We cross our wake - Sheboygan to Chicago

Today we crossed our wake, which accoding to the AGLCA (American Great Loop Cruisers Association), is the event that defines the official moment of completing the Great Loop.  Here are the details of the final journey.

We awoke Wednesday morning to an unusual sight, five flags, four at rest in calm winds and one outstretched.  Look closely and you can see that the flag on the right is stuck to the adjacent flag pole.

Proceeding with our plan to return to Chicago for our friend's son's funeral, we departed Sheboygan early Wednesday morning (September 5) with the goal of stopping in Port Washington for the cheapest diesel fuel on Lake Michigan and then on to Milwaukee.

Morning at Sheboygan, WI

Conditions were perfect for the three hour run to Port Washington.  High overcast with a forecast for light southeast winds and a calm lake. Running at 9 MPH we arrived in Port Washington at 10:30 AM. where we took on 215 gallons of diesel at $3.93 per gallon.

An hour later, at 11:30, we departed Port Washington and headed for Milwaukee.  Two hours after that, just north of our destination, we changed our plan and decided to bypass Milwaukee and proceed to Racine approximately 30 miles to the south. 

Windpoint Light just north of Racine Harbor

We arrived at Racine's Reef Point Marina at 4:45 PM.  This second 46 mile segment took approximately five and a half hours.  Except for the last two hours when seas picked up a bit (1 to 3), the trip was on a calm waters.  The total miles for the day were 74 and the total time on the water just under 9 hours.

Guided Discovery at Reefpoint Marina in Racine Wisconsin

Following a walk into town with the Furry Kid, we had dinner at Waves, another one of our favorite restaurants.  (Note: In our 11 seasons of Lake Michigan cruising we have many favorite ports and restaurants).

Diana, Kodi and Les in front of Waves

On Thurday morning we awoke to a perfect morning, sunny with unlimited visibility and 10 to 15 MPH offshore winds out of the northwest.  With offshore winds the lake would be perfect for a cruise to Chicago.  We checked the weather forecast which suggested that Thursday was a weather window and that conditions for the next week would not be as good.  We decided to end our cruise with a final leg to Chicago.

Morning on the final day or four Great loop Adventure

Departing at 7:30 AM, we proceeded south at our favorite 9 MPH cruising speed.  
 

Enjoying the final cruise to Chicago before the flies arrived

Everything would have been perfect for this final cruise had it not been for the flies.  The 10 MPH north wind at our back and our similar southerly speed resulted in no air movement on the boat.  This in combination with our closeness to shore attracted the flies.  Interestingly, we have screens for our camper canvas, which, had we employed them at the trip's start, would have kept the flies out.  Hindsight is 20/20.

Diana and Kodi solved the problem by going below and watching TV (at least Diana did).  I toughed it out, after putting on long pants, and stayed at the helm.  The camper screens work best when you employ them at the first signs of investation.  Fly infestations, at least from my experience, are a Lake Michigan phenomenon.  We did not encounter a fly problem of this magnitute during the 6,150 miles of our Great Loop adventure.

Side story:  In 1984 I bought my first boat, a 38 ft Hatteras FBDC (Fly Bridge Double Cabin).  Unable to get a slip in Chicago, I found a nice one in Michigan City, 45 miles southeast of Chicago by water (and 90 minutes by car).  I took delivery of the boat, which was berthed in Burnham Harbor, and cruised to Michigan City on a lovely early summer day with my Ex and 1 year old daughter.  About 5 miles out the flies arrived, apparently for a convention.  In short order, the boat was literally covered with aggressive flies.  We abandoned the flybridge and proceed into the cabin.  Fortunately, the boat had dual controls and could be operated from the cabin.  Unfortunately, we had left the cabin door open.  For the next three hours we killed flies.  Surprisingly as we got close to Michigan City the flies departed.  By the time we docked the flies were gone.  This first boating experience on Lake Michigan left me wondering if this is what Lake Michigan boating was all about.  The good news.  Except for today's trip south from Racine, I never experienced a similar fly problem.

At 10:25 AM the skyline of Chicago appeared on the horizon.

Chicago ahead.  We are almost home

At 12:25 PM we passed the Bahai Temple, a prominent Lake Michigan landmark.  We were now less than 10 miles from home.

