talk about.

Fayette and Escanaba

 

Fayette, July 18

Fayette is on the western side of the Garden Peninsula, which projects south into Lake Michigan. The entrance to the harbor for Fayette was marked by a large red buoy with a bell.  Without that, it would be easy to cruise right by!  To me, it didn’t look like much of an entrance, certainly not like there was a harbor there big enough for a few boats.  But, it’s a nice little harbor, marked on the north entrance by high white cliffs – beautiful.  There are only about a dozen slips, about half that would accommodate our boat.  There is nothing in Fayette except for an abandoned town, which the state has made into a state park.  It was interesting to walk around the existing buildings and read about the history of the place.  There was a lovely walking trail that takes you around the point where we entered and back to the marina.  I use the term “marina” very lightly – no offices, no facilities at all.  Well, that’s not true – there were pit toilets nearby.  We were told the showers and toilets are in the campground, a faiarly short distance away.  We are pretty self contained, so we had no need to look for them.

 

Escanaba, July 20 through August 4, 2021

Our last stop on the Upper Peninsula is Escanaba, a very old town with an interesting history.  The plan was to spend a couple of days in Escanaba, then leave the boat there while we traveled home for a two week visit.  Our truck was in Cheboygan, about a 3-1/2 hour drive from Escanaba.  No rental cars were available.  The solution was a one way rental of a 10 foot UHaul truck from Escanaba to Cheboygan!  From Cheboygan, we simply drove our truck home, about a six hour drive.  I was trying to figure out how we were to return to the boat.  We didn’t want to drive one of our vehicles to Escanaba, because we have no plans to return there.  Turns out, Escanaba has a commercial airport, with flights from Detroit!  Problem solved.

The marina in Escanaba was very nice, located right in the middle of a large park on the waterfront.  The marina had about a dozen bikes that were free for use.  We found one restaurant for breakfast, the Swedish Pantry, which had delicious Swedish pancakes served with lingonberry sauce, imported from Sweden.  The other favorite feature of the town was a wonderful grocery store, Elmer’s, which is being run by the third generation of the family.

On one bike trip to Elmer’s I decided to stop to take a picture of a beautiful church.  On the opposite side of the street was another building which was labeled the Art Center.  There were several interesting sculptures outside, and the outside of the building had interesting decorations.  The front had a marquis for a theatre entrance.  Inside, there was a very nice photo exhibit from local folks entitled “The New Normal”.  The photographers captured images that, for them, represented some of what they had experienced or learned during this past year and a half of the pandemic.  This building had been built from the same stone as the church, and had been the gymnasium and theatre for the church school which no longer exists.  It is run by a non profit, and is free for visitors.  The theatre is active, with plays by a local group.  Charming place!

On our last morning in Escanaba, I had a conversation with a couple who appeared to be about our age.  They had a boat similar in size to the Kittiwake.  I related to them our cruising plans, that we are on “The Great Loop”.  They were unfamiliar with the Loop.  The man asked me, “So, you just left the Detroit area and cruised up here?”  He seemed incredulous.  I explained that, actually, we bought the boat in Virginia and brought it up here!  His response was something like “So, you just bought the boat and thoughtlessly took her on the water?”  He asked me 2 or 3 times if anything bad had happened to us.   I stated and reiterated that, no, nothing bad has happened!  He said, “Well, with those 2 big diesel engines, you could get some bad fuel…but, I guess you probably have some good filters.” 

Dan and I don’t really think that what we have undertaken on this adventure is foolhardy or really even very daring.  But, people like that gentleman feel just the opposite.  He and his wife have probably never left their ‘home waters’ where they are comfortable and knowledgeable of everything in that environment.  Hurray for me and Dan – we are having the time of our lives!

Manistique!

 

July 18, 2021, Manistique

We spent one night in Manistique, and as is our habit, we strolled into town to see what’s what.  Turns out their downtown is about 2 blocks long, and the choice of dining is 3 pubs, 1 Chinese, and 1 pizza spot.  We ate at Marley’s,  an old pub.  They had a sign out front “cudigi 10.95”.  We asked what that was and were told it is pronounced koo-di-gee, and it is a sausage patty with sautéed onions and mushrooms, covered by a ragu sauce.  We passed on it, but later wished we had tried it!   We asked the waitress about the origin of the dish, and she did not know.  So, I asked my friend, Google.  Cudighi (yes, they had misspelled it!) is a sausage that originally came from Italy, and is mainly served in Michigan’s U.P.  The sausage recipe calls for garlic, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg…very different. 

