Tuesday, June 19

Taking a break from the blog ........... to be continued July 11.

Monday, June 18

Big blow - McKinley Marina

Usinger's - German Town

Calatrava wing - Milwaukee Art Museum

At 6:00 am we looked out across the Port Washington Marina -the winds had increased over night, the skies were black and lightening bolts could be seen in the distance.  We would need to delay our start until things  calmed down.
As Port Washington was on the southern edge of this front we had a window of opportunity 2 hours later and decided to make a quick 26 mile run to Milwaukee.  Other than occasional fog it was a fairly smooth ride and we were able to tie up at the McKinley Marina in Milwaukee before all hell broke loose.
As it turned out the really bad stuff stayed north -  however by three in the afternoon it was blowing a steady 25 - 30 mph.  Even the tourist cruise boats were staying in the protected Milwaukee Bay and not venturing out into Lake Michigan.
Like so many other communities that we have visited,  Milwaukee has a terrific lake/river fitness path that provides easy access to the city sights.  One of the most magnificent is the Santiago Calatrava wing of the Milwaukee Art Museum.  It dominates the Milwaukee Bay shoreline with its graceful, sculptural design and moveable  217-foot wingspan sunscreen that unfolds and folds twice daily.
Next we visited the Historic Third Ward - the restored warehouse district of the city - home to the Milwaukee Public Market which features artisan Wisconsin products.  With strong winds & temps near 90 degrees, it felt great to get off the bikes and indulge ourselves in a leisurely lunch at a local sidewalk cafe.
What trip to Milwaukee would be complete without visiting German Town and more specifically the acclaimed Usinger's.  In a city that claims to be "The Bratwurst Capital of the World" - they are the Best of the "Brats".

Nasty early morning weather - Port Washington, WI

We could not help but notice that McKinley Marina is almost filled to capacity - a far cry from the empty marinas we had become accustomed to earlier in our Loop journey.

Sunday, June 17

Chillin' on Father's Day -  Port Washington

Lake Michigan view -  Port Washington, WI

With a greeting of "Happy Father's Day" & a promise to deliver breakfast to the boat we were off to a fine start to the day ....... unfortunately, the breakfast wasn't so good ........ but it's the thought that counts, right?
We left the Harbor Centre Marina at 9:00 am to make the 28-mile journey to Port Washington, WI.  The winds would be switching to the south & building all day so we wanted to get ahead of the changing weather.  Unlike yesterday, we enjoyed a fairly calm ride and the clear blue waters of the lake sparkled in the bright sunlight.
Our early arrival in Port Washington allowed us time for a lengthy bike ride along the coast - we stopped briefly to check out a white sandy beach - rare on Lake Michigan as most beaches are nothing but rock.
Next we checked out the cute downtown & just had to take in a local band, tacos & a couple of

Lake Michigan beach - Port Washington, WI

Negra Modelos.  Today it felt like summer had finally arrived.

Saturday, June 16

Harbor Day celebration - Sheboygan

Sturgeon Bay Canal - entrance to Lake Michigan

As of late, we started the day in a rather relaxed fashion.  While on my morning run Charlie pondered the long term forecast for the western shore of Lake Michigan.  Today, would be our best shot at covering a long distance in relatively mild conditions.
We departed Fish Creek at 11:00 am to begin the 100 mile run to Sheboygan, WI.  The 20 mile stretch on the Green Bay side of the Door County Peninsula was along a bluff lined shore  dotted with impressive real estate......... a lovely way to end our tour of Door County
Sturgeon Bay and the Sturgeon Bay Canal lie on the southern end of Door County.  The canal was carved out of a narrow section of the Door County Peninsula to allow freighter access into Green Bay without having to navigate the shoal-ridden Ports Des Morts (Death's Door) Passage.  Today, for pleasure boats on Lake Michigan, it offers easy & safe entry into Green Bay's protected waters.
Boating on Lake Michigan is always a challenge and today was no exception.  Along the 80-mile run of the western shore we encountered building seas with rollers up to 5-feet, intermittent rain showers and fog.  In the fog & pounding along on choppy seas, we lost sight of land.  Charlie was glad to have the Garmin chart plotter up and running again.
This body of water deserves the utmost respect - even in today's conditions, which were not horrific - it proved to be somewhat exhausting.

Sunset Trail - bike/jogging path Fish Creek

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the Harbor Centre Marina in Sheboygan.  The boaters were extremely friendly and the facility top notch - hot tub & all.  The town was celebrating "Harbor Days" which included a nice display of fireworks followed by the distant sounds of a lively rock band ....... a perfect warm-up to the upcoming July 4th celebrations.