Bahai Temple

At 1:25 PM we turned west into Belmont Harbor.

Pulling into Belmont Harbor - almost home

Slip I-24 is just off the starboard bow

And 5 minutes later at 1:30 PM, we pulled into our slip and officially, after 6,150 miles and 442 days on the water, crossed our wake and completed the Great Loop.

We did it!!!!!!!!

Final Phase II Statistics (Branford CT to Chicago IL):

• 1,580    Miles Traveled - July 2 to September 6, 2012
•    953    Total Gallons Used
•    1.66   MPG Fuel Efficiency
•      72    Locks
•      45    Cities Visited

Final Great Loop Statistics (Chicago to Chicago):

• 6,151   Total Miles - October 3, 2010 to September 6, 2012 
• 5,792   Total Gallons of Diesel Used
•      99   Total Locks
• $3.72   Average Cost of Fuel
•   1.06   MPG Fuel Efficiency
•   442    Days on the Great Loop
• $212    Average Cost Per Day
•   135    Cities Visited
•     11    States and Provinces Visited

Financial Statistics (Chicago to Chicago):

• $21,351  Fuel
• $33,775  Dockage
• $14,879  Repairs
• $22,194  Maintenance
• $  1,488  Misc. Boat Related Purchases
• $93,689  Total Expenditure

Guided Discovery at home in Belmont Harbor

After 23 months and 3 days Guided Discovery was finally back in her slip and we were back in our favorite city.

After securing the boat (which required getting out our heavy 50 ft 50 AMP extention cord) Diana, Kodi and I walked home from Belmont Harbor (3 miles) stopping at another favorite restaurant, the Basil Leaf on Clark Street, for a lovely mid afternoon dinner.   A fitting end to a spectacular experience.

Written by Les



Door County Adventures - Sturgeon Bay to Sheboygan

We arrived in Sturgeon Bay on the 28th around 9:00 PM after an easy crossing of Lake Michigan.  We spent the morning at the Harbor Club, took a long walk through town and then decided to head for Fish Creek.  Motivation.  Well, we've never been there and there was a remote possibility of selling the boat. 

We departed Sturgeon Bay at 1:00 PM, headed west to Green Bay (the bay not the city) and cruised north at 8 MPH for just under three hours close in along the beautiful Door County shoreline.

We docked at the Alibi Marina, which is located adjacent to Fish Creek's the lovely commercial district.  Unfortunately, we took only one photo.  However, that photo (below) of  an old pre WWII Buick captures the essence of Fish Creek.  This is the quintessential coastal town.  Great shops, hotels and lots of good restaurants.

Prewar Buick parked at Alibi Docks

We stayed in Fish Creek for two days to allow Richard, the potential buyer, to see the boat up close.  Some background.  We met Richard and Kim when we were docked in Bing Inlet (Ontario, Canada).  Richard and I chatted about cruising while I showed him Guided Discovery's great navigation system.  We then saw them again at Mackinaw City Marina's gas dock.  While saying hello, Kim asked if we were interested in selling the boat.  Subsequently, we agreed on terms and agreed to bring to boat to Fish Creek.

Richard and several of his friends inspected the boat on Saturday morning and seemed to like what they saw. 

Immediately after showing the boat decided to return to Sturgeon Bay as a north wind was roughening up the bay.

Note: Unfortunately, Richard changed the terms several days later and we were unable to make a deal.

Even though the waves were running 2 to 3 feet, the three hour cruise back to Sturgeon Bay was easy due to a following sea.  We arrived back at the Harbor Club around noon and spent a relaxed afternoon reading on the back of the boat.  We were also serenaded by a band performing at a wedding at the hotel just across the ship channel.  We then had a spectacular dinner at the Inn at Cedar Crossing (a favorite restaurant).

View of the hotel across the ship channel

A word about Sturgeon Bay.  Having visited many cities on our almost 6,000 mile journey that had been negatively inpacted by factory closings, it was nice to be in a city where industry seemed to be alive and well.

Large tug in dry dock at Sturgeon Bay

Sturgeon Bay is home to Palmer Johnson, a builder of large luxury yachts. Palmer Johnson is currently building two boats; a 220 footer and a 170 footer. Adjacent to Palmer is a large ship repair facility. 

