Our trip plan called for one of the shorter days in recent past. We would go only 20 miles to Grafton Harbor, one of the top 10 favorite stops of Loopers. We arrived Grafton, noting there was no cell phone service, and our NEBO functioning at a very low level. We had heard that Verizon was virtually nonexistent in this area. The time was only 10 am, we were on a roll, so we opted to continue to Alton, Illinois, another 20 miles sort of South and mostly East.
This barge (5 deep) was running 10 knots and it was all my little John Deere could do to get past. It took me almost 3 miles to get ahead of him. Note the size of the wake he’s pushing. These guys usually run 3-4 knots, but not the case on the Mississippi, with the swift current.
Our first day of sunshine in a week made the colors more vivid.
This floating dock is quite useful during the floods. Water was 1/3 up the levee in the background, I am told.
Highway 67 Bridge by day
…and by night
We arrived in Alton around noon and fueled up before heading to our slip. Laundry was the next mandate, so we knocked that out and took a little 30-minute snooze. We saw a guy walk up to the boat, all but looking in the window. A local, Dan was admiring our boat. He and his wife hope to do the Loop someday, so he was interested in the boat and how we reached the decision to buy this one. We invited him and Cherri over for a boat tour and they gladly accepted. They own a boat and keep it here at the Alton Marina, so he is far more advanced in experience than I was when we started our research. We enjoyed our time together. As they were departing, we asked about the town and for what the town is known. As he scratched his head, he remembered that Bon Air Fast Eddie’s is where everyone liked to hang out. Fifteen minutes later, we were in the back seat of Dan’s pickup on our way to Fast Eddie’s. A huge piece of real estate (Eddie bought 4 city blocks since his founding in 1981), we wandered into the place, ordered our peel-and-eat shrimp, hamburgers, shish kabob’s and wings on a stick. The cool thing is they still sell the food for the prices they set 19 years ago, when they added food to their drink menu. Our ½ pound burger was only $1.99! “Over 4,000 half barrels of beer and thousands of cases of cans, bottles, and liquor quench the thirst of our patrons every year. Some even say that Bon-Air is the #1 volume bar in the world.” So now, we have been to Fast Eddie’s, and even bought the T Shirt!
Cherri, Dan, Amanda, Wes
Dan and Cherri were great local hosts. Low key and full of conversation, they are the perfect twosome to make transients like us feel at home. We are so glad to have stretched our day to Alton, Illinois.
With the weather forecast calling for lots of rain and continued cold (to us), we decided to push on southbound today. It was either sit on the boat in a strange town, watching it rain, or move on down the river…and watch it rain. We covered 57 miles and made it to Hardin, Illinois located just 20 miles above the mighty Mississippi. A long quiet, ride, we are finding the barges cause us less stress than when we first entered the river system. With virtually no boat traffic, we enjoyed the more relaxing ride. The terrain changed significantly from the past few days. Hills now instead of flat delta land seems to be the norm for this area. The landscape is much prettier.
A Marathon barge & tow.
Marathon put lots of peas and cornbread on our table growing up.
The hills make the landscape more interesting.
The milestone for today’s journey was the crossing under the I-72 bridge, which seems pretty insignificant, other than the fact it is the most Western point of the The Great Loop. From here on, we are either Easterly or Southerly until we round the tip of Florida.
Nearly the most Westerly part of our adventure
Three wide x five deep.
With the push of the current, we were able to leave at 7:00 am and arrive just before 2:00, 30 minutes before kickoff of the LSU/Auburn game. The staff at Mel’s Riverfront Restaurant tolerated and served us well.
Mel’s Riverfront Restaurant is neither pretty or fancy, but their hospitality is down to earth and they genuinely care that you have a nice experience. Just keep Mike Hostillo and Jamie Casino away from their dock. That’s an accident waiting to happen.
They allowed us to tie up to their dock, sit in one of their dining rooms (where the TV is located), and enjoy the football game, all before ordering dinner. The wait staff and management could not have been kinder. I have grown to appreciate the core of Americans, the ones who, every day, hit the grind, do their jobs well, and trust that their hard work will ensure provision for tomorrow. Mel’s is the premier restaurant in this little town, which was one of the hardest hit regions during the flooding of the Illinois River this year. Sand bags were still stacked around numerous houses and businesses along the river.
