Saturday, September 6, 2014

Back in the USA - from the North Channel to Michigan's Western Coast



Monday was Labor Day - and we're still making our way south along Michigan's western shore, with several days, like today, spent safely tied to a dock while we wait for wind to come from the south and/or east at a comfortable speed for cruising.  Some folks had said we should be off Lake Michigan by now.  We didn't listen to them; instead, as we met boaters from Michigan in Georgian Bay and the North Channel, we learned that the month of September offers great cruising days along the western shore of the Lower Peninsula.  We won't spend the entire month here, and we've already experienced a couple of weather delays, which simply means we have more time to explore the charming towns we've visited on our journey south, beginning with Mackinac Island.
But first, let's look back at the North Channel, part of the Canadian Shield (Google it) and even more beautiful, in some ways, than Georgian Bay.  The North Channel has fewer cottages and is much less developed, but it has the same warm, welcoming friendly Canadians we met from Gananoque to Port Severn and beyond. 
Rocks, rocks, and more rocks, throughout the North Channel. 


Orange lichen grows on some, but not all, of the rocks; from a distance, it looks like vandals have spray-painted graffiti, but up close, you can see that it's actually a primitive plant - and quite pretty.  The photo below doesn't clearly show the range of colors.

We all enjoyed climbing these rocks on the shore of Lee Island when we took the dinghy from our anchorage at - where else? - Anchor Island after spending a couple of weather days in Spanish, where there's little to do.

Below, the rocks on Lee Island had pink veins between layers of gray granite.
A full moon reflects in the clear, calm water of a North Channel anchorage - quiet, serene, peaceful. 

Midas Touch seems small when looking down from the rocks at our Croker Island anchorage, part of the Benjamin Islands in the North Channel.  Fellow adventurers from several other boats, who had anchored in the same cove, also hiked to the top of the island and on to the other side.
View from the summit of Croker Island, looking north.











We had an anchorage to ourselves one evening, and Mike decided to use the swim platform and shower on the stern of the boat instead of the shower in the aft head.  It was a warmish evening, but not warm enough for Marian to join him. This was one of several spots where we dropped the anchor on the bow, then used the dinghy to take a line to shore and tie the boat to a tree.  This prevents swinging around when the wind picks up, and Marian could take Midas ashore by pulling the dinghy along the rope, without starting the motor. Have we mentioned that Midas can now climb the swim platform ladder all by himself?  Capturing that accomplishment on video was a "must do," and we finally got









The brown two-story building on the left is the municipal marina at Meldrum Bay, on the north side of Manitoulin Island (the largest fresh water island in the world). The white building beyond it is an inn where we indulged in one of the best meals we've had on the trip. Two other boats had been stuck here for six days waiting for good weather to make the jump west to Drummond Island. We were there for only two, then followed one of them when we left.  The Canadians on "As the Crow Flies" had sold their house and will live on the boat while they complete the Loop.  A second boat, "Kingfisher," had arrived our second day in Meldrum Bay and was part of our small fleet, but they chose a route farther away from shore and cruise at a faster speed. By the time we docked at Drummond Island Yacht Haven, they had already checked in with U.S. Customs and continued on their way. The Customs and Border patrol agent on duty the day we returned, August 17th, was friendly - and she even waived a $30 user fee. We had not purchased the required decal, but when we assured her that we would not be returning to Canada this year, she gave us a very much appreciated break.  When we arrived, we were delighted to see Ken and Pauline, Canadians from near Calgary whom we had met in Spanish. We had dinner with them Sunday night, and they headed on the next day.                                                             

Weather kept us at Drummond Island for three nights,  and we left on Wednesday morning in fog, radar working well as we cruised carefully though the channel between Drummond Island and DeTour.  Because it was so foggy, we abandoned our plan to anchor out in the Les Cheneux Islands; we couldn't see them.  Instead, we made our way on to another must-see port - Mackinac Island, where we spent two nights at one of Michigan's many very nice municipal marinas.  Restrooms and showers reserved for boaters and secured with a coded lock, the dock hands are helpful, and the docks are in excellent condition.  We walked up the steep hill to Fort Mackinaw on our first day, where we learned about the War of 1812.  Did you know that the U.S. came close to losing that war?  The view from the fort, looking over the harbor and across the channel to Mackinaw City, is impressive.    
 
                                                                               
 

After the rifle demonstration, which sent Midas scurrying from a porch on the building from which we'd watched it into an interior room, he agreed to show his respect to one of the participants with a salute and a sit-up.                   
                                                                                                                                                                Looking up at Fort Mackinaw from the lawn below.  It has a commanding view of the harbor. 
 
Midas made another friend on the island; this young lady has a Golden Retriever, too, and the two dogs made friends.  Unfortunately, we didn't get a good photo of the two of them.

We ate all of our Mackinac Island fudge before we took a picture, but the smell lingers, and we bought more in Harbor Springs, our next stop. As we walked along the main street on Mackinac, the tempting aroma of fudge escaped from the dozen shops we passed, mingling with the not so pleasant smell of horse manure. There are no cars on the island, and the crews quickly clean up after the horses, but the smell, although faint, remains.

The island has dozens of homes with beautiful gardens; these are just a few of the many we saw. Flowers are everywhere, and the landscaping is immaculate.   
Below right: we passed under the Mackinaw Bridge, which connects lower Michigan (the mitten) to the Upper Peninsula after a brief fuel stop at Mackinaw City, then down to Harbor Springs.  Below left: just one of the many beautiful homes on Mackinac Island.                      


We didn't stay at the fabulous Grand Hotel, where much of the movie Somewhere in Time was filmed, but we hiked up the hill to see it, then returned to town.
We have many more pictures to add, but we'll save them for our next update. We're now in Spring Lake, just east of Grand Haven, MI and still waiting for better weather conditions on the big lake before continuing on our journey south toward Chicago.  Stay tuned for photos of a beautiful garden on Mackinac Island and more.




Mike chimes in:
On Friday, 8/29, Midas and I went up to the hardware store in Manistee to buy rechargeable batteries for our camera. When we came out of the hardware store, something pulled my attention into the Happy Hippy, the store next door.  Midas and I drifted in and started talking to the owner, but there was someone else in the store who kept interrupting and asking us questions.  Robin is one of those unforgettable characters you meet, one who leaves an indelible impression. You see, Robin is the unofficial ambassador of Manistee. She knows everything about the town, everyone in it, and everything that is going on.  She jumps up and announces, “We’re going to get your wife and show her the Ramsdell Theater, and the art exhibit.” So off we go, but on the way Robin is bouncing in front of Midas and me, like Winnie-the-Pooh's Tigger, talking about the town. Wait! she exclaims  you’ve got to see this store, and pulls us in to meet the owner. “Hi Robin,” the store own says, like she was related to Robin.  On and on we go, popping into one store after another, talking to the owners, and when we were not in a store, Robin was talking about the town buildings. “Did you know that Manistee burned the same day as the Chicago fire?”

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