220 footer under construction at Palmer Johnson

Note: The hanger where the 220 footer was being built is not on the water.  This boat needs to move at least 500 feet over land to reach the canal.  Locals say it a big deal when they "splash" a boat.

On Labor Day we departed for Manitowoc Wisconsin.  Again we cruised at a relaxed 9 MPH for 6 hours arriving in at the Manitowoc Marina at 5:00 PM.  We initially experienced 2 to 3 foot waves on the beam, which diminished, just as forecast, to less than 1 foot as the day progressed.

Our location on Lake Michigan

We stayed in Manitowoc overnight.  Manitowoc is an industrial town that, unfortunately, like other towns we visited, has lost industry.  Fortunately, they still have a large Anhauser Bush brewery which sits right on the lake.

Anhauser Bush brewery

The city also has a large modern maritime museum.  During WWII the Manitowoc Ship Building Company build 28 submarines, one of which sits in the channel adjacent to the museum.  Check out the history in the photo below.

WWII Submarine originally built in Manitowoc

Early Tuesday morning, Kodi and I took a 4 mile exploratory walk through Manitowoc.  During the walk, as is our custom, we talk with the locals to get a sense of the community and it economic health.  One resident told us about the Mirro plant that had closed several years ago (2003), costing the city a large number of jobs when the jobs were moved overseas.  The massive Mirro facility now sits uninhabited and an unpleasant reminder of the cities plight.  Mirro manufacturered aluminium cookware.


Closed Mirro plant

We headed for Sheboygan at 9:00 AM just after Kodi and I returned to the boat.  Conditions were favorable with light westerly winds (5 MPH) which gave us swells running at less than 1 foot for the 26 mile run.  For the first hour we experienced fog with visibilty as low as 1/2 mile, which rapidly improved to 5 miles in haze during the three hour run.

Fog bank visible as we departed Manitowoc

Upon arrival we took a walk into downtown Sheboygan to have lunch at one of our favorite restaurants, Il Ritrovo. On the way we stopped to examine two vintage automobiles in the Martin Automotive showroom, one of which was a prewar Pontiac.

As usual, our official Social Director, Kodi got us into a conversation with Martin's manager.  Martin was a Pontiac dealer who dropped the franchise years before the Pontiac brand was eliminated by GM.  I've always been curious about about why that occured and thanks to Kodi I got the unabridged story. The dealerhip now sells used GM cars and provides service to their customer base.

We then enjoyed lunch on the deck at Il Ritrovo.  This is a unique restaurant, which also provides high end deli foods and a great wine selection. 

Sheboygan is Kholer country.  The Kholer factory is just five miles out of town and appears to be doing very well (i.e., few vacant stores).  This is one very together city.

After lunch we continued our walk.  Our pleasant day was interupted by the news that our friend's son had taked his own life.  This tragic news altered our plans.  We previouly decided to continue our slow cruise back to Chicago touching base at some of our favorite ports along the western shore (Port Washington, Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha).  Since the funeral was scheduled for Friday, we contemplated cruising to Milwaukee on Wednesday, getting a rental car and returning home for a long weekend and then retuning to Milwaukee to continue cruising.  That plan changed when a the forecast suggested a perfect weather for a cruise back to Chicago on Thursday.  More on that in our next article.

Written by Les.





Crossing Lake Michigan - Leland, MI to Sturgeon Bay, WI

Crossing Lake Michigan is always a challenge. 

Basic facts: Lake Michigan is the only Great Lake wholly within the borders of the United States. It has a surface area of 22,400 square miles making it the largest lake entirely within one country by surface area, and the fifth largest lake in the world. It is 307 miles long by 118 miles wide with a shoreline 1,640 miles long. The lake's average depth is 279 ft, while its greatest depth is 923 ft. Its surface averages 577 feet above sea level, the same as Lake Huron, to which it is connected through the Straits of Mackinac.

Lake Michigan can be as calm as a mill pond or with high velocity (30 MPH plus) northeast or southwest winds it can easily produce 10 foot wind driven waves.    In the winter, northeast gales can produce waves as high as 20 feet.  Did I mention that Lake Michigan can be challenging?

