Lake Michigan - August 3 - 20

Leaving Mackinac Island on August 3, we arrived at Beaver Island, Michigan after six hours on relatively smooth water.  Although it was hazy as we passed under the Mackinac Bridge, the sun finally appeared.  Once we arrived at Beaver Island, Michigan, we headed to Beaver Island Marina.  I was so tired that I just stayed on the boat and cooked dinner and had a glass of wine.

Beaver Island Marina

The next day, we traveled west for another six hours (approx. 60 miles) on Lake Michigan to Washington Island.  The oldest Icelandic settlement in the United States is devoted almost entirely to the tourist trade.  Ferries transport tourists and summer residents from Beaver Island and back.  A friend of Richard's, Dan Porter, and his son Dan, stopped by briefly before they had to board the ferry to their cabin on Beaver Island.  It's always nice to see familiar faces as we travel!  We docked at Shipyard Marina in Detroit Bay and found the marina to be very quiet and several open slips.

Washington - Beaver Islands Ferry

 August 5, we made our way to Fish Creek, Wisconsin in Door County.  We stayed at Alibi Marina for two nights and we thoroughly enjoyed this small, artistic community.  We rode our bikes for miles around the island and through Peninsula State Park, stopping on our way to visit the Settlement Shops where artists display their pottery, jewelry, and paintings.  We then enjoyed the Friday night "perch fry" at Cooper's Corners, where we also indulged in fried cheese curds.  They reminded us of fried mozzarella sticks - just a different shape and cheese.  I still like fried dill pickles better!

The horse is interesting but I really couldn't find anything that I wanted to buy in
this overstocked store for tourists!

Unfortunately this shop was closed when we walked by!

One of the highlights of our stopovers is enjoying the local wine and food.  This restaurant
had been newly renovated and we enjoyed an excellent meal of their fresh broiled perch. 

We traveled further down Green Bay, through the Sturgeon Canal and back out to Lake Michigan where we spent two nights at Salmon Harbor Marina in Kewaunee, Wisconsin. Wow!  I cannot believe how we are getting around from state to state and visiting so many places I did not know existed!  This little town had so much to offer.  People at the marina were so helpful and informative, suggesting we have dinner at The Cork Pub & Restaurant.  I was able to get a three loads of laundry done with time for a long bike ride along the lake.  Furthermore, a famous decommissioned tugboat is open for tours on the week-ends.  Tug Ludington, as it is now called, was built in Oyster Bay, NY in 1943 and was christened the Major Wilbur Fr. Browder.  The tug participated in the D-Day invasion of Normandy, towing ammunition barges across the English Channel.  At the end of the war, it joined the U.S. Army Transportation Corps.  In 1947, the tug was transferred to Kewaunee and renamed Tug Ludington.

We had a strenuous ride up this long hill but the ride down was a breeze.  I might even
get into shape on this trip if we continue biking a few times a week!

We love our tug but seeing a REAL tug inside and out was very interesting.  The engine room was impressive!  The tug was powered by an Enterprise diesel engine, developing 1,200 SHP at 275 RPMs.  I do not know what this means but the engine is huge!

The Tudington Statistics:  Length 115 ft.; Beam 26 ft.; Height 64 ft.; 1943 construction cost $396,400; Range 8,000 miles

On Sunday evening, we walked to town and stopped to enjoy the weekly Concert in the Park.

The streets are lined with attractive benches but this one sat outside the local bar.

Sheboygan, Wisconsin, our next stop on August 9, is famous for its bratwurst, but with much more to offer. I enjoyed a long walk on the Riverfront Boardwalk back to Harbor Centre Marina.  In the evening we treated ourselves to an incredible dinner at Stefanos Trattoria.

 

We arrived in Milwaukee on Tuesday, docked the boat at McKinley Marina and in the morning, Aug. 11, I flew home to Rochester to see my grandchildren, Ethyn and Ella and to visit with our close friends.  Richard flew home on Friday and we headed to the 1,000 Islands. We started the week-end by participating in Pirate's Week-end in Alexandria Bay, NY.  Richard's daughter's family, Heather, Ben, Conner, Keagan & Jonah joined us and Ethyn and Ella while we were there.  What a great time we all had.  We were also fortunate to spend time with our good  friends, Rick & Pam, Bob & Dottie, Robin & Emma, Lauri Bob, and Tom & Kim.  I was in Hamlin for the rest of the week, keeping very busy taking Ethyn to Summertime Readers camp each day, heading to appointments, enjoying shopping with Ella and getting together with the girlfriends.  Thanks Donna for hosting our get-together on the lake!  Helen, Pam, Michele, Doreen, Dottie, Donna and I did some real damage to the pizza and wine, but oh how we talked, talked, talked!!  On August 20, Richard and I flew back to Milwaukee, where we stayed until August 24.

