Day 298 - July 9, 2014: Sleeping Bear Dunes

Today was devoted to seeing Anne's family, including her sister Carolyn and husband Steve and their daughter Rachel and husband Anthony. The four of them are staying at our house for a short vacation and drove up to Sleeping Bear Dunes for the day. Plus, Anne's sister-in-law Mary K. and husband Emilio drove up from Texas and are staying near Traverse City, where they recently purchased a spot in a recreational vehicle park.

We all met in Glen Arbor for lunch and then drove to Empire, picked up passes to the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Forest, and drove out to Empire Bluffs for the most incredible views of the dunes.

The gang paired up

Anne, Carolyn, Rachael and Mary K.

And us, of course

Next we moved on to the Pierce Stocking Scenic Trail, which is a 7.4 mile drive that winds through forested land and goes up and over the dunes and features lookout points along the way. The most interesting stop is number 9, which has an incredibly steep and wide open dune dropping a few hundred feet to the water's edge. Tourists, who are adventuresome and in good shape, come to hike down and back. A large sign at the top warns of the strenuousness of this hill, and that it make take up to two hours to complete the roundtrip.

Rachel and Anthony had heard about this climb and came excited and prepared. They got down in seven minutes, put their feet in the water, and hiked back up (sometimes on all fours) in 23 minutes. Oh, to be young again!

The steep and challenging Sleeping Bear Dunes

In 2011, ABC's Good Morning America conducted a nationwide poll which voted Sleeping Bear Dunes the most beautiful place in America, and after a great and fun day, we all certainly agree with that conclusion.

Day 297 - July 8, 2014: Traverse City, Michigan

Morning in Petoskey brought a mix of dark clouds interspersed with patches of lighter sky, and the view out over the water showed haze and a dense fog bank in the distance. And, with our good experience using radar yesterday, I was fully prepared to move along despite the uncooperative weather. We expected some rain, and it started and stopped fitfully during the day.

Early rainy morning over the Petoskey Marina

As we moved up Little Traverse Bay, we passed Charlevoix, a must-see port for any looper. But since we have been there by boat twice before, we decided to pass on by. Along this west exposure, we were now experiencing 20 mph winds and solid 3 ft. and occasional 4 ft. frothy-topped waves on the beam. This required Anne to do a quick check of anything loose that would soon be taking flight across the interior. On occasion, several large consecutive waves timed just right would initiate some pretty exciting rolls, but Great Laker always damped them back and righted herself to a steady path.

High winds and waves on the beam

Finally, we were able to make the turn south into Grand Traverse Bay, and that put the wind and waves to our stern. We would climb a wave and then surf down the other side, causing our speed to vary greatly. All in all, it was kind of a fun change from the otherwise steady heartbeat of cruising on level seas. As the chart plotter reveals, we headed into the West Arm along the Leelanau Peninsula and continued to Traverse City located at the southern tip.

Chart plotter view of Grand Traverse Bay

Traverse City is the largest city in a 21-county northern region of lower Michigan. Its population, including surrounding areas, is close to 150,000. The city got its name from the French settlers who had made the grande traverse or "the long crossing" across the mouth of the Grand Traverse Bay.

Today this area, including the Leelanau Peninsula, is the largest producer of tart cherries in the U.S., and the annual one-week Cherry Festival, which attracts over 500,000 people each year, is currently in full swing. The surrounding land also produces wine grapes, making this one of the centers of wine production in the Midwest. There are numerous golf courses of repute here, and in the winter there are several ski areas that draw enthusiasts from across the state. In addition, nearby and along Lake Michigan lie the beautiful Sleeping Bear Dunes.

While Anne and I have been here by car, the chance to take a side-trip to see Traverse City by water was irresistible. Plus, as a bonus, it just so happens Anne's sister and her family will be in this area tomorrow, as well. We found the only slip available in the area for tonight at the Elmwood Township Marina, about two miles north of downtown Traverse City. This marina is populated primarily with locally-owned smaller fishing or sailing vessels, and I have yet to see another person on the docks. No loopers or docktails tonight!

