The Journey Ends!

Wednesday September 18 -- Day 109 -- 28 miles --  2072 Total Miles

Garry had a work obligation, so we said so long to Day Dreams and headed for home at 11:30 a.m.  Some things never change ----- dodging 100's of fishermen and plowing through the end-of-the-season "green slime" (algae bloom), we completed the familiar 4-hour trip right on schedule.

Our great friends, Skip and Linda welcomed us home with champagne -- doesn't get any better than that!

What a trip!  Our summer spanned 109 days with 58 stops - 13 of which were anchorages. Along the way we've seen spectacular scenery and met wonderful new friends.  We learned that Waterford IS home and we look forward to making that a permanent condition.

We also faced a major health crisis with mom, Millie.  Happily, she continues to amaze her doctors with her progress since suffering a stroke in July.  Her determination and courage are an inspiration to all of us who know and love her.

So our 2013 Blog ends here ---- to be continued June 2014!

Thanks for following along,
Garry and Jacque   



                                                                                
                        
                         

Sunday September 15 - Day 106 - 51 miles/ 2043 total

Back to Lake Erie!

The day started with 56 degrees and overcast skies, SW winds and 1-3 foot waves in the forecast.  We left DYC at 7:30 a.m. and made our way under the Belle Isle Bridge. 

The chart says we have 32 feet clearance ----- can we make it?



No problem!









The Detroit skyline just on the other side of the bridge --- beautiful!






An hour into our journey down the river, we hit the 2000 mile mark!

On down the river and


        Welcome to Lake Erie!


We've had rougher water on Lake Huron and now Lake Erie than we had in 2 months on Lake Superior -- go figure.


In fact, we've had so few weather days that we're ahead of schedule and really not ready to stop.  So we decided to skip Toledo Beach for now and head for  Put in Bay instead.



Perry's Monument - a familiar site.
 

We even got a "Welcome Back" parade ---

Garry's first car was a "3-hole Buick" just like
          this one in yellow.



Ya gotta love the Bay!


We spent three lovely days on the island just chillin'.  It was so quiet during the week that we had the island pretty much to ourselves.  We spent the time walking, biking, and shopping and just enjoying these last few days.

Perfect end to a perfect day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday September 14 - Day 105 - 40 mi / 1992 total

Brrrrrrrrrr!  42 degrees this morning! It was clear and calm as we led the way under the  Pine River on the 8 a.m. bridge opening.  Welcome back to the St. Clair River --- more freighters and ferries to dodge! 






This guy was busy unloading coal.

We saw many swans migrating south on our trip down the river --- long winter ahead????





We continued through Lake St. Clair and into the Detroit River to the Detroit Yacht Club.  It was fun for us to arrive by boat -- the only other time we had been here was for our daughter Laura's wedding reception.  Needless to say, we were a little distracted then!

It was so nice to see a busy marina with full docks and lots of activity.  Though the building is certainly not new, it is still a grand old place.  We enjoyed walking the docks and grounds, followed by dinner in the bar/lounge.

And then there was this sunset...........

Thursday September 12 Day 103 11 mi / 1952 total

HAPPPY BIRTHDAY DOUG!

With Waterford leading the way, we left Port Huron at 8 a.m. making the short 11 mi trip downstream to St. Clair Boat Harbor.  It was such a short trip, we had to slow down to adjust our arrival time to coincide with the 9:30 opening of the Pine River drawbridge.  Cruising along with the current, we were doing our customary 7-ish knots with the engine rpms at just over idle! (you car guys can appreciate that)  We were snug in our slips by 10 a.m. --- a new record!

This is one of our favorite marinas, with great facilities and staff.  Once secured, Doug, Jan and I set off on foot to the local grocer store for supplies.  Garry was tied up on the phone, but would join us later.  We finished our shopping and called the marina courtesy van for a ride back to the dock.

After stowing everything away, we caught up on the America's Cup Sailboat races and then got ready for dinner.  The courtesy van took us out to the River Crab to celebrate Doug's birthday.  We enjoyed cocktails at the piano bar followed by a great dinner. Fun night!

