Trip #1 Grand Haven, MI - Charlevoix, MI

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

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 away - incredible things might be discovered! Unfortunately, nothing extraordinary in this case, but at least we won’t have to wonder.

We carried on to find Don some chocolate cashew caramel ice cream with a warm waffle cone, and on the way stopped at the Popcorn Shop. There we met a little blonde wisp of a boy manning the counter. He was so smart, personable and well spoken - an excellent salesmen. He told us about all the different flavors, the nuances of each and why he liked the caramel apple corn, but couldn’t eat the butter-rum corn as he wasn’t old enough. He continued to advise us on the choices before us: whether we should buy the caramel corn already sealed in plastic or the fresh corn scooped into a paper bag depending on whether we were interested in getting more for the money or in longevity of the product. He went on to tell us he was eleven years old, this was his first job, and while he was very proud that he got to make the cheese corn, he was also a little sad because he was legally too young to make the caramel corns due to the dangerously hot temperatures of the caramel. A long seven years to go before he gets to do that. I think he will have moved on to better things by then though. He was so charming and adorable – his parents must be very proud of him.

We returned to Latitude Adjustment for a few games of Rummikub (Don won) and a splendid cruise around beautiful Lake Charlevoix. That evening we docked at Irish Boat Works since boat was to be hauled out of the water in the morning and stored in a warehouse for the next two months. While this dock was less than one mile from the harbor we had just left, it was a whole different yachting experience. The moment we pulled up to the cramped tiny harbor lined with back hoes and other heavy equipment, hords of black icky bugs descended upon us. It was as if they knew Charlevoix Harbor was too fancy for them, so decided to hang out at the working class docks with the dredgers, bulldozers and hoisting equipment. The beautiful white boat was black with the critters on the walls, windows and deck. Opening the door to the salon for even a second they swarmed in. We could not talk while outside as it was likely we would swallow bugs – even breathing was risking a bug up the nostril. We hid inside and wore out the dustbuster by sucking up the ones who had sneaked in . We did our best with the situation and cabed to dinner at Edgewater Inn where there was live music with a talented but extraordinarily loud singer/guitarist.

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, then the center of the bridge split open, both sides slowly rising to the sky, providing us a grand entrance into the harbor. Voted by Forbes Magazine as ‘one of America’s prettiest places’, and second only to Lake Tahoe in USA Today’s readers poll for best American lakes, Charlevoix does not disappoint. It’s the cleanest (flop down on the dock for yoga and come away clean!), crispest, yachting-est (yet still friendly) place we’ve come across yet.

We had lunch at Stafford’s Weathervane, enjoying a fun meal on the deck overlooking the canal with Jeremy, our uber talented waiter. One example of his many waiting skills: Don asked “Could you get me some cocktail sauce? Jeremy responded “We don’t have any, but I can whip some up real quick!” He went on to say he’d make it table side so we could watch. I realize it doesn’t sound so impressive, but it was just one thing after another like that and he was fun too.

Then Debbie and I walked around town while Don and John went to guess where? The local hardware store of course! That evening, a beautiful yacht docked next to us: ‘Pilgrim’, an impeccably maintained 75 foot sleek black 1940’s’ cruiser with a lustrous mahogany salon and brass accents, trim and portholes. It had been used in WWII as a patrol boat, cleverly disguised as a family cruiser boat, keeping an eye out for enemy submarines on the eastern seaboard. Captain Don says it’s a masterpiece – never seen anything like it in his life.

Captain Sobrato says you couldn’t make a more difficult craft to maintain if you tried.

Later we walked to dinner at Grey Gables. We had Jeremy, best waiter on the trip at lunch, then at Grey Gables we had Lance. After our first brief Lance encounter, Debbie and I decided we had to be super nice to him as he need a self esteem boost. This was not easy as every time we asked him a complicated question such as “What kind of beer do you have?” a deer in the headlights look came over his face and he had to give it some serious thought. It was a long, slow, dinner, but thankfully, we were having fun as the food and company were very good.

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 overlooking the harbor. We had a challenging flow class and Debbie made friends with everyone.