The football game, a hard fought battle, turned out to be a relief, as an LSU fan, as opposed to a celebration. Thankfully, the game was in Baton Rouge. That was probably worth more than the 3-point victory.
After a quick walk to the Family Dollar store in the cold rain, we watched a little baseball and called it a night. We dozed off to the rain peppering down on the deck above our heads.
The flotilla pulled out at 7:30 this morning. Six miles downstream was our first lock of the day. We learned, that because of the high water, the lock itself was not in operation. They drop the wickets, which in essence means we drive over the dam, literally. Pretty anti-climactic, it was nice not having the normal experience of delays and miscommunications with the locks. Avoiding those delays makes the 68-mile day pass a little quicker.
Going downstream, the current is your friend. 9.3 knots makes me feel like a race car driver.
Barge traffic was also much lighter today. Seems this section of the Illinois is less developed along the riverside, so there are fewer barges hauling. Here’s a little trivia to bore you, regarding the barge traffic. I thought the barge world was passé, and not as relevant as it once was. One barge carries the equivalent of 16—18 wheelers or 15 jumbo hopper train cars. And an 8-barge tow, going .1 of a mile carries the same amount of cargo as a string of 18-wheelers 19.1 miles long, assuming 150 feet between vehicles. These guys move 10’s of thousands of tons with one tow.
The railway bridge at Beardstown.
Colors colors colors.
The high water was rough for some.
Though we were third in line when we left this morning, I
was the last to arrive about 4:00 pm. We
tied to a barge that was secured to the shoreline. This tow company supplements their revenue by
allowing boats to tie here. With marinas
and good anchorages spread pretty far apart in this area, the dirty old barges
look pretty good after a long day. They
are safe and out of the channel and you don’t have to worry if your anchor is
going to hold all night.
We caught up with some of boat friends in the little town of Beardstown.
Please, it’s important you eat your oats…at least 2 pounds a day
This is Lincoln country.
And I thought dinosaurs were extinct.
We traveled all the way from Peoria to Little Mexico on our boat today.
Vintage gas pumps.
Sunset over the Illinois. Our boat is the furthest away and hardly visible.
We explored the city block and walked to a restaurant for dinner. Amanda and I then went to the grocery, because our supply of Oreo’s and ice cream had reached a critical stage; and there is no grocery accessible tomorrow. Another crisis averted.
Our friends have decided to stay 2 nights, but we will pull out at day break Saturday morning, push another long day, and with luck arrive in Hardin, just in time to watch LSU and Auburn play, 2:30 local time. We called the restaurant to ensure they would have TV access for us, as this was a condition of our coming to their dock.
54 miles was the plan for today. After being advised by the lockmaster last night that he would get us through at 7:00 am, we called him at 6:30 to confirm. “Looks like it will be around 9:00 before we can get you through,” we were told. He promised to call at 9, which he didn’t, so I called. He said come right now and we will get you through with the tow going in. We jerked the power and the lines, and took off like our pants were on fire, running at a blazing 9 mph all the way to the lock. As we pulled up into position, the lockmaster closed the gates in front of us.
The gates closed and we watched the tow sink down 22′ without us in there.
The tow advised us on the radio that we could go through on the next cycle. So much for good communication. The lock masters are responsible for coordinating the cargo up and down the rivers, so pleasure boaters, rec craft, etc. get the leftovers. It’s okay, we made it through shortly thereafter and headed downstream for our long day.
Bollard floats with the water level. One midship tie keeps the boat secure while being lowered.
This beautiful tree was at the Starved Rock Lock.
The day was long, but fairly uneventful (a good thing). We continue to enjoy the colors of Fall. There’s clearly a nip in the air. For Amanda, it’s more than a nip; more like a 5 gallon bucket. Though we have an enclosed pilot house, it still gets pretty chilly inside. To run heat, I have to run the generator, which I prefer not to do so while underway.
Amanda goes to the engine room when she gets cold. It’s REAL toasty down there; loud, but toasty. I have a camera in the engine room so I can keep an eye on her.