Friday, June 15

View of Green Bay-Peninsula State Park

Fish Creek shop

Shore Road - Peninsula State Park

Graffiti dock warehouse -  Anderson Docks - Ephraim

You just cannot stay in Sister Bay without having breakfast at Al Johnson's ............. the house specialty, Swedish pancakes with strawberries & whipped cream is a real treat.  It's like starting the day with dessert .......... yum!
A short five miles from Sister Bay is Eagle Harbor and the town of Ephraim.  With its simple white colored storefronts, inns & church steeples it has a New England feel.  Anderson Dock Marina is the site of the historic dock warehouse well known for its boat name graffiti. ( Longtime home of the Francis Hardy Gallery)
Between Eagle and Fish Creek harbors, the shoreline juts out into Green Bay to create Eagle Bluff.  The vast, 4,000  acre park created by the bluff is now Peninsula State Park where visitors can find endless biking and hiking trails.
The gateway to this park is in downtown Fish Creek.  After securing a slip at Alibi Dock we headed out for a bike tour of the area.  The village of Fish Creek is a vibrant place with many inns, restaurants and shops.  Add to this the endless recreational opportunities provided by the waterfront and Peninsula State Park, no wonder Fish Creek was voted #1 small-town getaway destination by Midwest Living Magazine.

Swedish pancakes - Al Johnson's

It was a pretty laid back day as we cruised a mere twelve miles.  The villages of Door County are meant to be explored, not looked at from a boat. We will continue this relaxed schedule tomorrow as we head to Egg Harbor.

Thursday, June 14

Dinner at the Inn at Kristofer's

Sunset - Sister Bay

Bar stools at JJ's - local color Sister Bay

We continued our tour of Door County traveling through beautiful, yet potentially treacherous waters - including the infamous Porte Des Morts Passage, also known as Death's Door.  This strait links Green Bay to Lake Michigan and historically many ships have foundered in its waters.
After a short 18-mile run we entered the Sister Bay Marina.
Something like thirty years ago, aboard our sailboat - The Prologue - we joined a flotilla of our wild & crazy friends for a fun packed, alcohol fueled weekend of sailing in these very same waters.  Unlike then, our cocktail hour now starts  at 6:00 pm instead of 10:00 am & there has been no "dipping" in the waters ............... burrrrrr!
Instead, we hopped on our bikes to play tourists and explore the town.  Of course there was the mandatory stop at Al Johnson's Swedish Restaurant & Butiks for a picture of the goats on the roof - tomorrow morning we will return for breakfast (Charlie will miss his "breakfast club" - John & Caroline and Russell & Ann).

Back Cove 34 - Charlie's dream boat

At a local marina we spotted what could be our dream boat & just had to stop for a tour.  We were not disappointed & Charlie was tempted to spend our children's inheritance on the spot.  This beauty is known as a Back Cove 34 -  it would be the perfect cruiser for a couple doing The Loop.

Al Johnson's - goats on roof

We ended our day with an exceptional dinner at the Inn at Kristofer's - worth every calorie - although I fear we are getting fat - too many temptations!

Wednesday, June 13

An island tradition - delicious!

Washington Island's  hospitality symbol

Detroit Harbor - Washington Island

What a difference a day makes.... the winds had calmed and the morning dawned clear but cool.  Unfortunately, the forecast was that this calm weather would not be with us long.  Charlie made the decision that we would need to make our 90 mile crossing of Lake Michigan by afternoon.
We left the Petoskey Municipal Marina by 8:00 am and traveled the 17 miles to Charlevoix, MI. to refuel & do a quick morning tour of this popular resort community.  It is uniquely located on an isthmus between Lake Michigan, Round Lake and Lake Charlevoix.  Like Harbor Springs it has a quaint upscale, "Old Money" feel.  The harbor & all-new waterfront are among the most beautiful and protected in all of the Great Lakes, ensuring its reputation as one of the premier destinations on Lake Michigan.  Lake Charlevoix lies east of the harbor and is simply beautiful.  The lake is surrounded by high banks and huge houses.  The residents have the option of boating on a beautiful, protected lake or a beautiful open lake.  They are both spectacular.
Unique to Charlevoix are the "Fairy Houses" and "Mushroom Houses", built in the early 1900's by Earl Young, which resemble storybook fantasies of whimsical, irregular stone houses with wave-like roof lines.  The city's waterfront and several homes along the shoreline have put a modern twist to this unique architecture.
By 10:30 we had started our 90 mile crossing of Lake Michigan in ideal conditions.  This lasted about 1/3 of the way across,  then it slowly became bumpier as we progressed west.   There was nothing particularly exciting about our passage, but as Charlie puts it ......... "that is a good thing".
It took us approximately 4 hours to reach Washington Island, WI - the northern most point of the 70- mile long Door County cruising ground.  It has a laid back, local color, off the beaten path kind of atmosphere.  Greeting visitors getting off the ferry is a giant Coffee Pot - the island's official hospitality symbol.