Friday the 13th

Well, summer is over  ----------- windy and high of only 60 degrees!  We started out in sweatshirts in June and here we are in sweatshirts again. Today was a sleep in, relax and refresh day.  I did a little laundry and Garry did a couple of chores before taking a walk up the street for lunch and a little shopping.  We'll do dinner aboard and head out tomorrow when the winds are forecast to be light.

Wednesday 9 -11

Take a moment to pause and remember so many innocent lives lost.  I know each of us remembers exactly where we were on that September morning. 


This day dawns mostly clear, 68 degrees with light winds from the SE.  Departure time was 8 a.m. with Day Dreams in the lead.

Passing the light at the south end of the break wall at Harbor Beach.






What a gorgeous day!  Our original destination was Port Sanilac, but after checking the forecast for Thursday and Friday, we decided to continue on to Port Huron.  We didn't mind the longer day as we got to spend most of it up on the bridge --- not many of those on this trip!

As we proceed down Lake Huron, we are seeing constant freighter traffic.  This is the "James R Barker", one of the 1000+ footers on the lake. 

We had seen him at least once before, locking through at Sault Ste. Marie.


This time our AIS system tells us our courses will converge as we move into the shipping channel .........

We'll just adjust our speed to fall in behind him ----- ya think?!

James R Barker takes the lead!











Day Dreams following the big guy under the Blue Water Bridge.





We say good by to the blue water of Lake Huron.

                                            Flags at half staff on the U.S. side of the bridge.

We pulled into the Black River and were tied up at the wall at the Port Huron Yacht Club by 4 p.m.  in a little light rain.  This is a friendly club with nice facilities just off the St. Clair River -- easy in and out!  It was Wednesday night sailboat races, but severe thunderstorms forced everyone off the water.  We were glad to be snug and secure as lightning streaked across the sky and thunder rumbled.  Once again, we made the right call!

Monday September 9, DAY 100! 48 mi / total 1886

Waterford led the way out of Tawas at 7 a.m. under partly cloudy skies and a stiffening SW breeze.  The Saginaw Bay crossing wasn't too bad, but the waves were building right on our nose.  So we decided to forego 4 more hours of that and ducked into Harbor Beach Marina instead of continuing to Port Sanilac.  Despite ongoing dredging, the harbor remains relatively shallow and the docks are in need of some TLC.  Still better than 4's on the nose! 

Tuesday September 10

The forecast was for heavy winds and waves, so we stayed a second day in Harbor Beach.  We were actually glad to have the wind as temps were above 90 degrees --- only the second day above 90 we've seen all summer! 

Garry and I decided a bike ride was in order.  We pedaled to "Let's go Fish" a one-of-a-kind bait, tackle, camping, and nautical surplus store near the marina.  There we found a couple of "soccer mom chairs" (as Marty and Suzanne from Alizann call them).  They are folding canvas chairs we'll use for those campfire nights on shore.  We did a quick tour of the town, had a great burger at Smally's, stopped at the grocery store and then headed back to the dock. 

Time to shower and chill!  I still had some beautiful fresh baby beets from the Farmer's Market in Petoskey.  So Doug and Jan joined us for a lovely dinner of grilled chicken breasts and roasted beet and arugula salad -- yum.
 

September 7-8 Days 98-99 32 mi / 1838 total

Day Dreams took the lead as we made our way to East Tawas State Harbor just at the north side of the mouth of Saginaw Bay.  Little did we know it was the weekend of their Festival of Races Triathlon -- considered one of the country's best half Ironman distance events.  For you enthusiasts, check out their website http://www.3disciplines.com/Events/Festival-of-Races/.

Since the swimming event was to be held in the harbor, we timed our arrival for after that portion was complete.  The swimmers were all finished, but the yacht club was holding their Saturday morning races.

So we had to do a bit of dodging on our way into the marina.

            Rounding the mark.........

Blue spinnaker takes the lead!










We were secure in our slips by 12:30.  You can just see us on the far left end of this picture.  This picture was taken from the shower facility on shore --- like a half mile hike from our boats!





It had been raining as we arrived, but the skies cleared long enough for us to check out the downtown area.  There were several nice shops and a couple of good restaurants in town.  The guys returned to the dock while Jan and I did a little shopping.  We got back just in time for a round of thunderstorms that finished out our evening.

