North East Lake Michigan

We left Blind River Marina in the North Channel of Lake Huron on August 5th for a lumpy ride to Drummond Island, MI where we cleared US customs. Off the next morning for an amazing ride across the top of Lake Huron to Mackinac Island. This is the way you want it - dead calm.

Another picturesque lighthouse on the way.

And then into Mackinac Island (pronounced Mackinaw not "ak").

With it's lighthouse and fast ferries loaded with tourists.

There are no motorized vehicles allowed on the island, just horses (600+) and thousands of bicycles. This is a very popular tourist spot with lots of shops, most of them selling fudge - the locals refer to the day tourists as "fudgies".

  

Beautiful homes.

 There is a road that goes completely around the island, we went about half way around, stopped for quick snack at a roadside hotdog stand and were warned about the seagulls.

They didn't get our over-priced dogs! Then up over the top of the island, past the airport for the private jets (I guess you are allowed to land them here, just can't take them downtown), and past the exclusive Wawashkamo golf club - a nine-hole"Scottish links" course for you aficionados. Founded in 1898, it is the oldest one in Michigan.

And past the imposing police department building - size of a small cottage!

Past lots of horse and buggies/wagons, some even self-drive rentals. It is quite something: you see garbage collection, contractors hauling cement/wood, private buggies, taxis, tour buses, Amazon deliveries, you name it, all horse-drawn.

Over the top of the island and to the Grand Hotel.

They have strict dress-code requirements for dinner: jacket and tie for the men, ladies must not wear slacks. And me without a tie! Darn. The hotel even has it's own horse-drawn carriage that picks folks up at the ferry and takes them to the hotel; very spiffy!

Marina was very nice although a bit rough with all the ferry boats racing in and out and freighter traffic during the night.

Enough of the tourist stuff, we got to keep moving. Departed early the next morning and had a relatively smooth ride under the 4 mile Mackinac Straits bridge.

And into the town of Charlevoix and a slip at the city marina. First we got a 'pump-out' and filled the fuel tanks. Charlevoix is a quaint little tourist town, lots of t-shirt shops and of course the requisite fudge shops; but is also has some nice restaurants.

One thing it is known for are the Earl Young houses. He was an architect in the early 20's who decided he could build unique stone homes that were affordable and unique. He did that! Often referred to a 'mushroom' or 'Hobbit' houses they are really quite something. Here is one that caught my eye. Look at the roof, all curves.

And here is a much larger one that has been redone and expanded with a second story; note the thatched roof.

Stocked up on food and booze at the local grocery store; they let us take the cart right to the boat and then left the next morning headed for Leland, another port about 40 miles down the coast. But first we had to wait for the 7:30 bridge opening and the car ferry coming into the lake. He took up the whole channel so it's a good thing we waited! We were followed out by this large 'looper' boat from Maine, "First Snow".

The sand dunes heading south were amazing, some as high as 450'.

The day was so nice and we were at Leland harbor so early (11:30) we decided to keep going to Frankfort, a very long day, 70 miles.

Just pulled into the harbor and dropped the anchor next to "First Snow". Our friends Al and Kaye on "Knot Home" were at a slip and invited us for 'docktails' but we were too tired to get the dinghy launched.

Off the next morning to Manistee. The town has a very long boardwalk along the river and built a new marina building with excellent facilities. Toured the historic district on our bikes, nice old homes.

There are lots and lots of charter fishing boats; this fellow is holding up a lake trout they caught - they had a whole cooler full of them.

Town even provides a fish cleaning station at the beach.

Next day we took a dinghy ride and got a tour of a 180' USCG Buoy Tender and the SS City of Milwaukee, it used to be used as a rail car ferry across the lakes. Over 400 feet long it could carry over 34 rail cars, an entire train.

Here's a view of the deck.

The ship carried only a few passengers and was still furnished with the original chairs, bunks, etc. Right down to the calendar! You can even now rent a cabin sleep aboard the ship.

We also toured the USCG Acacia, which looked like the crew had just stepped off the ship; old computers set up, galley had post and pans hanging up, beds made up. I even got to dock it (of course it didn't move!).

Off the next day to Pentwater; anchored in weedy spot after several attempts to find someplace shallow enough for our limited anchor rode. Were entertained by a sailboat race, a class called an "Ensign" design.

And then had a flock of barn swallows decide we had a good place to perch.

We decided to move to a marina for the next two nights as the wind was picking up. The annual Homecoming Celebration was going on so that kept the town quite busy to say the least. Late night music and revelers!