Whimsical "Fairy House" - Charlevoix, IL

It was a great place to "catch our breath" & rev up for our tour of the Western Shore of Lake
Michigan.

Tuesday, June 12

Petoskey Municipal Marina

White caps - Little Traverse Bay

Bad River Recreational Pathway

The wind was howling this morning - a steady twenty plus - it was immediately clear that we would be spending an extra day in Petoskey  There were two very good surprises ahead for us - the first was a visit from Jill & Jack (her yellow lab).  They arrived at the boat around 9:30 am and offered to take us on a walk to see her condo & neighborhood  Bear River Parkland.  It was great to see a familiar face and she shared a wealth of insider knowledge about this area.
Petoskey is a community that has invested greatly in both green space and fitness paths and this was never more evident than along the Bear River Recreational Pathway.  While wandering along this serene and beautiful riverside path, you would never know that you were in the middle of town........  what a nice way to start our day!
In  the afternoon we ventured out on the Little Traverse Bay Bike Trail - it revealed just how cold and blustery conditions had become - and this was along the shoreline of the protected bay - no wonder the small craft warnings on Lake Michigan continued throughout the entire day.
The second surprise was being able to resolve our Garmin navigation instruments issue........... we now have the system up and running.  It turned out to be a software problem that Charlie was able to fix by reinstalling a new version of the operating system.  (Just goes to prove what a royal pain computer/ Garmin chartplotter upgrades can be - Kathy's computer shut down in FL days before our departure wiping out all of her Quick Book files because of an upgrade malfunction.)

Our surprise visitors - Jill & her lab, Jack

By late afternoon the skies had cleared and the wind was beginning to calm down, looks like we will be able to leave in the morning for our final destination on Lake Michigan's Eastern Shore - Charlevoix, Michigan.

Monday, June 11

Not everyone in Michigan is broke!  Bay Harbor summer home & "toys"

Rejected by the Bay Harbor Yacht Club

Lake Michigan Eastern Shore

It was a relaxed morning in Harbor Springs - we biked up to the local bakery for breakfast and stopped at By the Bay, a wonderful nautical themed shop on main street - I wanted to buy everything in the store - but settled for a ships model & a fish sculpture.
By 11:00 am we were headed for Bay Harbor on the far side of Little Traverse Bay.  If Harbor Springs is the upscale "Old Money" community of the Bay, then Bay Harbor is its counter point.  It is a unique upscale "New Money" community created from a limestone quarry in the 1990s.  The development includes shops, restaurants, a marina, yacht club, golf club,  equestrian activities .......... and a whole lot of really big houses.  We were amused that the Bay Harbor Yacht Club did not want to give reciprocity to the Clear Lake Yacht Club, but recognized the Naples, Palm Beach & Sarasota Yacht Clubs in FL.   Imagine that!
The Petoskey Municipal Marina was happy to give us a slip and we set out on our bicycles to explore the town.  A highlight was the dedicated bike path that runs along Lake Michigan with sweeping views of the coastline.  The weather was unsettled by late afternoon with scattered showers and increased winds - a good time for us to catch up on boat chores.

Petoskey to Bay Harbor bike path

*A special note to Jill (a friend of the Curries that we met while visiting Hilton Head) - sorry we missed you at the Harbor Springs Marina this morning............... it would have been great fun to see you again!

Sunday, June 10

Back to the White Label after a kayak tour of Little Traverse Bay

Partying - Little Traverse Bay style

Harbor Springs Marina

Harbor Springs

Our next cruising ground will be the eastern shore of Lake Michigan - our first stop, Little Traverse Bay. Three charming harbor towns are located here, each welcoming summer visitors with excellent marinas & resorts, plentiful shopping & restaurants and many sandy swimming beaches (for the brave at heart - water temperature is 60 degrees). 
It was an interesting 60 mile run - we left the Mackinac Island State Dock at 7:30 am in perfectly calm conditions.  Shortly after crossing under the Mackinac Straits Bridge we entered into Lake Michigan and the winds began to build.   A mild chop,  built to white caps & a very bumpy ride, as we continued upwind in this westerly 15 mph wind.  When we turned south and headed for the eastern shore the winds began to lighten & we entered into Little Traverse Bay in the same calm conditions that we had started in 3 hours earlier.  This is very typical of these waters........... conditions can change on a dime.  It is imperative that you keep well informed of what might be brewing.
Our first stop was Harbor Springs - an upscale, summer resort - once home to such families as Ford, Upjohn and Gamble.  Lovely summer homes line the shoreline, many in scale with the lake ...... and that means big ............. the boats in the marina were equally impressive. 
There is a wonderful bike path that winds through the charming downtown and into the quaint older  neighborhoods along the water front.  These were the days of the lovely old front porches and beautiful front lawns - today the tradition lives on thanks to these dedicated homeowners.