Ethyn has his ammunition ready as the Pirate Invasion begins.

Pirate Girl, Ella

 

The Crew!!   L -R:  Ella, 4; Conner, 3; Ethyn, 7; Keagan, 10; Jonah,13.

Ella really suffers sometimes as the only granddaughter!

Mackinac Island, Michigan - August 1 & 2

As soon as we tied our lines to the dock, we were immersed in a world apart from anywhere else we have traveled.  Grand Victorian homes line the streets, the clomp, clomp of horses' hooves echo from the hills, and the absence of cars and trucks made us realize that life on Mackinac Island ( pronounced mak-in-aw) is entrenched in the past.

Mackinac Island is located in Lake Huron on the eastern Straits of Mackinac.

Beautiful flowers and landscaping showcase the many Victorian homes

Grecian architecture graces this Victorian home.

Riding a bicycle is a quick and convenient way to tour the Island.  Thousands of bicycles are
available for hire or you can bring your own.  The streets are very busy during the peak
season when 15,000 tourists converge on the Island.  Despite the number of bicycles,

Horse drawn carriage tours have been available since before 1900. The best way to
see the Island is with a driver who knows the local history.

For some exercise, I rode my bike on the 8-mile shoreline route, which is the only
state road that's never had a car accident!!  I passed The Arch, a natural limestone
formation on my ride.

Scenic view of the marina and the ferry docks

As we walked to the Grand Hotel, we passed The Little Stone Church. 
The Union Congregational Church was built of local field stone in 1904.

During our carriage ride, we enjoyed this view of the Grand Hotel overlooking
the Straits of Mackinac.

The Grand Hotel, a premiere Mackinac Island landmark, has been in full operation
since 1887. The hotel 's 660 foot veranda is the longest in the world.

On the southern bluff is the stone palisade of Fort Mackinac.  Built in 1870, it
stands today to give a view of the fort's past through realistic performances and
enactments.

The Mission Church, viewed from the fort, also represents the Island's rich history.
 This church represents the first Protestant work among the Native Americans and is
 the oldest surviving church building Michigan.

The Bay View Bed and Breakfast on the waterfront is another beautiful
example of Victorian architecture.

As we left Mackinac Island, we said good-bye to the Grand Hotel.  Its Grecian
 architecture and 660 foot veranda  are visible from the mainland 7 miles away.

Georgian Bay & the North Channel - July 23 - 31

Georgian Bay, the 30,000 Islands, and the North Channel are perhaps the best cruising grounds while doing the "Great Loop."  Sometimes called the fifth Great Lake, Georgian Bay is nearly as large as Lake Ontario.  Traveling along the northern shore, we were in awe of the landscape created by windswept pines, white cliffs, and clear blue water.  This is certainly a place to which we will return!

After Tobermory and a lovely crossing on Georgian Bay, we arrived at Queen's Cove Marina in Victoria Bay around 3:30 pm.  Richard's mom and brother, Ethel and Brent, were there to greet us.  They drove about an hour from Brent's home in Lindsay, ON to spend the night on the boat.  Queen's Cove Marina is an exceptionally well-run marina and one the cleanest, well-kept marinas I have ever seen!  We were there on a rainy day, but on a better day we would have been enjoying their heated pool.  The Quaterdeck Restaurant, owned by the marina, served hearty, homecooked meals so we enjoyed both dinner and breakfast there.  Despite the weather we enjoyed our stay, especially since we had a good time catching up with Ethel and Brent.

Following the scenic small craft route, the next leg of our journey took us toward Honey Harbour.

We arrived in Frying Pan Bay at 12:30, where we met Laura and Richard, friends we first met as we traveled on the Intracoastal Waterway in May.

Richard and Laura dock their boat in Honey Harbour but they prefer staying at an
anchorage for long week-ends. Therefore, they invited us to join them in this
bay.

On the island several well-marked paths lead to an inland lake, scenic vistas and,
oh my, a bear! He left some fresh evidence on one of the paths so we
quickly hiked back to civilization.

On July 25, we left Frying Pan Bay, navigating through Muskoka Landing Channel to go to Frying Pan Island in 12 Mile Bay, where the famous restaurant, Henry’s, serves the best whitefish, perch, and pickerel (a.k.a. walleye) in all of Georgian Bay. We were lucky to arrive early enough to secure dockage for the night and we thoroughly enjoyed our fish dinner. After dinner, I asked someone where the road was so we could take a walk. Silly me…there are no roads on this island or any other of the 30,000 islands!! The only way to get to Henry’s is by boat or seaplane. We had a good laugh anyway. We also met another “looper” while there.

Henry's Restaurant, located in Parry Sound, Ontario, has excellent service and
food.We sat on a covered outdoor patio and enjoyed the marina scenery.  Meal
was delicious with salad, beans and pickerel panfried to perfection.