Wishing for more sunshine and warmer temps, we are content to be sightseers and free to travel in this country we call home. We (especially me) enjoy the absence of so much TV, 24-hour news, and politics. My attitude, I have found, is generally much better without those things. We still miss family and friends, wishing that each (one or 2 at a time) could join us on the legs of this adventure. We are so fortunate to get to taste and see. Early Wednesday morning, I saw a small deer drinking from the riverbank. The verse in Psalms immediately came to mind, “As the deer panteth for the water, so my soul longs for You.” Though we often encounter those who share the same faith, we do long for the fellowship of the church.
Sometimes, she sends me outside just to remind me of who the captain really is.
We arrived at the Illinois Valley Yacht Club (IVY as it is called) around 5:30 pm. We were pleasantly surprised to find other Loopers (Thunderbolt, Drifters, Pura Vida III, Kissed Some Frogs) already in the marina. Finally, we have caught up with some folks who are sharing our experience. The marina office was closed already, so we were instructed to deal with the bar tender in the little Yacht Club Grille. There we met up and ate with the other Loopers and exchanged truths and lies about our experience.
We try to keep things serious, because this is a dangerous hobby.
We had previously met a couple of the boats, and were introduced to the others. We all decided to leave together on Friday morning, with the goal of going to Beardstown, Illinois (Longston Tug). An ambitious ride of 59 nautical miles (68 statute); we will see how it goes. Each boat cruises at a little different speed, and we are clearly the slowest. But we burn significantly less fuel than the others and usually arrive 30 minutes or so after the crowd. I was in a hurry for 45 years, so I’ve decided the slow boat is good therapy for me, forcing me to “smell the roses” and see what’s going on around me.
We pulled out of the Big Basin Marina, adequate, but not a place we plan to revisit, a little after 7 am this morning, with the Dresden Lock just 5 miles downstream.
With a small delay, we were able to get in and out and continue on our merry way. The scenery was prettier, at least for awhile, than the industrial environment we’ve seen the last few days. Kind of like Pt. Wentworth, Ga., we deem it as a necessary evil. Not pretty, but essential to the economy for us all.
The changing of the colors was one of our hopes for this leg of our journey.
We enjoyed the flat waters, a mix of sunshine, and the changing colors of the leaves. For the most part, it was a better than expected vista, as we had been warned that this was not the pretty part of the Great Loop. We have hoped for the best and expected the worst, continuing on the South and Westward route. Today’s journey covered the Illinois and DesPlaines Rivers. Thus far, it’s been all downstream, so our gas (diesel) mileage and speed has been excellent. With the more speed, we get to spend more time waiting at locks. I have to remind myself occasionally, I could be sitting at my desk, estimating a sprinkler job, and wondering how I’m going to make payroll this week. This is good, and I’m not complaining.
Interesting sculptures along the riverside.
I think they represent the highway and railroad bridges that cross the rivers.
Forgive me, I love the lift bridges…in this case the railway lift bridge.
We arrived at the Marseilles Lock just before noon. I made the routine call to the dock, advising of our presence, and seeking an estimated time for locking through. The lock master advised me the barge traffic was heavy but he was relatively certain he could get us through…today. “Come on up close to the lock and stay near to the last red buoy. We’ll see what we can do,” I was told. Taking a deep breath, and remembering what my fellow Loopers had already experienced, I pulled up near that last red buoy and dropped the anchor. A short 3 hours later, the lock master called and said we could come on through.
The Marsailles Lock, looking downstream
…looking upstream from the stern.
Our first bald eagle since the Hudson River, he waited patiently with us at Marseilles Lock. He grew bored after a while and moved on.
The rest of the day was pretty uneventful, with the exception of the occasional tow/barge traffic. These guys can be intimidating, but we have become accustomed to seeing them, so we don’t get quite as nervous as we did, whether meeting them or passing them.
These sites are commonplace, unless their bigger and longer. Their “prop wash”, as it is called, can really make your boat do crazy things after you pass, or if you catch up to one of them. Not fun navigating.