Then it was across the street for coffee and to the Post Office to mail Father’s Day cards to our wonderful fathers.

The boys worked all morning, first on business, then on to fixing more things on the boat. We finally dragged them away for lunch at Turkeys and out for a walk. We walked down Beach drive, a gorgeous, quiet lake front walk lined with turn of the century (1900, not 2000!) cape cod and shingle style homes with large porches and manicured lawns leading down to the beach (even a lake view croquet court).

hello

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 distinctive architecture dating from the late 1800's. It has Woodland Indian heritage, then in the early 1800’s became a fishing and lumbering town and for the last one hundred and thirty years has been a boating, golfing, summer resort.

We had a late lunch at Stafford’s Pier and the boys walked over hill and dale to a hardware store while Debbie and I leisurely strolled through town. Debbie bought us some giant bling heart rings (sweet!). John and Don spent the afternoon fixing the sliding door, the antennae, the windshield wiper and worked on a variety of other useful projects. We had dinner at The New Yorker and back to the boat for late night Rummikub listening to 70’s music. We also laughed about the Rick Knauf purchased bottled water that can’t stand up and vowed to finish them off ASAP to stop further tippage.

By the way, Captain thinks we are “in the black” for repairs (i.e. more repairs than breakages now – an excellent measure of success). However, Debbie suggests we need to make an emergency ‘what to do if...’ booklet to review before each cruise.

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 ladder leading from lake Michigan to the Leland River was a traditional Native American fishing grounds. White settlers began arriving in the 1830s and the towns’ industry continued with commercial fishing and iron smelting. The riverfront is lined by a boardwalk and weathered fishing shanties (now tiny shops and ‘restaurants’) by a waterfall flowing from river to lake. We walked around looking in a few shops, stopped at a really cute and friendly candy store where Don bought us caramel corn, then to beer at a tavern on the way to dinner a wonderful restaurant overlooking the river not surprisingly called the Riverside Inn.

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 chocolate chips and walnuts… I mean really! That was a bit cruel. But I mostly escaped with no more than a test taste.

John had phone calls and business to take care of while I did yoga on a very dirty dock.

Next it was a cab to a Verizon Wireless store the upgrade the boat’s internet connection. We drove down N. Lake Drive passing beautiful beaches with dozens of volleyball courts on clean white sand and dogs allowed on the beach- Offleash! Too exciting! The neighborhoods are spectacular with elegant old stone homes on at least an acre and tall luscious trees everywhere. After errands we headed back to Brady street for hot dogs (and veggie dogs) and our first cheese curds at Dog Haus to make the Wisconsin experience complete (and my tummy hurt).

We left the harbor at 1:30. The water was absolute glass so we traveled at a blazing 32 knots (we barely made 16 knots other days due to wind and sea). John shows me how he has learned to play ‘video games’ with the radar, tracking the speed and direction of nearby boats to see if we’re on a collision course. We dock at Harbor Center Marina in Sheboygan, WI and John scrubs the exterior while I clean the interior for the afternoon, and it’s off to dinner. OMG! Best dinner in 20 years. Trattoria Stefano in frickin’ Sheboygan. Go figure. Amazing salad with greens, parmesan shavings, thinly sliced pear, drizzled with honey …. So delicately flavorful. Orecchiette with rapini. Crazy good. Then best fresh, light, espresso-y moist Tiramisu ever.

Don and Debbie are supposed to arrive early evening (the captain and crew from the Santa Cruz fishing yacht ‘Hot Pursuit' has agreed to take on the great crossing from Sheboygan to Leland, MI tomorrow). Unfortunately, their luggage was lost they so had dinner at the airport and didn’t arrive until after 10:30 pm.

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 Cafe, on to West Marine and a couple other stops to get supplies (beer), then back to the boat 12 packs in hand.

We arrived in Milwaukee after a lovely 3 hour cruise under sunny skies with manageable 2 foot swells. Upon reaching the marina, we had to dock and tie up three times: (wrong slip, power cord didn’t quite reach, success). Then we hurried to get to the Milwaukee Art Museum with as much time as possible before it closed. The Milwaukee waterfront is gorgeous and the architecture of the building which is on the waterfront is spectacular.