Sunday September 8

It was a beautiful sunny day with brisk winds.  After a bit of a sleep in and late breakfast, we got on the bikes and set off for Tawas Point State Park. 


It was a couple of miles by bike and then a hike out to the lighthouse and all the way to the point.












The Tawas Point Lighthouse, 1856.













Did I say brisk winds ---- a good day to stay put!

Hiking along the beach on the Lake Huron side of Tawas Point.






Had to make a stop at Marion's ice cream shop on our way back of course!  We continued on to check out a restaurant that had been recommended to us by fellow boaters.  Unfortunately we found it closed, but we did find the local Walmart, so picked up a few groceries before returning to the dock. 

Later, we enjoyed dinner at a restaurant just up the street, followed by yet another awesome sunset.

Friday September 6 Day 97 48 mi / 1806 total

Our scheduled 7:30 departure was delayed this morning due to the arrival of the tall ship Madeline, out of Traverse City.





A rather interesting "bow thruster" don't you think?!

The guys helped secure her to the dock and then we were on our way.



SW winds made for a rough ride most of the way.  We've already had more choppy days on Lake Huron than we had for the 2 months on Lake Superior.  Go figure!

We met another tall ship up bound about half way to Harrisville.  Didn't catch her name, but she is likely on her way home after participating in the reenactment of the Battle of Lake Erie over the Labor Day weekend.  Sails all set, she was a beautiful sight.




We pulled into Harrisville, another of our favorite harbors, about 3 p.m.  for the night.

September 5 Day 96 17 mi / 1758 total

Thursday dawned sunny with the wind and waves diminishing, so departure was set for 9 a.m.  However, Jan and I were determined to have our mocha and latte from one of the 2 coffee shops in town and neither of them opened until 9.  As a bonus, we picked up some smoked pork from Plath's Meats right next door to the coffee shop --- I think I've found something special for upcoming holiday dinners as they ship their famous smoked pork loins all over Michigan! 

We finally left the dock about 9:30 for the short hop to Presque Isle.




The lighthouse approaching from the north.


Garry has signed up for a new weather source, Bouyweather.com.  So far it seems very accurate for wind and wave conditions.

We were secure in our docks at Presque Isle Harbor by 1:15p.m.  Wow, is it quiet!  There were very few boats in the marina and both the store and restaurant have decreased their hours of operation.  I guess the summer is winding down.

September 4 Day 95 46 mi / 1741 total miles

Waterford led the way out of Straits Harbor under overcast skies at 7:30 a.m.  The forecast was for winds moving to a more westerly direction and waves to decrease ---- NOT!  Winds were N-NE all the way with waves a steady 3-4 ft on our beam.  NOAA  (US govt marine forecast) strikes again!  It wasn't a very comfortable ride, but we were safely docked in Rogers City by 2 p.m.

Garry and I took a walk to the hardware store (where else?).  When we stayed here on the way up Lake Huron, we took in a movie at the little downtown theater.  Unfortunately, no movies this week, so we just chilled back at the boat. 



We were treated to a beautiful sunset............

September 1- 3 Days 92-94 49 mi / 1695 total

We left beautiful Petoskey at 7:30 a.m. with Day Dreams in the lead.  Although it was mostly clear and calm to start, we hoped to beat some weather that was heading our way.  Almost made it --- it was raining lightly as we returned to Straits State Harbor in Mackinaw City in the early afternoon.  The perfect kind of afternoon to do a couple of loads of laundry and get ready for the big Bridge Walk. 

Monday September 2 - Labor Day

A typical Labor Day --- cold (temps in the 50's) windy and light rain off and on --- whoooo hooo

Although not originally on our "bucket list", we decided to do the annual Labor Day walk across the Mackinac Bridge.  The timing was right and it's one of those things you might only do once in your lifetime, right?!  AND the buses taking walkers across to St. Ignace to the starting line were being staged in the parking lot right next to the marina --- we couldn't not do it.



Starting out.............

We didn't make the first buses (are you kidding, 5:30 a.m.?!), but we did get in line about 7:30, bused over to St. Ignace and began our walk across at 8:50. 