After locking through Marseilles, we had one more lock to possibly get through before day’s end: the Starved Rock Lock. Having met another boat, who had waited 5 hours at the lock where we waited 3, we agreed to push together and try to get through before dark. We arrived just before 5 pm and saw the same barge we had waited on previously. The captain on the other pleasure craft radioed the lock, asking what was the estimated time for our passage. “Probably ’bout 3 hours ‘fore we can get you through,” was the response. As I started my U-turn in the river, I was soon being followed by our new buddy boat, the Casa Marina II. We doubled back to a marina about a mile upstream (Starved Rock Marina) and tied up stern to stern at the fuel dock, because the marina entrance was too shallow for our boats.
So we are tucked in for the night just upstream of Starved Rock. We called the lock master tonight, and he assured us he could get us through at 7 am tomorrow morning. That assurance is based purely on the absence of barges, at that time. We look forward this section being behind us. This little skinny thin-skinned boy is ready to find some warm weather. I didn’t work 45 years, retire, and spend half my net worth on a boat, just so I could be cold. Come on Florida!
We landed in Chicago at 2:30 pm. My cousin, Ronnie, had been in contact with me after a visit with my folks and told me he would be in Chicago the day we arrived. We met in the airport and had a great visit with Christy and Ronnie’s son Marcus. Getting to be with family members that are separated by many miles is certainly precious. And I suppose, as we get older, it will only become more so. Thanks Ronnie for putting forth the effort to connect again.
Ronnie, Marcus, and Wes in the O’Hare Airport. Ronnie’s mom and my dad were siblings. We used to fight over Granny Dorman’s last piece of chocolate pie.
We got to the boat around dark after a 1 hour Uber ride. Sunday morning, October 20th, we listened to our home church service, tried to pull things together for the next leg of our adventure, and then our friends, the DeYoungs came to visit us. They transported us to lunch, the grocery store, and then back to the boat. John and Karen helped us drop the mast on the boat (next leg has some low bridges). As I said earlier, they’re pretty good folks. Their efforts were much appreciated and they made our transition to boat life much more simple.
Monday morning, the 21st of October, we pulled out about 8:00 am. Most all our boating friends are now gone ahead of us, but we have heard time and again about the barge traffic and about the extensive delays at the locks. All our friends were telling the truth. With approximately 100 locks now under our belt, we felt plenty experienced in negotiating them, but we had not encountered the barge traffic and their impact on locking through. Barge traffic here rules the waterways, and though we are treated kindly and with respect, we pleasure boaters are really a nuisance to the tows moving the world on water.
We got through the Lockport Lock with very little delay or drama. I was thinking that being behind all the pleasure boater traffic might be to our benefit, since most are done. We weaved our way through barges, waiting when they tell us to wait, passing them on the “1 whistle” (port to port) as they instruct. Though stressful, I must admit it is quite gratifying learning a new way to drive and communicate in a world totally foreign to me. Lord, keep me from being or doing stupid. We passed under the 5 draw bridges and things were going well. Next lock, Brandon Road. We called the lock master and asked for the next opening. “A while,” we were told. “How long?”, we asked, but got no concrete answer. Barges were waiting to go up and to go down. After 30 minutes, we doubled back to the Joliet Wall, a free wall to mooring transients, determined to wait and check in with the lockmaster occasionally. If necessary, we could stay the night here. The “while” went 1 hour, 2, and eventually 3 hours. Around 7:00 and an now dark, we got the word he could get us through. At the same time we learned the lock will be closed for the next 2 days, after today, so it would be Thursday before we could move, unless we go now. I made the decision (and Amanda reluctantly agreed) to go now and get through this thing. With 2 other boats (I would never have done it alone), we headed downstream. With another barge going down also, they put the 3 pleasure craft (aka PC’s) on the opposite wall. We got through the lock with little drama and drove downstream into the darkness. Tomorrow’s forecast calls for a GALE WARNING, meaning winds gusting to 40 mph. We called a dive of a marina that was just a few miles down the river and pulled in about 9:30 pm. After trying numerous slips that were not deep as our draft, we managed to get into one, hook up power, and call it a night.
We were warned that these 2-3 weeks would not be much fun, and so far that forecast has been accurate. We are taking in the industrial scenery, fascinated by all mills, plants, etc. that use the river for their primary transportation in and out for their raw materials.