The weather on Monday indicated a window for crossing on Tuesday.  The forecast called for 10 to 15 MPH northwest winds in the morning diminishing to light and variable (5 to 10 MPH) after noon.  One to three foot waves were forecasted in the morning diminishing during the day to less than 1 foot.

That forecast persuaded us to move south to Leland to put us in position for a Tuesday crossing.  As discussed in the previous article, we had a smooth 35 mile trip.

As evening came on Monday the winds calmed.  We thought we had it made.  Then, all of a sudden, around 8:00 PM, the winds started blowing briskly out of the north.  Oops.

The winds were still blowing out of the north when we awoke in the morning and the American flag was fully outstretched; indicating at least a 15 MPH wind.  Whitecaps were visible on the waters just outside the Leland harbor rock wall.  We estimated the morning wave heights at 2 to 3 feet.

We decided to wait and see if the forecast, which remained essentially unchanged from Monday, would hold up.  We were expecting the winds would start to diminish as the morning progressed.

Kodi got to go swimming in Lake Leelanau and we had a lovely breakfast at the Earlybird Restaurant.  By 11 the flag indicated the winds were diminishing although there still whitecaps.

We departed at 11:24 and headed west into the Manitou Passage at 9.2 MPH (1030 RPM, 4.7 GPH) .  The waves were running 1 to 3 foot of the starboard beam.  45 minutes later we turned 21 degrees south and, as we progressed through the passage, the waves diminished as we benefited from the protection of the Manitou Islands.

Two hours and 15 minutes into the trip we turned 21 degrees north (267 degrees) and headed for the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal some 57 miles across the lake.  By the time we made the turn the winds had diminished and waves were down to 1 foot.  For the next 6 hours the conditions continued to improve.  We never made it to a mill pond but it was a very smooth rides.  Bottom line: Conditions were just a forcasted.

At 7:38 PM we passed the pier head light and entered the ship canal.  We cruised west through the canal's four mile no wake zone to Sturgeon Bay.  The only glitch, very slight, was waiting for the Michigan Avenue Bridge which opens on the hour and half hour.  At 8:31 we passed under the bridge and turned into the Harbor Club Marina.

Coast Guard Station at the beginning of the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal

The marina staff quits at 5:00 PM  so we had no help on the dock.  No problem.  After 13 years and over 20,000 miles of cruising, Diana and I have no difficulty docking the boat without help.

Trip Statistics:

•       83   Miles Covered
•       39   Gallons Used
•      1.8   MPG
•      8.8   MPH
•    9:19  Time Enroute

Crossing the Lake is so stressful

Statistics since leaving Branford Connecticut for Phase II:

• 1,318    Miles Traveled Since 7/2/12
•    814    Total Gallons Used (includes sea trial)
•     1.6    MPG Fuel Efficiency
•      72    Locks
•      35    Cities Visited

Great Loop Statistics at Sturgeon Bay, WI:

• 5,889   Total Miles since 10/3/10 
• 5,634   Total Gallons of Diesel Used
•      99   Total Locks
• $3.72   Average Cost of Fuel
•   $84    Average Daily Cost of Dockage
•   433    Days on the Great Loop
• $213    Average Cost Per Day
•   130    Cities Visited

Written by Les.

It's all about the wind - Charlevoix to Leland, MI

We departed today (Monday 8/27 at 9:30AM) for Leland, MI after spending five lovely days in Charlevoix, our favorite port on Lake Michigan.  Thanks to 5 to 10 MPH winds from the west, the 36 mile four hour run was made on seas less than 1 foot.  What a difference from our first run on Lake Michigan six days ago.

Leland is an artificial "harbor of refuge" build by the Federal Government circa 1965 that sits between Charlevoix to the north and Frankfort some 30 miles to the south.  It is provides a safe harbor for small boats in stormy weather in the center of a 70 mile stretch of water.  With Leland, the eastern shore of Lake Michigan has ports approximately 30 miles apart for almost 300 miles.

The town itself is small and the commercial district sits adjacent to the harbor.  Despite its size, the shops are very together.  There is also a small but very well stocked grocery store right by the harbor.  Best of al,l within walking distance, there are no less than five very nice restaurants. 