The museum has giant retractable “wings” and looks like a white ship as well as a little like the Sidney Opera House.

We arrived an hour and a half before it closed, just enough time to give the art a bit of a glance. The collection is excellent for an American museum. Afterwards we

walked to Brady street for dinner. Brady street is cool – it’s a kind of hippy chic row of restaurants and stores. John spotted a charming local hardware store and was pulled in for some hardware shopping, which is fun to see him so happy bopping around thinking about what to do with this or that.

We enjoyed dinner at Cempazuchi, a Mexican restaurant from Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. They specialize in tequilas and since it was hot we had some yummy anejo margaritas and then some food!. John stayed up ‘til midnight working on office stuff and emails, while I slept.

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 place it back on track, but as John had suspected, it continued to do it, so we turned it off. Upon returning to the cabin, I asked John to go over what I would do if he should fall overboard. So we went over the MOB button that marks where the Man went OverBoard, the throwing the boat into neutral, ….

For some reason, the ‘seas’ were causing us a bit of grief. John experimented with different speeds and hull heights to get the most speed with the least slamming against the waves. Halfway in to the journey, an 1’ x 8’ portion of the ceiling trim fell on John’s head. Over the next 10 minutes he said a couple of unusual things and I worried he may have a concussion. I was relieved that he snapped out of it quickly – I had probably just imagined it. But I asked him to review with me the radio operation and how to call for help should he get knocked out.

Then, the two mast mounted antennae for internet reception broke and fell to the deck.

Thankfully, being on a lake, I knew there would be no sharks or crocodiles to contend with. Safely in the Winthrop Harbor, IL, John made fun of the purple gyspy scarf I wear to keep my hair from whipping my eyes and the wind out of my ears (just like my mom when we used to sail to Catalina). He said I looked like a hotel maid, which surprised me as I was thinking it was so Jackie O!

We walked in cold wind to the ironically named “Tropics” restaurant in the harbor for dinner where John conversed with some lonely looking weathered yachtsmen at the bar about electrical hook ups etc.

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 good-bye to the Knauf’s as they caught a cab to the airport.

John and I continued on to experience the "accumulation, preservation and exhibition of artifacts illustrating art, archaeology, science and history" at The Field Museum of Natural History (named in honor of the museum's first major benefactor, and department store magnate, Marshall Field).

Rick and Jody were very missed as we returned to the boat that evening. John began fixing a blind while I foraged for dinner (meaning internet research for casual dining within walking distance) and watched ‘Duck Dynasty’ for the first time (a surprisingly funny reality show recommended by Mary and Dave). We opted for Italian delivered to the harbor. As we sat down in the salon to dine, we heard (and felt) rumbling that seemed as though giant wheel barrows were clunking down the dock. We hurried to the deck in time to see that it was actually caused by a most spectacular fireworks display – as good as 4th of July or Disneyland, only better to us as we were on the deck of John's beautiful boat, the Chicago city skyline behind us, the lights of the Navy Pier ferris wheel and the fireworks sparkling over the water … and it was truly glorious. We were only sad that Rick and Jody weren’t with us as they would have really enjoyed it.

Thank you Knaufs for being such enjoyable companions, consummate crew, and generally wonderful people in every way.

John’s doing projects - this time troubleshooting problems with the boat internet connection and cleaning the teak on the steps and swim platform all while waiting for the replacement part from Ken at SkipperBud’s for the fill valve on the toilet . Meanwhile I do yoga in a lovely gazebo at the end of the dock, and Rick and Jody catch up on some email. Next Rick, Jody and I take off for a long walk down the promontory along the harbor channel to the lighthouse, then through town to a bike path through a foresty glade with a quaint wood covered bridge. By one o’clock we learn the part wasn’t shipped overnight as intended so that will have to wait to the next SkipperBud’s in Winthrop Harbor on our way to Racine, WI. So we and we batten down the hatches and cruise on to Chicago!