Local park and waterfall
Inside the Lockport Lock. Down 39 feet
My cell mate in the lock. That big pipe to the right is a floating bollard where we secure the boat. It moves down with the boat.
Like the oilfield, it never rains on the life of tow operators.
Our first low bridge that mandated we have our mast down
I hope I can remember to take down my VHF antennas every time.
Railroad bridges
Asian carp are a major problem up the river.
This stops all upriver migration. I wouldn’t migrate either.
We have seen barges like this 3 wide and 5 deep. Stay clear!
That’s a pipeline, not the St. Louis arch.
Sometimes, it’s hard to tell the difference between the barge and the riverbank.
Wait…..
Open…..
Wait some more till the big boy comes through.
Inside the Brandon Road lock with a barge and 2 other PC’s.
Tuesday, October 22, we laid low. We determined to sit tight because of gale force winds in the forecast. Though not as ominous to negotiate in the river, compared to the big bodies of water like Lake Michigan or Chesapeake Bay, we were happy to sit tight. Wednesday, we hurry up and wait on 3 more locks. We will see where we really end up.
September 12th, we left Michigan City, Indiana and did a crossing of Lake Michigan to Hammond, Indiana. This day presented the opportunity to be dependent on our instruments. Fog was as thick as I have experienced. Our visibility was less than 1/4 mile. When we bought the Honey Queen, radar and AIS (Automatic Identification System) were included in the electronics package on board and they proved to give a level of comfort and safety much needed, under these conditions. Prior to this day, I have enjoyed having them on board, as they have given me time to see far beyond what my eyes can see, provide plenty of time to comfortably plan, communicate, and reasonably address any situation that may develop.
This day, we were cruising due West (heading of 270 degrees) to Hammond. At the same time, coming from Chicago, the Alden Williams tow (tugboat) was heading Southeast at approximately 130 degrees. In short, our timing ensured a near miss, if not a collision. With AIS and VHF radio, we were able to monitor each other’s course, verbally communicate, and alter our courses to ensure we would not meet in the middle of the Lake.
We “saw” this guy on the screen, pulling these 2 barges, long before our eyes saw him.
The 22-mile journey across, got us to the Hammond Marina. By far, this is the biggest marina I have ever seen. Conservatively, 1000 slips are in this place. Situated on the Western shore of Lake Michigan, south of Chicago, many folks live aboard here from April through October. Being directly on the Lake, the marina is subject to lots of wind. The slips moved constantly, making the whole marina sound like a horror movie when the guy with the chain saw slowly pushes the door open. The marina is also located next to a casino. Like many regions of the country, this casino is not allowed to be land-based. This casino is built on top of the water, essentially “floating” in place. What a joke to build such a massive structure to avoid the letter of the law. The parking deck is on land, so after leaving your vehicle, you walk to the attached casino to give away your money.
I have always heard they have good, cheap food. Dale and Sandy got 2 for 1 coupons for the buffet (they did not gamble to get them) and we enjoyed our last meal together. For approximately $10 each, we ate like kings (and queens) and then walked out, smelling like cigarettes.
Sept 13th was a full moon over Hammond
The Inlet/Outlet to the marina in Hammond.
Sunrise over Lake Michigan
I am no navigation expert, but I believe this would confuse the saltiest of captains.
We said goodbye for the 2nd time to friends, Dale and Sandy Collins, on the boat On Missions. Their lives and down to earth Christian world view have been salt and light to many, including us, fellow believers. Dale’s servant spirit, who always lends a hand, and seldom needs one, has been a testimony to many in their travels. Sandy, whose sense of humor and hilarious outlook on life have added much color to our trip. Having said goodbye once after Amanda’s broken foot ordeal, we hope this 2nd goodbye will be like the first, and find us back together again in the not to distant future. They have become special friends to many, and we are fortunate to have had our paths intersect, allowing us to be a part of their lives on this adventure.