Historic Fishtown

The major attraction is Historic Fishtown, a group of charming rustic shops at the south end of the harbor.  Fishtown looks like a shanty town for the 19th century.  The dam at the head of the harbor allows water from Lake Leelanau to flow into Lake Michigan. 

lake Leelanau Dam looking toward Lake Michigan

Lake Leelanau is a large inland lake less than half a mile east of Lake Michigan, which is not accessible from the big lake.  It has 41 miles of shoreline.  We have in past years rode our bikes around Leelanau.

We've stopped at Leland many times in our years of cruising Lake Michigan.

Side story: In 2006, less than a month after taking delivery of our new 48, we were starting our trip back to Chicago after visiting our favorite ports on Little Travis Bay.  The water was calm and we were running at 30 MHP when all of a sudden we heard an engine alarm.  We immediately shut down the engines and looked into the engine room.  Big problem.  The port engine was covered with black oil.  It was obvious we had incurred a major oil system failure.

Fortunately, we were about 10 miles north of Leland when the failure occured.  After determining that the port engine was not operational, we proceeded to Leland on the starboard engine.  We called the harbor and notified them that we were in trouble and they told us they would be waiting for us at their the gas dock.  Enroute we also called the dealership, Skipper Buds, to report the problem.  We were fortunate to reach Denny Ellerbrock, the Sr VP.

This story has an amazingly happy ending to what could have been a nightmare (a major breakdown in a small town miles from any big city).  Skipper Buds (Denny) was amazing.  He arranged for one of their delivery captains at the dock before we arrived, arranged to have the oil cleaned up (10 hours work for two men - $1,000) the next day and arranged to have Cummins, the engine manufacturer, have a technician on the job the day after the cleanup. 

Failed Oil Cooler Housing

The problem was diagnosed as a hairline crack between two bolts on the oil cooler housing caused by a faulty casting.  The three inch fracture caused approximately 3 gallons (of 6 in the crankcase) to spray out under intense pressure  Hence the awful mess in the engine room.  Two days later the boat was repaired and we were on our way.  Kudo to Skipper Buds.

Look close and you can see the crack between the two bolts

Back to the present.  We took a nice hour walk, took Kodi swimming in Lake Leelanau, had a delicious dinner at the Bluebird and facinated a bunch of kids and adults with Kodi's wide range of behaviors.

Kodi swimming 60 yards from the shore on Lake Leelanau

Written by Les.

Another rough crossing - Mackinac Island to Charlevoix

Starting on Monday (8/22), the Lake Michigan open water forecast called for southwest winds of 10 to 15 building as high as 20 to 25 and remaining constant through the weekend.  Winds out of the southwest when you are sitting at Mackinac Island are a real concern.  Again, basic principle, high winds over open waters equal big waves.  The view from Mackinac looking south to Chicago sees 350 miles of open water.

On Wednesday morning the forecast called for southwest winds at 10 to 15 MPH building to 15 to 25 in the afternoon.  Waves at the north midlake weather buoy were 2.0 feet.  Waves at the weather buoy off Charlevoix were 2.3 feet.

We faced several choices.  Stay in Mackinac Island for several days.  This would be an easy choice if it were not for the fixed docks, which make it difficult for Kodi to get on and off the boat.  The other option was to return to the floating docks at Strait State Marina in Mackinaw City and wait out the winds.  The third option, which we took, was to head down the Straits of Mackinac to get a first hand look at conditions with the option of turning back to Mackinaw City, or heading for Harbor Springs, some 55 miles south.  Option three turned out to be a bad choice.

We departed at 9:00 AM and headed west under the Mackinaw Bridge,  Waves as we proceeded west started out at 1 foot and ultimately built to three feet by the time we reached the Abandoned Light just east of the Grays Reef Passage.  We were running at a comfortable 9.0 MPH.  During the first 24 miles we were protected by the shoreline that extends out to the reef. 

Abandoned Light

All that changed when we turned southwest and hit the waves head on.  Now we were dealing with four footers on open water with an occassional six footer.  No fun.  We tried several speeds including 20 MPH with the boat on plane, which resulted in the boat banging on the short frequency waves.  We ultimately settled on 1390 RPM and 10.2 MPH.  This gave us sufficient way without excessive banging.  It also was reasonably efficient at 13 GPH although in big waters fuel economy is not a prime concern.