The two and half hour cruise (our longest “on our own”) was lovely with the sun shining and water nearly flat calm, allowing us to cruise comfortably at 25 knots. Our berth in Du Sable Harbor sits in the heart of downtown Chicago just a few blocks from Millennium Park and Michigan Avenue. This slip was by far the tightest we have encountered with barely a foot of clearance on each side. Nevertheless, John managed another docking without incident.

Following our arrival the boys cleaned the outside of the boat while Jody and I cleaned the inside, and now it’s time for a quick cocktail then clean up for dinner in downtown Chicago for Jody and Rick’s send off dinner. We were joined by Knauf’s good Chicago buddies Julie and Joe Davies. Rick met Joe studying in Rome when he studied abroad in College. They met us on the Latitude Adjustment for drinks and pupu’s prepared by Jody and then thye whisked us off to dinner downtown. We had difficulty finding the restaurant “Untitled” as it had no exterior signage or address - just a plain black door in keeping with the theme of a chic prohibition era ‘speak-easy’ that needed to remain top secret from the coppers.

I awoke early Monday morning and hopped in the shower but something wasn’t right. I turned to look at the toilet and water was gushing over the edge. I looked for a valve to stop the flow, but there was nothing. I yelled for John - there was no response. I threw some towels down to try to keep the flood water from escaping the bathroom, dove into John's sweatshirt (that was handily lying on the floor if you can believe that) leapt to the dock and ran to the hotel lobby looking for John. I couldn’t find him, so ran to Rick and Jody’s room and told Rick we had kind of an emergency as the water continued flowing at a good volume. Just then, John showed up saying the people in the lobby had seen me running around in a panic (I thought I had been more subtle) and after looking at the situation, decided to turn off the breaker which stopped the water pump for the boat, thereby stopping the flow. After some research we found out that the fill valve had gotten stuck open so clean water just kept flooding in. John was able to get it closed so we could turn on the water and power, but we won’t use that toilet until the valve is replaced.

With that as a start to our day, Jody, Rick and I took an hour and a half walk around the town and lake while John dealt with Skipper Bud’s and trying to locate the needed part etc. We wanted to wait to take off for South Haven until the part was located hoping we could get it fixed ASAP. Upon realizing no part was available, John ordered it to be FedExed overnight and we took off for South Haven.

Cruised in to South Haven around 2:00 then Jody and I walked in to the cute and clean town searching for a place for lunch while Rick and John tied up boat ends. We enjoyed lunch on the deck at Bayou Beach an old docked ferry boat that looked like a party cruiser, with their famous S.H.I.T. – South Haven Ice Tea, but the food was surprisingly fresh and tasty.

Then Jody and I walked downtown while John and Rick took a cab to find provisions with Courtney the cab driver (who they later tipped with a pint of Jack Daniels). While pillow shopping at Walmart, John coaxed Rick into flopping down in the aisle to test them out.

Rick opened a good bottle of Pinot Noir which we enjoyed on the boat. We made it to dinner at 9:30 at the restaurant ‘Taste’ On our walk home, John and I sang Fifteen Miles on the Eerie Canal for Jody and Rick who had apparently missed that tune in Kindergarten Choir. Sal must’ve been a pretty cool mule to inspire a song. We played a game of hearts and Rick’s cards fell out of his hand as he fell asleep sitting up, so we decided to call it a day. Things were getting good.

We awoke to grey and windy skies. We had docked at the Ship and Shore Boatel – a sunny, bright place with a 50’s Palm Springs vibe in Saugatuck, MI. It’s a small town of under 1000 people and was originally a lumber town. It is now is a summer tourist destination and weekend getaway for residents of Chicago, Grand Rapids and Detroit areas. In 2010, Saugatuck came in fourth in Budget Travel magazine's ten coolest towns in America.

Jody and I went for a nice jog while John and Rick did some office work. Afterwards, I hopped in the shower and was closing the folding glass door as I was chatting with John and suddenly I was holding the entire door in my hands. With my herculean strength, I had ripped the entire shower door off! But really it was like it magically just detached from the hinge. So John had to figure out where we were going to stow it (it is heavy and cumbersome) while underway. He and Rick wrestled it into the tiger pit (the alias for the engine room having watched Swiss Family Robinson several times as a child) where it remains for now.