Early morning, September 14th, we dropped the lines and made the crossing to Dusable Marina, in the heart of downtown Chicago. Our good friends, the Steins, from Rochester, NY., flew to Chicago last night to meet us and show us the town where they were educated, met, and lived in the early days of their marriage. They were at the marina before we got our lines tied, and we were off to see the city. We enjoyed breakfast, the Architectural boat cruise, lunch consisting of genuine Chicago style pizza, a few miles of walking (and scooting), a park, a stainless steel coffee bean (I guess that’s what the shiny thing is), and an Italian dinner. It was a long day, packed with activity. Amanda was trooper, making the scooter work everywhere she could and hobbling the rest of the time.
The 4 “layers” of Trump tower tributed 4 other buildings/architects in Chicago.
Parking garage on bottom and then apartments. Round balconies. Looks like a bunch of Pringles.
The roof framing is on the exterior instead of conventionally.
Built by J. C. Penny
The bottom of this building was the smallest floor.
Map of the downtown streets in the area.
Round glass is in!
The Chicago Skyline from our boat.
After the boat tour and lunch, our day looked like this:
Image superimposed on this structure….
And then they turn on the fountain.
Rich, Sandy, Amanda, Wes
Building reflections
Selfie with the Stein’s, reflecting from the “bean”
I really need to work on that belly (for the record, this is Wes’ caption)
The Navy Pier, from our boat in the marina.
We rested Sunday, the 15th, watched Moody Church on TV, and had every intention of leaving early Monday morning, destination Dolton, Illinois, aka the river system of Illinois. Monday morning came and the fog was so thick we could hardly see the end of the pier where we were docked.
This image was invisible from our the marina on Monday morning.
No big deal we thought, the fog was forecasted to lift by 10:00 am. Our destination was less than 10 miles, so we could leave later. Later ended up being 2:30, so we agreed to go for it. First bridge, 20 minute wait. Fourth bridge, 1 hour wait. First and only lock, 45 minute wait. At 9:30 pm (yes, it was my first night driving training), we came to a very small marina, obviously closed down for the night. All the slips were too small for our boat, so I pulled in to the fuel dock, tied the boat, and we crashed. We were only 30 minutes from the marina in Dolton, where I had reservations, but we were too spent to go another mile. Early the next morning, we left a note on the marina office door, telling them we had used their facility for the evening and headed on down the river. We checked into the marina and got settled in, tying up loose ends on the boat, changing the oil in the generator, and a handful of other duties. This will home for the Honey Queen until we get back from our visit to Savannah and Sweetwater.
We met John and Karen DeYoung who keep their boat at Marine Services during the boating months. A retired heavy equipment operator, John and I hit it off. We enjoyed getting to know them both. They were willing to keep an eye on the boat and open it up occasionally to let it air out. I love meeting folks from different parts of the country, who have worked hard all their lives, and are salt of the earth folks. Though our time together was short, the friendship will be long. We are grateful for their watch-care.
Saturday morning, September 19th, we caught an Uber to O’Hare Airport and flew home for a month. Our plan is to return on October 19th, following the Emmaus weekend, where I will serve on the music team, and our 10th Annual Barn Dance. We look forward to getting home, hugging grandkids (and the kids), seeing mom and dad, serving with brothers, and “do-ci-do”-ing with great friends.
Frankfort—Manistee—Ludington—Grand Haven—St. Joseph/Benton Harbor–Michigan City
I’ve combined the days in these cities/marinas because the pattern for travel has been pretty similar, day to day, without major life-changing events or scenery. Our travel has taken us down the Eastern side of Lake Michigan, south-southwest, following the coastline. Depending on the winds, we stayed as close to the shoreline as safety would allow, usually 3-4 miles offshore. We have learned that traveling Lake Michigan is much like what we learned on the Chesapeake Bay. The lake dictates your travel. Our job is to understand when the lake says we can travel. Simply put, Lake Michigan will kick your behind. Winds have been mostly from the South-Southwest. Since the lake runs pretty much North-South, it gets pretty wicked when Southbound.