Day 296 - July 7, 2014: Petoskey, Michigan

 Lake Michigan once again!

I was excited this morning to get going as we would be passing under the Straits of Mackinac Bridge and entering Lake Michigan headed for Petoskey. It felt good that we were on the homeward leg of our Great Loop voyage.

After rising and coming up to the pilot house, I looked out and was shocked that I couldn't see more than 50 yards beyond the boat. It was totally fogged in. I walked the dock and ran into a local boater who said that this was fairly common in this area this time of year. With our very good radar and having had some experience previously running Lake Huron in a total whiteout, I felt confident we could venture out.

The first challenge was avoiding the tour boats that enter and exit Mackinac Island many times each hour. As we moved out into the harbor, the tour boats were properly making warning calls informing others of their presence, and I did the same. Watching their presence on the radar allowed us to stay clear. Soon we had moved free of the tour boat traffic, and by the time we got to the bridge, the fog had cleared enough to get a picture.

The Straits of Mackinac Bridge

Almost immediately afterwards, we were socked in again, and we ran west off and on in the fog all the way to Gray's Reef where we turned south. The familiar shoreline's high dunes and sandy beaches welcomed us along the way, although the wind started picking up and it got a bit lumpy.

Familiar dunes and sandy beaches on Lake Michigan

We had arranged to meet Ida and Brian, who are good friends from California and now have a summer home here in Petoskey. As we pulled into the Bayfront Park Marina, they surprised us by being just a few slips down the dock with their new sailboat, Daisy May! They have the perfect boat for going out and cruising Little Traverse Bay. We spent the afternoon at their home, enjoyed dinner in town, and later went back to Great Laker for the sunset.

Ida and Brian on Daisy May

Anne and Ida

Day 295 - July 6, 2014: Mackinac Island

Mackinac Island is small, at 3.8 square miles, and is located between Michigan's Upper and Lower Peninsulas. The high cliffs and distant views make this a strategic position, and the British established a fort here during the American Revolutionary War. This was also the site of two battles during the War of 1812. Today the island is a National Historic Landmark, the location of Mackinac State Park, and site of the famous Victorian Grand Hotel. This hotel was built in 1886 and boasts the longest porch in the world at 660 feet! The island is a very popular tourist destination. Most come in by tour boat, and with no cars allowed on the island, the horse drawn carriages and bikes are in frequent use.

We felt lucky to get a reservation at the Mackinac Island marina and arrived midday in light rain. The marina is right in front of the fort, on the main tourist street of the town and in walking distance to the Grand Hotel. We have been here before and spent a good deal of time at the fort on our last trip. So this time a horse drawn carriage ride made the most sense, and we spent a couple of hours riding around the island. With weather breaks we had a chance to get some pictures of this very unique area. Dinner at the Carriage House in the Iroquois Hotel was simply excellent, and from our table we had views of the harbor entrance.

Mackinac Island State Harbor from the entrance to the fort

The two "horsepower" carriage

The beautifully maintained homes

The massive Grand Hotel 

Arch Rock, 146 ft. above the water

The entrance to Fort Mackinac

Incidentally, Mackinac Island and and Mackinaw City, across the channel from one another, are spelled differently, but pronounced the same (mack-i-naw).

At 10:30 p.m., "Taps" was played on a trumpet from the fort. What a wonderful way to end the evening.

Day 294 – July 5, 2014: Bois Blanc Island

We left DeTour early to cross over to Bois Blanc Island and visit some longtime friends from our California years. The early morning departure brought low winds and calm water, and the forecast was a bit threatening for later today. On the way out, we passed the Lake Huron Light which identifies this channel to freighters going up through Sault Ste. Marie into Lake Superior.

