Patriot Dreams

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

September 1, 2015 - Very close to home!

Sunday night we are spent our last night in Charlevoix for the season. Al & Gayle came to join us on Friday and we spent Friday night in Charlevoix, and Saturday night in Boyne City. We had an absolute ball having them visit. The weather was awesome and the company even better! What fun!

Yesterday (Monday) we left Charlevoix for a very long, rough day on the water (9 hours with pretty big waves) to Frankfort. Luckily, the waves hit us on the bow so it wasn't a horrible trip. Several looper boats were in Frankfort when we arrived, so we joined them for customary "docktails", then went to Stormcloud Brewing Company for dinner and craft beer with 3 other couples. Our friends Tom & Sue Hamman joined us for the evening. Tom & Sue (Andante) are loopers we met along the way and shared many good memories. They are in Bear Lake for the summer so we enjoyed our time with them and already have plans for other get-togethers before they leave Bear Lake.

We plan to stay in Frankfort again tonight, are in the process of cleaning and preparing the boat for our trip home tomorrow, and will enjoy time with John & Jan on "Mitzvah" this evening. John & Jan are loopers we just met in Charlevoix, but had an instant connection. We will be sad to see them continue their journey on the loop without us.

Tomorrow (Tuesday) we will leave early from Frankfort and make a quick stop in Manistee to pick up Mark & Vicki who will ride with us on Patriot to cross our wake. Awesome!!!! We plan to enter the Ludington harbor around 4:00 p.m. and will be greeted by friends to help us celebrate the crossing. Among the throng of well-wishers will be special friends from PPV and Pentwater who also personally sent us on our way one year ago. We are also thrilled that some of our Looper friends will be joining us for the celebration! We are SO excited to see everyone and have them there to celebrate our special event!

Al & Gayle enjoying the fresh air on our way to Boyne City

Very pretty places around the lake in Charlevoix

Gayle safeguarding Al's cigar while he is inside making bloody marys

Foggy morning in Boyne City

Al & Jim trying to catch some fish from the end of the dock with Gayle looking on

Little boys having fun electrocuting bugs on Jim's new toy...a donation from Mark & Vicki

Park overlooking Charlevoix channel

Bridge view from the park

Al & Gayle enjoying the day

Connie & Gayle, great buds

Dr. Al, the greatest doctor in the universe, talking to one of his patients

White birch tree adorning the landscape in the park

Al & Gayle, loving life on the water

Point Betsie Lighthouse

Frankfort Lighthouse

Friday, August 28, 2015

August 28, 2015 - In Charlevoix, nearly home

As planned, we left Mackinaw City yesterday morning with flat seas and warm weather! We had a fantastic, leisurely ride to Charlevoix. It is amazing how soon the water can settle down after several days of strong winds. Whew!

After getting settled, Mark & Vicki stopped by and we caught up on the past few days, then went to dinner. After they left, we enjoyed the company of several visitors from other boats in the marina - some of them new Loopers just beginning, or about to start their adventure.

This morning we went to breakfast with John & Jan from "Mitzvah" who brought their boat across Lake Superior from Minnesota and are starting the Loop. A bike ride and grocery shopping followed, then jobs around the boat. We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of friends Al & Gayle who are joining us from Pentwater for the weekend.

As it stands right now, the weather is looking good for us to be in Ludington on Wednesday to cross our wake. Plans are to travel to Leland on Monday, Frankfort on Tuesday, and then on to Ludington Wednesday. For those of you who have been our loyal blog followers, we would love to have you join us for a little celebration when we come into the slip at Pere Pointe. Once we know more specific information about our ETA, we will post it on the blog and pass the news along.

The mighty Mackinac Bridge

These semi trucks look like ants crawling across the bridge

Familiar Lake Michigan shoreline, just north of Charlevoix

We had to wait about 10 minutes for the bridge opening, and saw this approaching

The Emerald Isle goes to Beaver Island. We decided it would be best to give her the right of way through the bridge. :)

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

August 25, 2015 - Change of Plans

Yesterday, Mark & Vicki came to visit us (from their condo in Petoskey) after the had spent some time trying to load things from their boat into their car to take home for storage. We played a quick game of cards and after they left we ate dinner and went to a movie marathon (2 movies!!!) at the theater in Cheboygan - our first movies in MONTHS!! It was a fun night.

We had planned to go to Mackinac Island for a couple of days, but Mother Nature dictated that we change our mind and travel to Mackinaw City instead. We left this morning from Cheboygan and had a very rocky ride (thankfully, on our bow) to Mackinaw City, where we have settled into our slip until Thursday when we will get a reprieve from the wind and waves. In just a few minutes we will join CJ and Dr's Orders for cocktails to catch up on their travels since we parted on the journey.

On Thursday we will travel to Charlevoix, where we will stay until Monday. On Monday, weather permitting, we will be heading back to Ludington - hopefully to arrive on Wednesday or Thursday. We are both anxious to be home and catch up with friends and family. Being absent from the grandkids really tears on our heart strings, so we're looking forward to getting back to collect many hugs and kisses!

Patriot at the wall in Cheboygan

Mark & Vicki victorious...crossing their wake and installing their Gold Looper flag

Evening gathering toasting the crossing of Blue Willow

They definitely brought the ship into port. Congratulations!

