June 14, 2013
Length of Trip: 15 days Nautical Miles Traveled: 425 Hours of Cruising: 21 Longest Driving Day: 120 NM: Sheboygan, WI - Leland, MI Pleasant Surprise: Leland, MI Biggest Disappointment: Bugs on shore of Lake Charlevoix Favorite Destination with Knaufs: Saugatuck, MI; Favorite Destination with Lombardis: Charlevoix, MI Favorite Meal with Knaufs: Ordinary People, Saugatuck, MI Favorite Meal with Lombardis: Grey Gables, Charlevoix, MI
June 13, 2013
The day began with everyone doing their own thing: running, yoga, coffee, tea, pick up honey at the farmer’s market, fix things, clean things. We regrouped to have lunch under red umbrellas at a sidewalk café, then couldn’t resist peeking in to a shop across the street called ‘The Treasure Chest’. When you come across an unfamiliar store called ‘Pandora’s Box’, or ‘The Arc of the Covenant’, or ‘The Treasure Chest’, names with magic or mystery, one shouldn’t just walk...
June 12, 2013
Woke up to a fogged in harbor, so we relaxed and enjoyed the coffee/ lattes that Don had kindly brought from town while we waited for it to clear. The sun came out and we cruised glassy waters to Charlevoix, MI. Coming into the harbor we had to cruise through a short, narrow, man-made canal that connects Lake Michigan to Lake Charlevoix which was originally a land-locked lake. At the end of the canal is a low bridge. We waited for car and pedestrian traffic to be stopped by the bridge tender,...
June 11, 2013
A side note on the photos: you may have noticed in many of our pictures Don’s head is either really big or really small. This is because the two dimensionality of a photograph creates the illusion that whoever/whatever object or body part is in front looks comparatively bigger. So even though all appears calm and peaceful, before each photo is taken there is a scuffle amongst the guests as they vie for who is not Big Head. This morning Debbie and I walked to Vinyasa yoga in a little studio...
June 10, 2013
Debbie and I started our morning off with a Hatha yoga class a block from the harbor while John and Don worked on boat projects. We picked up morning coffee and tea at the adorable candy store (Debbie saw me eying the saltwater taffy, so bought a bag for me) then walked back to the boat in a warm rain. We cruised uneventfully to Harbor Springs and docked. Harbor Springs is nestled between high wooded bluffs and the deepest natural harbor in the Great Lakes. It’s full of quaint shops and...
June 09, 2013
Don and Debbie made it in late at night, but they had their luggage and were in good spirits, so all was good. We pulled out of Sheboygan early knowing we had a four or five hour cruise ahead of us. The weather was hazy, not too cold and the water smooth, which made for a pleasant cruise. We made Leland (MI) Township Harbor about 3 p.m. It’s a charming small town on the tip of the pinkie finger of Michigan’s glove where the Leland (Carp) River flows into Lake Michigan. The natural fish...
June 08, 2013
We had a leisurely morning that went by way too fast. I walked to a really cool coffee house near the harbor (Alterra Coffee Roasters) in a large brick Georgian style building surrounded by grass and charming umbrella-ed patios - very European looking. I went in for a latte, but was faced with fresh cinnamon rolls, quiches, pastries and myriads of muffins - of which I am not generally a fan, but such an unusual variety like pumpkin cranberry muffins and peanut butter banana muffins with...
June 07, 2013
We rolled out of the bunk early as repair men were to arrive at 7 a.m. to replace the shower door that I had so cavalierly decided to separate itself from the enclosure three days ago. And BTW, since our guest cabin was empty, we’d been using that shower, and it’s very roomy and nice (for those of you who are on the fence about joining us for a leg of the trip) We walked a mile or so from the harbor through the Spring Bluff Forest Preserve in Winthrop Harbor to breakfast at Linda’s Family...
June 06, 2013
I really enjoy boating, but I must admit that when the waves get to about 3 feet, I have a recurring fantasy of putting on my life jacket. So, the cruise from Chicago to Winthrop Harbor (we had revised our plan of docking in Racine as the infamous ‘part’ – the toilet valve – had been shipped to SkipperBud’s in Winthrop) was in grey skies, rain and choppy waters. Right out of the break wall the windshield wiper slid too far and stuck on the side of the windshield. I scurried out to...
June 05, 2013
We woke up to a glorious and sunny day in Chicago. Rick tested out the galley by making the first hot meal on board, fried eggs, and toast with no toaster. Afterwards, we walked to Buckingham fountain to admire the beautifully patinaed hippogryphs spouting volumes of water, then to the Shed Aquarium where we saw amazing Sea horses, Beluga Whales, and many, many children. Then it was a quick and delicious lunch at Panozzo's Italian Market from Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. Afterwards, we said...