For the next 75 minutes we plowed through the waves toward Harbor Springs.  At 1:00 we changed our mind and our course by 13 degrees and headed for Charlevoix.  Our decision to extend the trip by approximately 3 miles and 20 mintutes was based on the fact that Harbor Springs could only provide a floating dock for one day while Charlevoix had availability through the weekend. 

Charlevoix is also our FAVORITE port on Lake Michigan.  Prior to retirement we cruised 300 miles from Chicago to Charlevoix at least once per season and many times twice, staying for at least two weeks each visit.   We've made no less that 15 visits, which equals 30 crossings of Lake Michigan.

We docked at the Charlevoix Municipal Marina at 3:00 PM and were greeted by our old friend Hal, the Harbor Manager.  Hal put us on the end of the t-dock with a magnificent view of Round Lake.

Guided Discovery on Round Lake.  The Beaver Island Ferry is just to the right

Below is our list of uncomfortable crossings to date:

• Appalachacola to Tarpon Springs - The Gulf of Mexico
• Oswego to Trenton, Ontario - Lake Ontario
• Parry Sound to Byng Inlet - The Georgian Bay
• Mackinac Island to Charlevoix

Now to Charlevoix.  Charlevoix lies at the western end of Little Travis Bay and touches both Round Lake and Lake Charlevoix.  Round Lake has been called the best natural harbor on Lake Michigan and is the only way to get from Lake Michigan to East Jordan, Boyne City and other sites on Lake Charlevoix by boat. As a result, much commercial, industrial, and recreational boat traffic passes through Charlevoix.

Looking at the east side of Round Lake

Looking at the west side of Found Lake

Charlevoix with its location and a population of 3,000 has it all.  Four great restaurants (Stafford's Weathervane, Terry's Pace, Grey Gables, and Edgewater Bistro), a modern marina with a lighted fountain for kids and a bandshell, a "real" supermarket one block away, great retail downtown and, of course, a fudge shop (as it is a tourist town).

Stafford's Weathervane Restaurant by the bridge

Fountain at the marina lights up at night

On Thursday we took Kodi down to the beach off Little Travis Bay where she went swimming and made a new friend, Buddy.  We also made new friends with the dog's owners, Bob and Ruth who live in a beautiful A-frame overlooking Round Lake.

Bob and Buddy

Bob's Earl Young home overlooking Round Lake

Earl Young is famous for building a group of "fairy tale" mushroom houses around the Boulder Park neighborhood near the city's lakefront starting in 1918.  These homes are really special.

Magnificent Earl Young mushroom home on Round Lake

Round Lake is also a boating paradise that attracts yachts from all over the world.  In fact, the Yorktown docked where Guided Discovery currently sits (a 120 foot t-dock). 

Side story: The oversided (for the dock) 257 foot Yorktown tore out a piling and a cleat.  Noteworthy: Prices for the 11 day Great Lakes Cruise start at $5,000 and go to $8,700. 

91 foot Burger Go Fourth from Delray Beach transitioning Round Lake

Charlevoix is also the home of the Emerald Isle, the ferry that makes two trips per day to Beaver Island, which lies 32 miles to the north west.

Emerald Isle sitting on Round Lake

Another Side Story: When we began the Great Loop adventure we met a gentleman from Charlevoix, John Wynn, at our stop in Peoria.   John was cruising down the western rivers on a 40 ft Silverton with a Charlevoix hailing port.  When I mentioned that Charlevoix was our favorite port and that we greatly admired on particular boat house (see photo below) he revealed that he was the owner.  John and his brothers founded "Four Wynns." a small boat manufacturer.

John Wynn's palatial home and boat house on Round Lake

Just off John Wynn's home is a colorful floating hot dog stand; A Guy, A Gal and A Grill, which is run by a female college student.  Observing from our perch on the t-dock they seemed to be doing a good business. 

Charlevoix really has it all including the best farmers market we've ever seen (that takes place in the park adjacent to the marina).

Farmer's Market with good entertainment

Written by Les.