After our dinner, we stopped at another pub, called Wheaton’s.  They absolutely know about cudighi!  This bar was friendly, comfortable, and had some cool t-shirts.  One, had the shape of the U.P. and “The drunker half”. My favorite t-shirt said on the back “Two Yoopers left a bar….yes, it could happen!”

We met a couple, Charlotte and David, who were in the marina in their beautiful Hinkley boat, the Henry A.  They are also going to Fayette tomorrow.  There is nothing in Fayette but the preserved deserted town, which we did see on a road trip 10 years ago.

Beaver Island!

 

Beaver Island, July 17/18, 2021

We arrived in Beaver Island around 1:00.  Absolutely perfect weather, 70’s, sunny, no wind.  This is our second time anchoring out.  There were only a couple of sailboats and one other boat of our size in the harbor when we let out our anchor.  By 4:00, several other boats had arrived.  The harbor wasn’t crowded, and we were glad of that!  Dan had a nap, Gena read and had a conversation with Laura.  Around 5:00, we dropped the dinghy in the water and cruised around the harbor.  There was a dinghy dock by the one marina, so we left it there, and walked over to have diner.

Beside the south marina, there was a huge sculpture.  It was a globe, about 8 feet in diameter.  Made of iron, all rusted, the surface was composed of hundreds (thousands?) or hands, each with a cutout of encouraging, positive words.  Quite impressive!  We were told that a guy, last name of Alton, had brought the sculpture here from “Burning Man” in Nevada.  Alton was one of the main players in the design of the ‘town’ and the utilities serving it.  The town was created in the desert from absolutely nothing!  The globe has a winch that allows it to be raised a few inches, and on weekends they build a fire inside.  I would love to have seen that!

After dinner, we ‘dinked’ around a bit more, looked for a place to leave it by the other marina, where there is a small market – no deal.  All docks were private or only for registered boats.  We didn’t want to beach it, with our new motor! So, we went back to our boat for a lovely quiet evening.  In the morning, the water was as still as could be.  We were in 20 feet of water, and we could look right down to the bottom.  Beautiful!  We had to get on with our travels, but it would have been nice to spend some time ‘dinking’ around or swimming off the beaches or our swim platform.  Next time!

Today, Saturday, we are cruising to Manistique on the UP mainland.  Once again, we’ve only allotted one night there.  But, we’ll see what we are able in the time we have.

Hessel and Les Cheneaux Islands

 

July 7 – Hessel and Les Cheneaux Islands

We pulled into Hessel in a pretty stiff wind.  We were being blown off the dock, and it was all we could do, with the marina staff, to get tied up securely.  Our boat was a bit long for their docks, so our swim platform was not accessible.  It was a bit tricky to get off and on the boat, but we managed fine. 

Hessel is a really small town – they have 2 churches, a Post Office, a boat works where they also sell really good ice cream (!), one small store that sells breakfast and lunch sandwiches (and ice cream!).  There was another restaurant, but it has closed.  We had planned only one night there, but the weather wasn’t good for cruising – wet and windy.  After our third night, the weather was cooperative, so we were able to try this anchoring out thing again.  Government Bay has been recommended by several people for a good anchoring spot. 

Long story short – Government Bay is truly a little slice of heaven.  Sheltered from winds, deep water – this experience was totally different than our first.  We were able to launch our dinghy with the new motor and try it out.  We cruised all over the bay, had a conversation with the folks on one boat.  What a beautiful spot, weather that was perfect, a good night’s rest was had by all!

Next stop is Mackinaw City – nothing much to recommend there, but the marina is good, and it is a good stop to set us up for a long day’s cruise to Petoskey.  We’ll only stay in Mac City for one night.  We want to arrive in Petoskey on Sunday, then stay for 3 nights.  Those days in Petoskey look like they might be a bit wet….

Mackinac Island!

 

June 9,  2021

We cruised the short distance from Cheboygan, Michigan, to Mackinac Island.  I’ve always wanted to visit the island during their Lilac Festival.  I’m not disappointed!  There are literally lilacs everywhere – you can smell them on the street – they almost drown out the horse manure!  So lovely to be here.  The marina is right across the road from a huge house (I think now a hotel) that had a fire recently.  I took a picture – they are already doing major work to restore the beautiful building.  The weather is just perfect – cool at night, in the 70’s and possibly 80 during the day.  Sun is shining  - we couldn’t ask for better weather. 