Half way -- can you say cold???

Bundled up in sweatshirts and rain gear, we completed the 5 mile walk at 10:20.  We were among 40,000 walkers (a low year) of every age and description, some who had participated every year since 1957!





Our reward, a nice hot Starbucks on the way back to the marina --- another check off the bucket list!

Tuesday September 3

Not a good day to leave the harbor --- small craft advisory, high winds and waves.  We'll just hang out here another day.  Despite the wind, it was sunny and much warmer than yesterday.  A good day for an afternoon bike ride.  We took off on the bike trail south toward Mill Creek State Park.  It was a great trail in an old railroad bed.  On our way back, we checked out the campground --- a great facility with 1000 campsites/cabins right on the shore of Lake Huron with awesome views of Mackinac Island and the bridge.  It would be a great place to hook up with friends/family.

If weather cooperates, we'll head out tomorrow.

August 29-31 Day 89-91 32 mi / 1646 total Petoskey

We departed Beaver Island at 7:30 a.m. under hazy blue skies and calm winds.  Lake Michigan was like a mill pond!  Other than one little patch of fog, it was a perfect day to cross over to Petoskey in Little Traverse Bay.  By 12:30 we were tied up securely in our slips at Petoskey Municipal Marina.  What a nice facility ---- located in a lovely lakefront park, right on the bike trail and just a tunnel away from the downtown shopping area!

The bay was so calm we decided to take a little dinghy cruise over to Harbor Springs.   It's just so nice to finally be in swimsuits!  We tied up at the dinghy dock and did a little shopping, then cruised the harbor before returning to the Petoskey side of the bay.

Friday August 30

Farmer's Market Day -- we rose early and headed up town.  There were several farms represented with wonderful produce -- lettuces, tomatoes, sweet corn, honey, jams, pies and other baked goods.  We were only limited by available fridg space!  We had just finished our shopping when the thunder started rumbling, so we ducked into Julienne Tomato, a lovely little restaurant/deli for breakfast.  We made our way back to the dock in between downpours.  Garry had some paperwork to complete and send out, so when the rain subsided, we walked to the post office and on to the local Rite Aid, stopping at West Marine on our way back ---- no need for more exercise today! 

We enjoyed a great dinner at the Palette Bistro overlooking the bay and called it a night.

Saturday August 31

The rain and storms have moved on and we have a beautiful sunny day.  First, a little experiment to see if our dinghy will fit aboard Day Dreams (they are in the market for a new one and have a little different configuration on the upper deck).  With a little jockeying, Success!  We'll soon have "twin" dinghies, too. 

The marina is situated right on a great bike path that runs along the shore in both directions -- to Harbor Springs one direction and all the way to Charlevoix in the other.  We just did the 2-3 mile run to Bay Harbor. 

The views along the shoreline were amazing.  Here we're looking out over Little Traverse Bay into Lake Michigan.




We parked our bikes at the Inn at Bay Harbor and walked along the beach to the marina and shopping area.  I found a couple of great buys at the "sidewalk sales" followed by lunch outside at the Knot Just a Bar restaurant overlooking the marina.


This is the Bay Harbor Yacht club at the end of the harbor.






Back at the dock, we did a great dinner of flank steak accompanied by fresh sweet corn and caprese salad from the farmer's market.  And for dessert, fresh peach pie with ice cream, yum!





We have really enjoyed our stay in Petoskey.  Though the marina is not as protected as some, the facilities are great, the people friendly, and the shopping and restaurants are great!


August 27 - 28 Day 87-88 40 mi / 1614 total

 




Tuesday morning -- overcast skies and rain likely, but not much for wind and waves.  Day Dreams took the lead at 7:30 a.m. bound for Beaver Island in Lake Michigan. 















No matter the weather, going under the bridge is always a thrill!




Making our way to Beaver Island, Lake Michigan is the 4th Great Lake of this summer's adventure! 



As we approached Beaver Island, we found the newer municipal marina full.  So we moved on to the older private marina --- older facility, but clean and friendly.  We got a warm welcome from Charlie, T-H-E dock hand.  He took great care of us at the dock, helped us out with directions and "things to do" --- even rounded up fire wood for our after-dinner s'mores!

