September 9 - 16, 2012 -- Charlevoix to Holland, Michigan

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.

August 28 - September 8, 2012 -- The Soo to Lake Charlevoix

We sent Carl and Marlene on their way home, and cast off from the Soo. Fog was clearing on the St. Marys River.

After two nights in Government Bay waiting for the wind to die, we departed for the Straits of Mackinac. The iconic Mackinac Island Light and ubiquitous ferries greeted us.

Docking for the night at the new and nicely appointed Straits Harbor of Refuge in Mackinaw City, we tied up in the shadow of the retired Coast Guard Ice Breaker Mackinaw, now a museum.

After a quiet night, we cast off and passed under our favorite bridge, the Mighty Mac.

A cruise down the coast of Lake Michigan took us to Charlevoix, where we entered Round Lake via the opened bascule bridge, passing through with more boats than we had seen underway in Lake Superior during the last two weeks!

Our harbor for the week is Sommerset Pointe Yacht Club on the north arm of Lake Charlevoix. Friends John and Carol Nyland, who live just two miles west on the lakeshore, recommended it, and we enjoyed our stay. We visited relatives and friends while taking our short break from cruising.

August 20-28, 2012 -- South Shore of Lake Superior

Back to Houghton, where we began our trip south.

We stopped in Big Bay, famous for the Thunder Bay Inn, the site for filming Anatomy of a Murder, with James Stewart. We had dinner at the Inn.

Next morning, we saw this Canadian Hobie Cat get fuel. The skipper was just finishing up his circumnavigation of Lake Superior on this boat, returning home to Munising.

Now, off to Marquette, where we pick up crew: good friends Carl and Marlene Bihlmeyer. Prior to casting off, we visit the Farmer’s Market……

…………and the bakery for provisions.

On our way to our anchorage of Munising, we pass by the spectacular Pictured Rocks, and the Grand Portal. All along this shore, the 500 million year old Cambrian Sandstone has been scoured by centuries of Lake Superior’s wild waves.

On this weekend day, lots of tour boats and small boats are out. This pontoon boat is passing right through an arch near Lover’s Leap.

Rainbow Cove is an especially fine example of these colorful cliffs, where ground water oozes out of cracks. The water drips its suspended iron, manganese, limonite, copper and other minerals, which decorate the face of the sculpted cliffs.

The Miner’s Castle, from afar, seems to have the profile of Abe Lincoln. Here, the Munising Formation makes up the angled slopes and surfaces.

After all that sightseeing, Marlene goes for a refreshing swim in Trout Bay, just off Grand Island, as we settle on our hook for the night.

The next morning, more of the Pictured Rocks is in store, including the Vase, where the evergreen’s roots extend in mid-air to the main cliff.

Spray Falls is quite a sight.

On to Grand Marais, where we explored the historic town. Here is the Pickle Barrel House, where William Donahey lived; he was the author of the famous Teenie Weenie children’s comic featured in the early 1900s Chicago Tribune.

On to Whitefish Point Harbor of Refuge, and we round the Whitefish Point Light.

The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum is located at Whitefish Point, and we walked up for a tour. Holding center stage is the bell from the Edmund Fitzgerald, which was raised from the wreck. In its place, a duplicate bell was installed as a memorial, inscribed with the names of the 29 sailors who perished.

The artifacts on the grounds remind us of the 30,000 men, women and children lost in 6000 shipwrecks on the Great Lakes.

Our next stop is Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. We pass under the international bridge…

….and into the MacArthur Lock, where Marlene helps with lines..

….and Carl documents with photos.

And we bid a fond farewell to Carl and Marlene Bihlmeyer at the George Kemp Marina. Thus concludes our two months in Lake Superior. Now, on to Lake Michigan.

August 15-19, 2012 -- Isle Royale National Park

Our next stop is McCargoe Cove. This long, deep bay is ideal for Monarch’s anchorage for the next three nights, as the wind is predicted to kick up large waves around Isle Royale. McCargoe is so secure a harbor that it was used during the war of 1812 to hide the 90-ton British warship Recovery.

We take advantage of the windy days to hike the island. A nearby trail headed west through the bay’s campgrounds to the Minong Ridge. Here, prehistoric Native Americans mined some of the richest copper deposits on the island, and we saw evidence of mine pits in the area. These 20-feet deep pits, some as much as 4,000 years old, were mined with large 10-pound stone hammers.

In 1874, the commercial Minong Copper Mine was established here. Workers built an ore dock, wagon road, railroad, stamp mill, school, store and homes for enough workers that, at the time, Isle Royale’s population formed a separate Michigan county. The mine’s production included a huge 5,720 pound nugget of almost pure copper, its surface dented by Native American’s mining efforts centuries before. Abandoned after only ten years in operation, the mine’s artifacts are still visible, including the rail tracks used for the mining cars. Visitors are able to walk into one mine, among the ruins of the blacksmith shop, and over the huge mounds of “poor rocks”  – the rock with insufficient copper to process. 

We hiked to the top of the Minong Ridge, and after all that exercise, had our picnic lunch overlooking Todd Harbor and beyond, the shore of Thunder Bay, Ontario. Large whitecaps reinforced our decision to hike instead of cruise today! 

McCargoe Cove’s sunset is reflected on the shoreline’s birches.

Another hike took us to Chickenbone Lake, prettier than its name would imply. Another picnic was in order, as we watched a family of otters frolicking.

Our next port of call is Windigo, on the southwestern end of Isle Royale. We spent two nights at this sturdy dock.

We were treated to an extended moose sighting, right from Monarch. A cow with twin calves walked along the shore. The mother waded into the water until just the top of her back was visible; then, she grazed on tender underwater weeds. She would raise her head with much splashing to breathe and chew. 

Thimbleberries are still in season along the beautiful nature trails.

We hiked the Feldtmann Lake Trail to the Grace Creek Overlook.

The view of the surrounding forests and Lake Superior was stupendous.

Windigo’s ranger station features a large second-order Fresnel lens, originally from the Rock of Ages Lighthouse. We attended evening ranger presentations here, with topics including the major fire of 1936 which burned over half of Isle Royale, and the many types of scientific research conducted in this remote place. 

Speaking of research, the Lake Explorer II joined us at the dock, and we met the captain and crew out of Duluth. This summer, they are conducting invasive species research in the waters surrounding Isle Royale.  

As we prepare to depart Isle Royale, we can’t resist one last souvenir, but just the photo!