We had a delicious sandwich in the Watercolor Café right next to the marina.  We strolled all over the downtown area, just browsing.  We will load up on some famous fudge before we leave.  We also thought it would be fun to buy a little t-shirt for our soon-to-be-born grandson in California.  Can’t wait to see him and cuddle him.  David and Tori (parents) are planning to have a wedding in the early Fall.  Baby boy will be born in July.

Thursday, June 10, 2021

We had a bit of an adventure today!  My favorite thing to do is ride my bike around the island.  These shots are from various spots on that ride.  

The road washed out on the back side of the island, and extensive repairs are underway.  The detour was rumored to be 1 mile (think Gilligan’s Island "a 3 hour tour!").  The turn that should have ended the detour and taken us back down to the main road was blocked.  So, the detour turned out to be more like 4 miles on a road with good surface, but a bit up and down.  So, we ended up at Arch Rock, almost back to town.  In order to get back down to the road as soon as possible, we took the shortest route, which involved over 200 wooden steps...yikes.  Both of us did ok, so pat on the back for both of us oldsters!

 

We stopped at Mission Pointe on the way back for a refreshing libation…The bar was not in the sun, and was in the wind.  Yikes!  We were chatting with the friendly, charming bar tender from Jamaica, and I jokingly asked if he had blankets for his guests.  Turns out he did!  He brought out two very warm blankets that we enjoyed while we finished our drink.  Amazing what you get when you ask!

 

We got back to the boat, looking forward to warming up out of the wind.  Our boat was rocking and rolling in the slip like we haven’t seen in a while.  We tightened up some lines, repositioned some fenders and settled down to rock and roll!

 

Petoskey - beautiful town!

 

Petoskey – pretty wonderful place!  July 11 thru 16, 2021

We ended up spending a total of 5 nights in Petoskey because of weather.  That wasn’t much of a problem, because we really enjoyed Petoskey.  We’ve been here before, both by road and on the boat.  Petoskey has done an excellent job of preserving and repurposing very old buildings for a classic downtown.  Lots of shops, restaurants, pubs – they all seem to be thriving these days, thankfully!   The marina is in the middle of a large and beautifully maintained park, and is connected to a greenway that runs along the river.  

The setting for Petoskey is stunning – at the south end of a large bay.  We saw some magnificent sunsets.  We sampled several restaurants.  The most unique, and my favorite experience, was “The Back Lot”.  It was actually a back lot encircled by food trucks with picnic tables in the middle.  I imagine the ‘brick and mortar’ restaurants aren’t in love with the idea, but their customers love it!

On Friday, we headed to Beaver Island, about a 5 hour cruise away.  We were there last year, so we saw what is available on the island at that time.  We plan on only one night there, so we will anchor out tonight in their harbor.  Tomorrow, Saturday, we will cruise another 4-5 hours to Manistique on the Upper Peninsula.  Once again, we will spend only one night there.  I would love to do more exploring of the area, but we have what is known in our boating world as a dangerous situation – a SCHEDULE!!  Yikes.  We have to be in Escanaba  by next Wednesday.  We have a UHaul truck reserved for that day, and we will drop it off in Cheboygan where we will reclaim our truck for a drive home. 

After our one night in Manistique, we will be in Fayette for another one-night stay.  Fayette is an interesting place – it is actually more of a museum than an active town.  We toured the town/museum a few years ago on a road trip.

to get to Petoskey, of course, we had to go under the Mighty Mac

Petoskey's marina is lovely, with this great clock tower

never tired of the sunsets!

our dock in Petoskey

loved the murals!

enjoying another sunset from atop the hill!

another great mural downtown!

Start of Cruising Season 2021!

 

Mid May, 2021

The Kittiwake was scheduled to be splashed (put back in the water) on May 19.  We were pretty excited.  During our time at home, we had accumulated quite a pile of items that needed to go to the boat.  Included in that pile were a number of projects that Captain Dan wanted to get done.  We moved back onto the boat on the 19^th, and just took her right up the river about ½ mile to slips that the city of Cheboygan manages.  They are in perfect position for us, since we can park the truck right by the boat.