Then we all walked in to town for lunch and a tour of the art galleries. The town is said to have been “a noted art colony and tourist destination in the Arts and Crafts movement of the late 19th century”, but that distinction doesn’t seem to have held. While we weren’t impressed by the quality of ‘art’, we had an enjoyable walk through the town.

We were hoping to take the ‘chain ferry’ (a charming little ferry boat that shuttles people across the river powered by a guy cranking a chain that runs around a big pulley and is attached at both sides at the bottom of the river) across the river to climb a very long wooden stair case to the top of the dunes and walk down the other side onto the state park beach, but it wasn’t operating due to the wind so we decided to get the tender out and have a cocktail cruise around the bay.

The tender is quite a little boat with four being max capacity. Jody and Rick were perched tightly in front while John and I were squished close to the motor. Nevertheless, we headed out confidently anyway. By that time there was just a light breeze and a bit of sunshine so all was pleasant as we cruised slowly around the bay. However, when we turned for home, we realized there was a blustery headwind and the waves were churning and Rick and Jody bravely protected us from the cold waters of the Kalamazoo River and enjoyed a chilly Splash Mountain experience until we got into more sheltered waters. To warm up we opted to get warm in the Jacuzzi at the Ship & Shore, then it was Cindy’s taxi service to Douglas for dinner at Ordinary People with our entertaining waiter and Mark Parkinson look alike and a seat-side torched marshmallow s'more for desert.

By the time I’m up, Jody was already out for a run into downtown Grand Haven, Rick was is in the SkipperBud’s ‘beater’ truck driving to the hardware store, and John (who had been up since 6 am) was working on fixing a few small issues that came up on our first night on the Latitude Adjustment.

By 12:30 we were ready to depart and set sail for Saugatuck, MI and were pleasantly surprised by the charm of little red light house and lovely beaches as we left the Grand Haven Harbor. In March of 2012 Grand Haven was named as one of Travel + Leisure Magazine's Best Secret Beaches on Earth along side exotic destinations like Turkey, Australia, France, and Thailand due to soft sand beaches, clear freshwater and towering dunes of the expansive Grand Haven State Park. Poet Carl Sandburg called this breathtaking coastal system a “signature of time,” ranking it among the greatest natural wonders in the United States.

We continued west along the coast viewing the sand dunes with picturesque stairs leading steeply from shore to lovely lake homes interspersed with dense green forest.

We slowed down to take a quick detour into “Holland” with more big beaches and intrepid sunbathers in bikinis (we were all wearing jackets), then continued our journey toward Saugatuck.

We cruised down the Kalamazoo River and into Saugatuck about 4:30 pm. John was pleased the boat was still floating and nothing ever touched the boat but the fenders. After a quick cleaning of the boat we were off for drinks and live music at the Butler Deck. Up until now, we have avoided the rain, but sprinkles started as we walked to dinner at the Wick’s Park Bar & Grille and foreshadowed a big wet evening storm.

First Mate’s Log (Captain is too busy being a Captain to write, so I get to do it!)

John, Rick, Jody and I arrived at SkipperBud’s in Grand Haven, MI Friday afternoon for our first leg of Cruise Across America (aka, “the CAA”) aboard John’s 48’ Cruisers yacht, the Latitude Adjustment.

Shortly after arriving, Jody and I borrowed SkipperBud’s giant pickup and drove in to town to stock up on necessary groceries while John and Rick readied the boat for our first voyage tomorrow.

With the provisioning behind us, we christened the boat with a bottle of Dom, had the traditional cutting of the ‘Don’t even think about boarding this boat as it is already sold’ sign, and sat on the aft deck enjoying the quiet evening sky, glassy water and lovely blue swallows zipping about.

While we intended to drive to downtown Grand Haven for dinner, after several cocktails we decided our best option was to walk to the nearby Friday night local hot spot, Jack’s, at the Holiday Inn where we had dinner and danced to an AC/DC cover band (much to John’s complete delight).