 

We join the fudgies - Mackinac Island adventures

A little history (borrowed from Wikipedia): Mackinac Island is resort area covering 3.8 square miles of land area on Lake Huron at the eastern end of the Straits of Mackinac. The island was home to a Native American settlement before European exploration began in the 17th century. It served a strategic role in the Great Lakes fur trade. This led to the establishment of Fort Mackinac by the British during the Revolutionary War. It was the scene of two battles during the War of 1812.

In the late 19th century, Mackinac Island became a popular tourist attraction and summer colony. Much of the island has undergone extensive historical preservation and restoration; as a result, the entire island is listed as a National Historic Landmark. It is well known for its numerous cultural events; its wide variety of architectural styles, including the famous Victorian Grand Hotel; its fudge; and its ban on almost all motor vehicles. More than 80 percent of the island is preserved as State Park.

This was our third visit to the Island in the 13 years we've been cruising.  I also flew a Cessna 172 to the island in 1973.

The Grand Hotel as viewed from Guided Discovery enroute to Mackinac Island

Today, 15,000 visitors per day visit the island, almost all by ferry (a few come by private plane and boat).  Vistors, according to Mackinac culture, are known as "fudgies," which relates to the fact that almost everyone who visits the island samples or buys fudge.  There are easily 10 fudge shops on Main Street.

View of the Main Street commercial area

Lake View Hotel on Main Street

Side story: Our cruise was interrupted by the US Goast Guard who attempted to board us for a safety inspection while we were enroute to the island.  Mind you we were trawling at 8 MPH when we passed the Coast Guard boat which then turned on its blue light.  After they refused to acknowledge our Coast Guard Auxillary Courtesy Inspection, we refused to allow them to board until we docked.  They agreed and we contined for another 25 minutes at leisurely let-em-wait 8 miles per hour. Four of them boarded when we arrived and went through their silly routine (which is not as extensive as the Auxillary's).  Needless to say, we meet or exceed all requirements.  Political commentary.  I have been boarded 3 times this year, twice on friends boats in July.  The Coast Guard on Lake Michigan is a pain in the ass, which was not the case on the entire Great Loop route.

Guided Discovery and Jan's Tern at Mackinaw Island State Dock

Fort Mackinac as viewed from the Mackinac Harbor State Dock

We stayed on Mackinac Island for two days.  Highlights included a four mile walk with Kodi, Bicycling around the island, dining with Bob and Jan, shopping (for fudge and t-shirts) and enjoying the island's incredible ambiance.   I'll let the photos tell the story.

View of the harbor and city

Bob and I walked to the Grand Hotel, which requires a $10 per person fee just to walk onto the grounds, which includes the porch and the lobby.  We took a pass.  Per person rates run from $254 for a small room to $723 for a "named" room.

The Grand Hotel

A lovely lady asking for the $10 grounds fee

When we awoke on Tuesday we discovered that the Yorktown, which we saw in Little Current 13 days ago, had docked behind us disgorging lots of fudgies.

Yorktown docked at Mackinac Island

A flag raising ceremony takes place at 9:30 AM each day.  Flags are raised when the cannon on Fort Mackinac booms.  Kodi HATES cannons.  She also hates gunfire, fire crackers, fireworks and thunder.  Mackinac Island was not one of her favorite places.  What added to her discomfort was the fixed docks.  She had to duck under the safety cable in order to get off the boat.

Flag raising ceremony

Kodi and I on the way to Arch Rock

View of the Lake Huron from Arch Rock

Lunch at the Carraige House with Bob and Jan.  A beautiful setting

The Carraige House as viewed from the water's edge

The Grand Hotel's grand carraige outside the Carraige House

A visit to Mackinac Island is not complete without fudge.  So, as a typical "fudgie" we visited several fudge shops to watch the process. 

Pouring the heated ingredients onto a cold marble table

Shaping the fudge as it cools.  An art form

The finished product sliced and ready for the display case

The value of a single slab of fudge is approximately $300 (50 slices).  A slice sells for $6.00.  Let's see, the cream costs X, the choclate costs X, the labor costs X - - you get the picture.

Yes, I broke down and ate fudge.  It was Chocolate Walnut from Joanne's and it was terrific.

Written by Les.