July 26 we decided to continue taking the small craft route through Hang Dog Channel where our boating skills were put to the test. Although the channel was scenic the challenge lay in our ability to carefully read our charts, count buoys, and identify every landmark as we traveled the channel. The journey was exciting and our confidence was bolstered!  Below are some photos I took while we were underway.

Unusual house on Jean Island in Alexander Passage

The windswept pines tell their own stories...

In the 1870's, fur traders lost a canoe along the eastern shore of Georgian Bay, and it
was discovered the following spring by stranded fur traders, who helped themselves
to barrel of whiskey found in the canoe.  After some alcohol-fueled merrymaking, the
traders left the empty barrel on the point as a marker and soon after French mariners
started to refer to the place as Pointe au Baril, Barrel Point. 

     An early resident set a lit lantern on top of a barrel to warn sailors of the
submerged and dangerous rocks on the point many years later the real
lighthouse was built in 1889.

Our destination was the Bustard Islands, part of the French River Provincial Park. We again anchored in Bustard Island Harbour where another group of “loopers” were anchored. Anchoring provides such a peaceful setting to enjoy the sunsets and wildlife. We plan on dropping the anchor much more often.

Bustard Island sunset

July 27 we continued on through Georgian Bay.  On Castle Island sits the Bustard Light Range. Three lighthouses, two small ones built in 1875, and the third larger one (1893) are arranged to guide sailors from several directions.

Bustard Island Lighthouse, on the French River, Georgian Bay, is the
only active light remaining of s set of three towers that form two ranges. 

Killarneyfounded in 1820, lies at the northwest corner of Georgian Bay where mariners can continue into the North Channel. Despite a population of about 430, the town is bustling with activity in the summer. The famous landmark, The Sportsman’s Inn, has been recently restored to much of its original glory. While at anchor in Covered Portage Cove, we went to Killarney  in our dinghy and had a cocktail and the best ever fried dill pickles in the inn’s bar. We also met several other “loopers” on the docks, a few who had been at Winter Harbor’s AGLCA rendezvous in June.

Situated at the entrance to the North Channel is the original village of Killarney
is the oldest community on the north shore.  With a year-round population of
less than 500, this treasure must surely rank ast he biggest little town in Canada.

Rather than tying up to a dock, we decided to anchor again so we went through town and into Killarney Bay and then into Covered Portage Cove and dropped anchor for two nights.  From the anchorage, we went to town by dinghy.
 can


On the south side of Covered Portage Cove is a wall of stone that resembles an
Indian head when viewed from certain angles.

Covered Portage Cove is one of the most popular anchorages in the North
Channel.  White quartz looks like snow on the mountain peaks.

After two days in Covered Portage Cove, we pulled up anchor to explore the North Channel. In the morning we traveled through Landsdowne Channel, across the mouth of Frazer Bay and into Baie Fine, part of Killarney Provincial Park. Baie Fine a “must-see” narrow bay called a fiord. The bay is 12 nautical miles long and is bordered by the white quartz cliffs and foothills of the La Cloche mountains. We anchored our tug in Mary Ann Cove, lowered our dinghy and traveled the remaining seven nautical miles to The Pool. Pictures and words cannot do justice to the beauty of the peaceful crystal clear water at the end of the fiord! Surrounded on one side by the white quartz looking like snow on the cliffs and windswept pines on the other side, we drank in the peaceful beauty .

The view from our boat as we traveled.

Mary Ann Cove

The Pool

After leaving the quiet of Baie Fine, we made way across the North Channel to Little Current (pop. 1,500) where the water empties into Georgian Bay. This town is the largest on Manitoulin Island, the largest fresh water island in the world! The newly refurbished town docks provided us safe harbour for two nights. We had a good choice of shops and services close to the docks. I stocked up on fresh meat at Hayden’s Meats and Confectionary - I wish I could frequent butcher shops like this one more often! We enjoyed freshly cut Black Angus strip steaks, peameal bacon, Montreal smoked meat, chicken breasts, and pork chops long after we left Little Current. While were in town, we enjoyed eating fresh fish served at the Anchor Bar.

Little Current town docks

Little Current’s annual Haweater Weekend was just beginning, so a few activities began while we were there. Although we left the Anchor Bar before their bikini contest began, we believe we heard some remnants of the evening when we were awakened around 2 a.m. to the splash of water and lots of tee-heeing from a few skinny dippers jumping off the docks just behind our boat!

Early morning calm as we leave Little Current

On July 31, we docked in Meldrum Bay, the last Georgian Bay harbour on Manitoulin Island’s north shore. From here boaters can pass through the False DeTour to Lake Huron and the US. After a quiet night, we took this route to our next destination, Mackinac Island, (pronounced Mackinaw), the most famous tourist attraction the the Great Lakes!

This is where we spent our last night in Georgian Bay, Ontario.