Bike path - Harbor Springs

It was a perfect afternoon for a kayak tour of Little Traverse Bay - people were swimming, sailing & yes even anchored enjoying a cocktail or two - it was fun chatting with the locals - they were a friendly bunch. 

Thursday - Saturday, June 7-9

View from the porch - Grand Hotel

Arrival at the Grand Hotel

World's longest porch - Grand Hotel

Grand Hotel - Mackinac Island

Bike/Horse Path Mackinac Island

After clearing customs in Drummond, Michigan, we put the White Label into full throttle and made the 40-mile crossing of Lake Huron to Mackinac Island.  This island where no cars are allowed and the favored mode of transportation is horse drawn carriages and bicycles, is a tribute to a bygone era. 
The architecture, beautiful landscaping, 8-mile circular shoreline bike/horse path, bustling village (lots of fudge shops), historic hillside Fort Mackinac (that regularly fires off cannons) and the "jewel" of the island The Grand Hotel, all add to the relaxed ambiance of this special place.
For 125 years the Grand Hotel (built in under 100 days) has beckoned travelers as "America's Summer Place".  It is an exquisite property featuring the world's longest porch.  Sipping "Sunny Delights"from the comfortable rockers we had a sweeping view of Lake Huron, Lake Michigan & The Straits of Mackinac (this connects the two lakes).
We enjoyed an afternoon swim in the retro Ester Williams pool with a capacity for 575 and dined in the hotel dining room - dress code:  jacket & tie for the gentlemen & dresses preferred for the ladies ....... a reminder of a more civilized way of life than we've been used to recently. 

The Village - Mackinac Island

You've just got to love a place that has a Trophy Room dedicated to the House Dog ........ not that Sadie is any ordinary pet.  She won Best of Show at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in addition to 112 other shows around the United States.  The room features her ribbons, trophies & many photos.

Tuesday, June 5

Turquoise hued water of Baie Fine fjord

Shoreline of Baie Fine fjord

We began our day with quite a surprise ...... and not the good kind.
As Charlie fired up his Garmin chart plotter/ depth finder/ radar he got the message "system missing" ........ and so it was.
We would be cruising for quite a while the old fashion way, with charts and eyeballs - a whole new/old world, one we left behind at least ten years ago.  We traveled 80 miles and at the Port of Killarney, entered into the North Channel, a more remote, wilder version of Georgian Bay.
 One hundred miles long, it has wider passages, fewer small islands (but many larger ones), is sparsely populated and there is more open water to cover.  Despite its protection from the full force of Lake Huron, it can develop large waves in heavy winds.  Thankfully, that was not the case today.
A must-see along this stretch of the North Channel is Baie Fine, one of the few fjords in North America.

Entering Baie Fine fjord

Lined on all three sides with mountainous terrain, this eight-mile passage leads to the "The Pool" at its far end.  The crystal clear, turquoise hued water of the fjord glistened against the back drop of the forested mountains ............. what a perfect swimming hole, if only the water had been warmer.  It was another magnificent cruising ground.
We ended our day tucked into a spacious cove at Heywood Island.  Over cocktails & a simple, but delicious dinner prepared on our "baby grill" we could hear the loons calling..........

Monday, June 4

Sunset Bad River Anchorage

Bad River Anchorage

Fishermen historic "Point at the Barrel" - marking the harbor

Finally, the weather shaped up and we departed for Point du Baril.  This is the last resort area before entering into the "real" Georgian Bay wilderness.  The name comes from the days when fishermen placed a barrel on shore with a lantern on top to guide them into the harbor....... hence the name "Point at the Barrel".  This is an area of lovely, old cottages scattered among the pines and granite.  The granite represented an ever present danger as we wended our way through a series of very narrow passages.
The social center for this area is the historic 1906 Ojibway Hotel on Ojibway Island.  It is reputed that a veiled lady in white haunts the hotel.  Used today as a dining & athletic center it could easily pass for  "The Outing Club of the North".  Since "The Season", all 8 weeks of it, had not yet started, we were able to wonder through the property and buy a couple of items from the Ojibway Store.
We cruised a total of 84 miles, much of it through the rugged remote areas of Georgian Bay, until we reached the entrance to the French River.  Around 1610, somewhere in this vicinity, French explorer Samuel de Champlain emerged to discover the Great Lakes.  The guidebook got our attention with this question, "What mariner can resist a region named Bad River with Devil Door Rapids at its head?"  This we just had to see.
Bad River is the middle outlet of the French River and the anchorage is known for spectacular pink granite walls, great fishing & a path filled with blueberries.  You could spend days exploring the beautiful maze of channels ............ if only we had a motorized dingy.  We made the most of our kayaks - but left a great deal unexplored.  This spot is the Great Outdoors at its BEST!

Ojibway Hotel on Ojibway Island