Season's End

On Thursday we started the process of closing down.  We packed up almost everything in the boat, and cleaned it for winter storage.  There were only a few other boats at Jacobson’s Marina, but the weather was nice as the wind had at last stopped howling.  We had a “clean out the refrigerator/freezer” dinner after having cocktails with John and Lori, the marina’s owners. 

On Friday we loaded up the Jeep, hooked up the jet skis, got the boat pumped out and turned it over to Brian.  Brian is a captain with Onekema Boat Storage, so we waved goodbye to him as he motored out of Betsie Lake to take The Emerys to winter storage.  What an easy process versus going across to Wisconsin with boat and car, and then back again.  Hope we like this storage barn as well as those we have used previously.

We drove the loaded Jeep, hauling the jet skis, as far as Toledo last night.  Now we are in Kentucky watching lots of college football, and tomorrow we will go to Cynthiana to visit with Emery’s sister Marie before heading to Williamsburg for a Monday arrival.

We had a great summer, and our plans for next year are up in the air for now.  Options include not boating and getting serious about selling the boat by leaving it with the broker; or heading east again by some route and coming to the St. Lawrence River and Lake Champlain.  Who knows, we have all winter to decide.  Hope you enjoyed the blog…it was a fun summer for us.  Cheers.

The Falls and The Island

Tuesday we went to Tahquamenon Falls in the U.P.  where the roads are rural and forested without much traffic.  The falls are on the river of the same name, and the river empties into Lake Superior.  Attached are pictures of the falls and us at the falls.  They are very brown in color because of all the tannin in the river from decaying organic matter.  The falls are in a 1500 acre old-growth forest with lots of species of trees… American beech, sugar maples, eastern hemlock and yellow birch.  Very pretty place and unique in Michigan where there aren’t a lot of big falls.

Then we moved on to Mackinac Island, one of our favorite places.  We parked the car in Mackinaw City and went over on the high speed ferry.   The weather was miserable (high winds and big waves with pelting rain) so we did not enjoy this visit as much as we have in the past.  But we stayed in a nice old hotel with a great view of the harbor and had a good dinner in town, so all was not lost.  Attached is a street scene from Mackinac Island where it was far less crowded than usual because it is late in the season and the weather is nasty.

We are now back in Frankfort and getting ready to close up the boat for the season.  The beach here is quite a mess because the continued high winds from the west have moved so much sand onto the streets and walkways.  Apparently the city got their front end loaders out today to begin the process of moving the big piles back to the beach.  The gales of November have come in September this year.  We are really pleased we don’t have to drive the boat across Lake Michigan to Sturgeon Bay, WI for storage this year.  We might be forever waiting for the 8-12 seas to lay down.

All in all, our road trip was fun despite the weather.  Fall is here for sure.

Road Trip

We are on a road trip!  We left Frankfort yesterday and wandered north on Michigan 31 through Traverse City, Elk Rapids (where we got married), Charlevoix and Harbor Springs and then across the Mackinac Bridge to Sault Ste. Marie, home of the Soo Locks in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (the U.P.).

The Soo Locks are on the St Marys River and allow ships of all sizes to traverse the 21 –foot drop in elevation between Lake Superior and Lakes Huron and Michigan.  In the late 1700’s, a Canadian company built a lock on the Canadian side of the river; it was destroyed in the war of 1812.  A private American company built locks on the American side of the river in 1853.  In 1855 the State of Michigan took over the locks; in 1881 the locks were transferred to the U.S. government, who today operates the locks toll free to all vessels through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Today there are 4 locks, one not in use.  The oldest was built in 1914, the newest in 1968.  The little private boat and the Soo Locks Boat in the pictures are going through the McArthur Lock (built in 1943 and named after General Douglas McArthur) which is 800 feet long and 80 feet wide.  The big boat (Indiana Harbor) is going through the Poe Lock.  Indiana Harbor is 1000 feet long and 100 feet wide.  Poe Lock (built in 1968) is 1200 feet long and 110 feet wide.  Needless to say that big boat inched its way into the lock.  It was fun to watch the action.

We spent the night in Brimley, MI on Lake Superior shores…..at Bay Mills Casino and Resort.  So we ate and slept well and cheaply at this Indian Casino and didn’t lose a lot of money!!  Thanks to Roger and Jean for all the information about this destination.

Today we are on our way to Tahquamenon Falls and then Mackinac Island.  Stay tuned for more of this adventure