We spent the rest of the month cleaning, organizing, working on the projects.  Home for the Memorial Day holiday, to be there for various events (think grandchildren games and meets) and medical appointments.  While at home, we accumulated more ‘boat stuff’, as usual.  One project that is all me is sewing new Sunbrella covers for our flybridge chairs and for the Garmin.  We lost one chair cover and the Garmin in some high wind last season.  I got the material, the thread, and needle needed for the machine.  Got the fabric cut and ready, then discovered the sewing machine needed one part.  The part will be coming to us in Cheboygan, so the sewing will happen on the boat.

Some notes about Cheboygan.  Having spent some time there last Fall and again this year, we find that we really like this small town.  There are several restaurants that we have enjoyed.  One in particular, the Nauti Bar, is owned by a couple, Brian and Sharon, who are fun to visit.  They are boat people, too, so we have that in common.  The town seems to be having a bit of a renaissance, with some new businesses, some art work, twice weekly Farmer’s Market.  There is even an “antique” store – I use the term loosely.  If your grandma had an extreme hoarding problem, her house would like this shop.  Oh my goodness, just as a matter of course, we went through one day.  My opinion is that there is not one thing in there worth a nickel!!  But it was interesting.

Before we went home, we moved the boat to the Cheboygan County Marina, where we felt the boat would be safer, watched over by the marina staff.

Upon our return from home, we moved what we needed onto the boat.  The next day, we cruised on the boat to Mackinac Island for a couple of days of fun and relaxation.

June 2021 in Cheboygan

We stayed in Cheboygan County Marina through May 26, mostly sitting at the dock doing jobs that we had to accomplish.  We like our dock position – right next to the gas dock, which affords us some free entertainment!  The position is also a good way to meet people – we are always on the lookout for other Looper flags.  There have been several Looper boats in and out of here, with one, “Subject to Change” being here the entire time.  Nice to have social activities after our Covid year!  This marina also give me an opportunity for a nice walk to and from town.

When our month’s slip rental was up, we cruised to Roger’s City for two days.  We had gone there last year too.  Nice little town, grocery store right around the corner, some nice gift shops, an old hardware store.  We met some looper folks there – that’s always fun.  One young couple, on the sailboat Dragonfly, were on their way back to Chicago where they live.  They left there last October, and will be completing their Loop in July. 

We had to be in Cheboygan  on July 2, since we had a neighbor from Royal Oak meeting us there.  Plus, we had purchased a new motor for our dinghy and we had to pick that up.  The night before we had to be in the marina in Cheboygan, we decided to try anchoring out nearby, in Duncan Bay.  Totally new experience for us! We haven’t done it before, because, up until this year, we’ve always had a big dog with us.  Getting the dog to go potty on the boat was a losing proposition!  So, this year, with no dog, we should be able to anchor out whenever we like.  Not only does it save the money for a marina slip (at least $69 per night), but you are out on your boat enjoying the scenery and the quiet.  I would say we could enjoy the night sky, but, honestly, I cannot stay awake until dark – these days that would be about 10:30 p.m.!

We cruised into the lovely Duncan Bay, picked a spot, and put out the anchor.  It was such a lovely afternoon and lovely evening!  I even posted a video on FB showing the lovely rolling waves in the sunset.  Then, about 10:00 that night (our bedtime), the wind picked up and was out of the north – we were totally open in that direction to Lake Huron, a slightly large body of water!  The boat was rocking and rolling really badly.  Impossible to sleep, plus we were nervous about being ‘on the hook’.  Would the anchor drag, putting the boat aground??  Dan went off to bed, having set an anchor alarm on his phone.  It would alarm if the boat moved more than XX feet.  Of course, it started alarming around 1:00 a.m.  The boat was moving so violently up and down, that I was a bit seasick.  Dishes in the cupboard were slamming back and forth.  Everything that could move in the boat was moving!  So, around 2:00, Dan decided he needed to let out more anchor.  Because of a ‘snubber’ we used to take the strain off the anchor windlass, Dan had to lay on the bow pulpit, unhook the snubber line, and then let the anchor chain out some more.  Picture this:  completely dark, boat going up and down, nothing keeping Dan on the boat but a railing about waist high.  He wore his safety vest, told me what to do if he went in the water…Yikes.  He actually couldn’t do it all by himself, so I had to also go out there.  I’m the big chicken in this duo, so I was not happy!

Luckily, the wind died down around 3:00, so we finally could sleep a few hours.  That was our first anchoring experience.  We really didn’t do anything wrong, other than picking an unprotected spot.  We’ll do better next time!