Lake Huron Light outside of DeTour

Midway across Lake Huron we passed Spectacle Reef and rounded the Poe Reef Light to enter the South Channel between Bois Blanc Island and Cheboygan on the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. Here we docked against the wall in a very small breakwater in the Bois Blanc Township Marina. There is room for only four or five boats, no real services, no nearby shops or stores, and it is only occasionally manned by a harbormaster. This island is just southeast of Mackinac Island but much larger, and with no bridge, few people live here and very few are hearty enough to stay for the winter. This is also where the ferry from Cheboygan comes in and serves those living on the island. 

Bois Blanc Township Marina

Bois Blanc Island southern shoreline

Betty and Rich picked us up, and we spent the afternoon and evening together catching up on what has been happening in our lives since we last saw them two years ago.

Betty and Rich

Day 293 - July 4, 2014: Drummond Island and DeTour

It was a bittersweet decision to leave the Benjamin Islands, as this anchorage was as good and maybe better than any on the entire trip. But we wanted to see some more of the northeast end of the Georgian Bay. Our plan was to move on to John's Island. Like yesterday, we wandered around islands and through channels with names that made you wonder where they came from: Frechette Island, McBean Channel, Little Detroit passage, Gilmore Point and Whalesback Channel.

Little Detroit is the narrowest channel in all of the North Channel and requires a security call before entering. Just past there, we saw a home with just about every toy you can imagine: a float plane, two fishing boats, a catamaran sailboat, kayaks, and a pile of beach toys.

Little Detroit Passage

Summer home with all the toys

As we came upon the John's Island anchorage inlet, NOAA weather was reporting severe wind warnings for today and thunderstorms over the weekend. We were concerned that we might get weathered in several days in this anchorage and decided to make a run to DeTour Village. We pushed Great Laker hard to get to customs at Drummond Island before they closed at 5:50 p.m., and got there just in time by 5:45 p.m. The custom's officer was in a hurry to get home and passed us through with just a few quick questions. Two years ago the officer here spent almost an hour on the boat. It felt good to be back in the U.S., and we looked forward to having data service on our phones again.

DeTour and the State Harbor Marina were another hour beyond Drummond, and along the way we encountered freighters running up to Lake Superior via Sault Ste. Marie.

Freighter headed up to Sault Ste. Marie

By the end of the day we had run for 11 hours and were really tired. It was good to dock, get some dinner and relax while watching the 4th of July fireworks over Frying Pan Island.

Day 292 – July 3, 2014: Anchorage in the Benjamin Islands

The North Channel is filled with small islands, and the northeast end is considered the best area for cruisers who like to anchor out. We headed out in the late morning for the Benjamin Islands, reputed to be a “must see” in this area by those in the know. Again, we passed some colorfully named spots. We left Little Current and followed Waubuno Channel west, turning north at East Rous Island, and had a wonderful view of the La Cloche Mountains with white granite sides in the distance. At Bedford Island we turned west again past Amedroz Island to Secretary Island where we turned north, keeping the Sow and Pigs (many visible rocks) to port. The Benjamins appeared on the left and Croker Island on the right. 

We picked a bay central to the Benjamins that is surrounded by small islands and has good wind protection from the south and west. Inside there was a small cove by a towering rocky point that was open and irresistible, so we took it quickly before anyone else might arrive.

Entrance to the bay

Great Laker on the hook

From this spot we set out to explore the area by dinghy. The rocks to the south of us sloped up from the water’s edge forming a smooth incline towards the top of the ridge. We motored over, careful to avoid the shallow rocks, and as I got out tying up the dingy, I slipped on the algae-covered rocks and got quite a refreshing bath. This granite slope had large patches with the unusual pink hue we have seen so much of recently.

Wet from docking the dinghy

We climbed to the top of the slope of pink granite

The view from the top was just spectacular, revealing the mix of hillsides, trees, and rocky shores forming the bay.

View of the Benjamins from the top

While in Little Current we ran into a couple we had met in the Chesapeake Bay last year. We were surprised to find them anchored here and later joined them for cocktails on their boat, Last Dance, before dinner.