One particular day, we started with winds in our face. Over a 4 hour period, we saw the winds change 180 degrees. Before we arrived at the marina, we were getting pushed, rolling the boat left/right because of the big swells on our stern. Our boats looked like drunk sailors (of which we are neither) trying to hold a straight line to our destination. The image on our wind app was amazing, especially during the period where it looked like we were in the eye of a hurricane. Granted, the winds were nothing like hurricane, and we were certainly never in danger, but the phenomena of the wind pattern over that short period of time reminded me that being close to shore, regardless of the forecast, is a wise decision. I was reminded the “Looper experts” suggest that being off the Great Lakes by Labor Day is a wise, conservative sailing plan. We have found that good travel days are fewer and farther between as the season evolves. We have found that weather days have actually forced us to enjoy the experience. We find time to play tourist and enjoy the charm of the towns we frequently skip through. We have time to get chores done on the boat, maintenance items completed, and actually sit down on the boat, visit with the marina locals, and chill. Meeting the people is what the experience is really about. We have developed a monologue , based on the questions we are always asked:
Where are you from?
Where are you going?
When did you leave?
Where was your favorite spot?
How long will that take?
Admittedly, it is a pretty cool experience. And for the most part, we have relished this experience. This silly blog thing I do will be cherished when we reflect back someday. We still have no regrets for diving right in to the experience at this stage of life. As is often said, we don’t know what tomorrow holds, but we do know Who holds tomorrow. We will enjoy this until we don’t enjoy this. That will be the day we sell the boat and go back home or to the farm or to wherever He leads.
These pictures and comments reflect a summary of the days since our last entry:
Frankfort MI arrival 9/5/19
Southbound on Michigan Sept 6-not too bad today.
Typical erosion of the shoreline on the Lake
Sunset in Manistee-Sept 6
Leaving Manistee at the crack of dawn Sept. 7-not nearly so serene yesterday coming in
Manistee Inlet
Ludington’s pride and joy, SS Badger
This steamer ferry runs daily from Ludington to Manitowoc, WI.
Ludington’s pride is evidenced by the manicured medians.
We often find these towns are proud…and clean.
We enjoyed this restaurant’s food…and their good TV with LSU beating Texas!
My little skooter babe returning to our mobile home.
Saying goodbye to Ludington in the early morning
Lighthouses, often photographed, have become the symbol of safe harbor to us, and are always deserving of one more photo.
Ludington had a festival going on in town, so the place was buzzing with activity. The marina was nearly full, so lots of boaters were able to walk (and one skoot) around the town enjoying everything from Boy Scouts selling popcorn to camping trailers and boats for sale to live music. It was a fun, brisk, relaxing day.
Grand Haven and St. Joseph’s/Benton Harbor were our next 2 stops. Grand Haven, though nice, was a quick one, as we tried to take advantage of the good weather window, knowing that we would soon be hunkered down for a couple days while Lake Michigan flexed its muscles.
This ship was too long to turn around so it backed from Lake Michigan to the dock (approx mile)Grand Haven
The inlet at Grand Haven made me miss my little farm buggy at Sweetwater.
We arrived at St. Joseph/Benton Harbor on Monday, the 9th of September. West Basin Marina is surrounded by landmass (thus a basin) which meant wicked winds on the Lake were impervious to our location. A super clean marina with nice bathhouses and free laundry, we stayed tucked in for 2 nights. We took in an afternoon movie (Overcomer–awesome, must see), did a little grocery shopping, replaced the antenna that I accidentally removed going under a low bridge, and ate out at the famous pizza place. Our Uber driver, Ted (one of 2 in the town), became our friend. He would pick us up, drop us off, and give us tours of the town, going and coming to our destinations. Retired locally, he enjoyed having the outlet of driving and meeting people and we enjoyed the local hospitality.
St. Joseph’s Inlet
In case you’re in the area and need a bathroom or shower.
Wednesday morning, September 11, we puttered down to Michigan City. I learned that Michigan City is not in Michigan. That’s weird. It’s like saying New York City, New Jersey, or Alabama City, Georgia.
As unattractive as the town is, it was a special day because Bob and Cindy Boucek, old friends who used to live in Savannah and now living in Elkhart, IN., came to visit us on the boat. They joined us for dinner at a very average restaurant, as we celebrated my birthday, along with Dale and Sandy Collins, our buddy boaters. The Grease n, I mean, the Fish n Chips were very forgettable, but the reunion with old friends made a great memory.