Our first over night guest

We pulled into the Cheboygan County Marina the next morning, somewhat the worse for wear but ok.  With considerable help from a marina employee and a kind person on a neighboring boat, we were able to get our new motor mounted on the dinghy – the motor weighs about 130 pounds!  Good grief.

We had a badly needed nap during the day.  Fred, our neighbor from Royal Oak, arrived early that evening.  Next morning, we were off!  We had a slip reserved in St. Ignace for 2 nights.  Fred had not seen the big bridge, nor any of this part of the world.  Enjoyed our time in St. Ignace, topped off by a pot luck gathering on our friends boat, Subject to Change.  The fireworks were spectacular!

On July 5, we decided to stop over for a few hours on Mackinac Island.  We walked around downtown, then walked to the Grand Hotel.  We were too late for their fabulous lunch, so we had lunch at another restaurant.  I happened upon a couple in the marina and started chatting.  Turns out, they had come to the Island with her sister, thinking her sister and husband were planning to be back in Cheboygan that day – the husband needed to be at work on the 6^th.  Unfortunately, the sister and husband were planning on staying on the Island until the 6^th.  Luckily, we were headed that way, so we were able to transport them to Cheboygan.  Lucky meeting!

We arrived back in Cheboygan, dropped off our passengers, and stayed one last night.  We had been in Cheboygan so long, it felt like leaving home!)

One fun thing was a trail created with whimsical details, including pages from a book about exploring.  Fun!

wooden birds in the trees...

such a lovely time of year!

the book was displayed, page by page...

                                        

pictures of the birds that can be found in the trees along the trail

Lock in Cheboygan

boat transiting the lock

portion of the trail

the wooden markers pointing to the birds - cracked me up!

plus, of course, a Little Free Library!

little game table, complete with checkers in a bag!

fun to watch the new little goslings

view of the Cheboygan River from the bridge

town is full of lovely old homes

sunrise over the river

in a fun restaurant

Camping in Florida, January thru March 2021, during the Covid crisis!

 Dan and I are very lucky.  The way we travel, either in our 5th wheel camper or our boat, means that we are naturally isolated from other folks.  We can be as sociable, or not, as the situation warrants!  In January, we pulled out of our home in Michigan and headed to Florida.  Our usual spot for camping in Florida, on the Navy base in Key West, is not available this year due to the Covid19 crisis.  So, we got reservations at the Phipps County Park, in Stuart, which is located right by the St. Lucie Lock on the Ocheechobee Canal across Florida.  We thought it might be fun to be able to watch boats as they come through the lock. We were right!  Our campsite was right at a bend in the St. Lucie River and gave us a ringside seat.  We kept the binoculars handy, so that we could read the name and home port of boats.  Some of the boats were owned by members of the AGLCA, or Great Loop, of which we are also members!  We may bring the Kittiwake through this waterway next year, so that makes our observations particularly interesting!

In addition to watching the boats, the campground gave me access to miles of walking options.  I had determined to get my weight under control during the 3 months we would be in Florida, which included walking 10,000 steps (or about 4.6 miles) most days.  I am proud that I was able to take about 25 pounds off my weight during this time!  By the time I was done, I had met my goal of 30 pounds.  Now, just to keep it off!  But, I digress!

These pictures are from our time in Stuart.

We stayed in Stuart for about a month, then relocated to the Navy Base campground in Pensacola for the last few weeks.  This campground had miles of offroad hiking trails, a beach, and a 54 hole disc golf course!  It was a lovely spot, and we enjoyed the area.

Both our camping spots were close to stores and restaurants, while allowing us all the relaxing time we needed.  We did have a chance to see our friends, the Sprenkles, a couple of times while in Florida, but, for the most part, we just hung out together.  Thank God we enjoy each other's company!

We were unable to get the Covid shot in Florida, since it was restricted to Florida residents.  We were mostly careful, except for one occasion.  We attended a concert on the street in Sanford, Florida with our friends.  Almost no one there wore a mask.  I believe that is where I contracted the virus.  Luckily, my symptoms were extremely minor, consisting of just losing my sense of taste and smell for about two weeks.  Somehow, despite our constant close contact, Dan did not contract the virus.  We were very lucky.

The following are the shots I took during our 2021 Florida adventure.  These first ones are from our camping spot in Stuart, right on the St. Lucie River - we were about 200 yards from the St. Lucie Lock, and we really enjoyed seeing all the boats coming up and down the river.