KINGFISHER
Synopsis - We are currently in Northport Michigan at the town marina. The last two weeks have been quite windy on the lake Michigan with waves up to 14 feet. We have been travelling when there is a break but mostly hiding out in various harbors. Winds were low this morning (on the 15th) so we travelled to Northport to store the boat for the winter. We will either come back next year to do more cruising here or sell the boat. We should be home around the end of October after doing some maintenance. A summary of the trip so far is as follows:
- 199 days since leaving Kirkland
- 125 days since leaving St Pete Florida
- 3700 miles driving to Florida
- 3100 miles in the boat
- 84 locks
- Nine states plus Canada
After leaving Canada and clearing customs , we went to the small town of De Tour
Michigan. The marina was right on the shipping lane for freighters carrying ore and other cargo to US and foreign destinations. They go by frequently so it is quite a show.
Here is a picture of one so you can see these are BIG ships.
On labor day, the wind dropped so we left DeTour for the run across the Mackinaw Straits. It was over 40 miles of open water so we were glad to get to Mackinaw City to a protected marina where we could wait out the next three days of high winds. Sustained winds of 40 mph and gusts to 60 mph along with waves up to 14 feet were reported. These conditions are impossible for any recreational boat. Mackinaw City has a lot of history and is at the Southern end of the Bridge that connects lower Michigan to the "Upper Peninsula". Here is some of what we have learned about Michigan-
- If you live north of the bridge (i.e. on the Upper Peninsula), you are a Yooper. Yoopers have a dialect that is unique to that area and sounds a lot like French Canadian. ("So you're going under da bridge eh?")
- If you live south of the bridge (i.e. on the main part of Michigan), the Yoopers call you a troll or a fudgie. Fudge seems to be a dietary staple around here, at least for tourists. So far I have only bought two and a half pounds.
- One lane of the bridge is closed off every Labor day and it's traditional to take the five mile walk across it. Even the governor does it. We didn't.
- The Mackinaw Straits have been the crossroads of the whole Great Lakes Mid-West area for thousands of years. First, the Indians gathered here in the summer to fish and re-strengthen clan ties. Then it was the center of the fur trade in the 1700s and 1800s. Now, all of the shipping to and from Lake Superior and Lake Michigan go under the bridge.
- Mackinac and Mackinaw are both pronounced the same -Awwww!
Here is a picture of Linda on the beach at Mackinaw City with the bridge in the background. Pretty long eh?
We did boat chores, did a little sight seeing around Mack City and took a day trip over to Mackinac Island. It is famous for two things. First, there are no motorized vehicles allowed on the island, only bikes and horses (over 500). Second, is the Grand Hotel which has been serving tourists since the late 1800s. It has a porch that is the longest in the world and was the scene of a Christopher Reeves movie called "Somewhere In Time" (you remember that one boys - right?) that has developed a cult following. Here are pictures of the main street and me relaxing on the porch after a great buffet lunch waiting for my horse.
Next we went to the town of Charlevoix about 40 miles south of the bridge. It was a great town and there was lots to do within walking distance of the boat. Charlevoix is famous for it's "mushroom" houses that were built in the 1930s and look like something out of Snow White.
Linda and I decided that although we would like to cruise the Tenn Tom River system, we really did not want to go back to Florida. Once you start down the rivers, you are committed to end up in the gulf. It isn't the greatest cruising area for a boat like ours and it a bad market to sell a boat like ours. Also, we both miss home and look forward to seeing you all. So, we are storing the boat on the hard in a heated building in Northport and will deal with it in the Spring.
I figure that most of you aren't interested in hearing about the boat maintenance projects we will do over the next few weeks so this is the last posting of this blog. Hope you enjoyed it.
Bye from Tod and Linda.
See you soon.
