After a great time in Charlevoix, the weather window we had waited for arrived, and we departed. We cruised past friends’ John and Carol’s home on Lake Charlevoix, where they waved from the deck.
Next stop is Leland Harbor. The day was rougher than predicted, with three-foot waves, and we welcomed the sight of the new docks and harbor headquarters.
This is Fish Town, and we wandered around the cute shops and our favorite, Carlson Fish Company, which has delectable smoked fish sausage.
This is the theme of the entire town.
We could see a front coming, with the clouds glowing like hot goals.
The next morning, we passed by the Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes, named in 2011 by “Good Morning America” as the most beautiful place in the United States. Anishinaabee legend has it that long ago, in the land that is now Wisconsin, a mother bear and two cubs were driven into Lake Michigan by a raging forest fire. Swimming toward the opposite shore and what is now Michigan, the cubs tired, lagging far behind. The mother bear finally reached land, and climbed to the top of a bluff to watch and wait for her offspring. But the cubs drowned, forming North and South Manitou Islands. The mother bear curled up on the bluff, hoping against hope that her cubs would make it; over time, sand covered the mother. She waits and gazes out over her cubs, the Manitous, in perpetuity, as the Sleeping Bear Dunes.
As we approached Frankfort, we passed the Point Betsie Light in four-foot waves. Just south is the mouth of the Betsie River, and Betsie Lake, where we will anchor. Winds are picking up, with gales expected for the next two nights.
Well, it wasn’t two nights, it was three, with 8-12 foot waves on Lake Michigan. We took the dinghy into town for the newspaper and some fresh perch, which we sautéed with garlic and butter. Not too tough, waiting for the winds to die down!
And lots of locals were enjoying the high winds, with kite boards off the beach.
As we cruised the harbor in our dinghy, we noted our beloved Full Tilt, our Beneteau sailboat from days past, still in use by its new owner here in Frankfort.
The front moved through, leaving a beautiful sunset in its wake.
So, the next day, we were off south on the lake, passing Big Point Sable Light, and making our stop for the night in Lake Pentwater.
The eastern shore of Lake Michigan has interesting and secure stops about every 25-30 miles, each with its own attractions. Peace and quiet was Lake Pentwater’s.
In the morning, the warm water and cold air made a mist upon the lake, and a kayaking fisherman ghosted beside Monarch.
Next stop is Grand Haven, where we were welcomed by the Grand Haven Light.
The town is bustling, with artwork, boardwalk, quaint shops and lots of restaurants. We dined out at Snug Harbor, to celebrate exactly five years since we quit working!
The celebration continued with the nightly fountain show, accompanied by recorded music. We watched from the comfort of our aft deck.
The next day, we braved some wind to make the short trip to Lake Macatawa and the Holland area. We’ll be staying for a few weeks at the Anchorage Marina Yacht Club, which we visited three years ago on our first Great Loop.
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