Vicki receiving her bronze medal for our series of card games, along with a new deck to deliver pain to Mark in future card games

Mark & Vicki reading their card from us at their gathering. We have had SO much fun with endless practical jokes!

Mark declaring himself as "Loser" in our game tournament

Patriot leaving Cheboygan this morning

Monday, August 24, 2015

August 24, 2015 - Rainy Cheboygan

We are currently tied to the town dock in Cheboygan waiting for the weather to clear for our crossing to Mackinaw Island. Yesterday we had a fun day helping our friends, Mark and Vicki Hill (and their dog Daisy), celebrate their wake crossing. Enjoyed meeting all their family and a few friends as we did a cookout. We have had so much fun traveling the loop with them, but all good things must come to an end. The good news is that we have gained some new life long friends who don't live too far away in Petoskey. In fact, we plan to go on a cruise with them in November to celebrate their anniversary!

Here we are exploring our anchorage in the beautiful Benjamin Islands. Note that while the background appears to be sand, it is really all granite rock as is the entire shoreline on all sides and the bottom. Makes for some tough anchoring, but we tied off to shore for additional security. Somehow the rock is able to sprout vegetation.

Enjoying some of the sights with friends on top of the granite rock of the Benjamin Islands.

Anchored off the granite walls of the Benjamin Islands in the North Channel with Blue Willow.

I am working hard steering the dingy while Connie is really stressed!

Connie and Vicki enjoying a beverage on the top of Patriot.

Celebrating our last day in Canada with Mark and Vicki while escaping a day of big waves by spending two nights in Meldrum Bay. This was one of our best meals of the entire loop, which was at a B&B Inn.

A tanker truck propelling its way just off Drummond Island.

After clearing customs in Drummond Island, we anchored nearby for the evening in a nice horseshoe shaped anchorage called Harbor Island.

Saturday, August 22, 2015

Oops...Thought this one posted, but it didn't. August 17, 2015 - Little Current...just entering North Channel

Without a doubt, this part of the journey has presented a dead tie with our other most beautiful sight along the loop – tie between this Georgian Bay area and the most beautiful beach in the world in the Bahamas: both very different in topography and allure, but equally breathtaking.

Everyone told us how spectacular the Georgian Bay would be, but it’s not something that can be conveyed through conversation, nor pictures. Personal experience truly delivers the awe and wonder of this natural treasure!

On Thursday we tied to the dock in Killarney at Sportsman’s Inn & Marina and hustled down the street to gorge ourselves on fresh fish (whitefish and lake trout) at Killarney’s hot spot restaurant, Herbert’s Fisheries. Yummy! In the evening we enjoyed docktails with Dr’s Orders, CJ, Thistle, 2 if by C, Blue Willow, and Lucky Ducks (formerly Average Looper) before retiring for the night.

Killarney was founded in 1820 but was not accessible by a road until 1962. The population at Killarney has a population of approximately 400 and sits along a channel that separates George Island from the mainland of Ontario. Dockhands at the Sportsman’s Marina were very helpful, and assistance was appreciated to maneuver into the very tight slips.

Friday morning brought bright blue skies, a warm breeze and abundant sunshine for our ride to Baie Fine (pronounced Bay Finn) where we anchored at The Pool, the very tip of Baie Fine, beside a granite wall, tied to Blue Willow. The trip to Baie Finn was again breathtaking – a narrow channel bordered by high cliffs, truly living up to its reputation as one of the most beautiful fiords in North America. Bordering the channel on the north were the Blue Ridge, and Killarney Ridge on the south, both over 400 feet in height. The white granite and green trees blended to create the illusion of snow-covered mountains. The crystal clear blue-green water, surrounded by the white granite and green trees took our breath away. Little did we know that the most awe-inspiring trek was ahead of us – Topaz Lake.

We had heard about beautiful Topaz Lake but hadn’t anticipated what we would see. We took our dinghies to the shore, tied to a dock, and took the 20-minute hike up the mountain, twisting and turning all the way, being careful to avoid making a misstep on the rocky path. The reward was golden when we reached the top and gazed across Topaz Lake – aptly named because of its clear, topaz color. It was our playground of the day, swimming and lounging in the refreshing water – a welcome refreshment to rinse our sweaty bodies after the long climb and hot, humid weather. Nothing we have seen in the U.S. can compare to this - we have now reached the apex of beauty for this trip!!

After leaving the lake and taking our dinghies around the area, we discovered that Thistle had joined us in the anchorage and were preparing for their excursion to Topaz. After enjoying dinner with Blue Willow, the four of us joined Thistle on their beautiful boat for after-dinner cocktails and great company. They have Tower 14-ft. paddleboards, which they kindly offered to us for a test run. Mark & Jim took them up on the offer and have both decided paddleboards like these are next on the list of things to purchase. We envision the fun that we and our families will have in our Northern Michigan water wonderland!

The three of us (Thistle, Blue Willow and Patriot) left this yesterday (Sunday) on our way to the Benjamin Islands, with a short stop in Little Current for provisions. There was a high head advisory - expected to reach 98 degrees so after some deliberation over lunch in Little Current, we decided to spend the night. We enjoyed a light "snack" dinner and cards with Blue Willow and Thistle.

This morning (Monday) we attended the Little Current Cruisers Net broadcast and will depart later this morning and travel to the Benjamin Islands for one night. Even at 7:00am it is proving that it will again be another very HOT, muggy day.