Wednesday August 28

Beautiful, hot (high 80's) sunny day ---- we finally found summer!

After latte's and great breakfast sandwiches from Duhlwinnie's. we set out on a bike ride. Doug had spec'd out a route of 5-6 miles around the northern end of the island.  However, a couple of wrong turns and it was 10!  Thank goodness there was an ice cream shop at the end of it ---- root beer floats never tasted so good!

By then the old thermometer was approaching 90, so we stopped to check out the public beach and cool our heels.  Only problem was that we had to go through the hot sand to get to the water.







We rode on back to the dock and put the bikes away for another day.  Time to chill.........


First dip off the back of the boat all summer!






Showers, cocktails, and dinner at the Shamrock Pub in town completed the evening's festivities.

 

 

August 25-26 Days 85-86 40 mi / 1574 total

Waterford lead the way out of beautiful Detour at 7:30 a.m. under overcast skies.  Winds were out of the south at 20 knots, which meant 4 footers on the nose til we made the turn toward Mackinac at the Detour Light.  The wave angle was much more comfortable going toward Mackinac Island.  And then we turned to cross the Straits of Mackinac to Mackinaw City ----- YIKES!  We were seeing gusts to 35 knots and dodging ferries as we homed in on the entrance to Straits State Harbor.  The entrance is not only difficult to see, but a sharp S curve going in ---- fun, fun, fun!  However we were soon secure in our slip -- directly across from Hallelujah, whom we had met at the Soo. 

Garry and I had stopped at this marina when bringing Waterford "home" in 2011 --- it's another great Michigan state facility.  This one has a great view of the Mackinac Bridge.


We walked to Sheplar's marine store and then cruised the shops before ducking into the Keyhole Bar for refreshments just ahead of the rain.  We made it back to the dock before the heavy storms began.


Monday August 26





After raining all night, the skies cleared (must be Camelot!), so Garry and I walked into town for a great brunch.  Back at the dock, we got the bikes down and set off on a tour of Mackinaw City.








First stop, a tour of the retired Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw docked right next to the marina.  She and her crew were tasked with keeping the shipping lanes open to freighters despite the ice.

Sunny, but windy day on the foredeck with "Big Mac" in the background.














Our ride continued along the beautiful shoreline past the lighthouse and fort. 

"Big Mac" dominates the scene wherever you are!












Our tour continued out of town a couple of miles to the McGulpin  Point Lighthouse.  Garry and I caught this big guy moving through the straits from the catwalk atop the light.





On the way back to the dock we made a stop at a colonial village currently in the process of restoration and a stop at the Pastie Shop for a quick snack.  We're still trying to find our #1 pastie!

Weather and water conditions have been so kind that we're ahead of schedule.  So tomorrow we'll take a short side trip into Lake Michigan, returning to Straits Harbor before moving south on Lake Huron.  Our motto of 42 years  "ya gotta be flexible"!

Friday August 23 - Saturday August 24 Days 83-84 38 mi / 1534 total

We left the Soo at 8:30 a.m. with Day Dreams in the lead.  It was a beautiful sunny day -- perfect for being up on the bridge.  We're in the "down bound" channel, so the scenery is somewhat different.  We only had to dodge one ferry, but lot's of fishermen out trying to win first prize in the weekend tournament.


 





This Osprey has a "bird's eye" view of all the activity from his nest atop one of the channel markers.












A big dredging operation in the channel.

Keeping this essential waterway navigable for those lakers is a full time job.






We reached our destination of Detour State Harbor in early afternoon.  This completely renovated facility had opened just after we passed through on the way up.  It is absolutely beautiful, with all new docks, power posts, bathroom, shower  and laundry facilities.

Beautiful harbor and facilities in Detour.

We had a great dinner at the Main Sail on the recommendation of the dockhands.  We'll "do the town" tomorrow.

Saturday August 24

Time to get the bikes out and check out Detour Village.  First stop was the Farmer's Market --- it was small, but we did get fresh tomatoes, cinnamon bread and more pasties.  We toured the botanical garden along the bay, rode all around town and made a quick stop at the IGA before heading back to the dock. 

After cocktails and dinner aboard, we called it a night.