As we entered the Georgian Bay, we were amazed at the beauty and quantity of rock islands, houses in every size/style and gorgeous clear water. They say there are over 30,000 islands!
Some of the channel markers were the largest we had seen.
This unique man was spotted on top of the island guiding us through.
While the Georgian Bay is absolutely stunning, it can also be a navigational nightmare. On our way to Parry Sound, which we had visited in 2022 by RV, we encountered a very shallow channel. We were extremely lucky to make it through unscathed, but our buddy boat, Anchored Souls, was not so lucky. They damaged their props and had to forego Parry Sound and move on to the next repair marina.
We continued on to Parry Sound for the afternoon enjoying the float planes, a walk through the town and the Trestle Brewing Co for lunch.
This was an interesting bathroom sign...
Another float plane coming in for a landing.
Anchoring in the Georgian Bay presented us with our first stern anchor opportunities, along with the bow anchor. It didn't take us long to get the hang of it!
A few examples of the different house styles and sizes.
Apparently this barrel, which originally contained whiskey, was placed on the rocks in 1870 as a channel marker. They would light a lamp inside that fisherman could follow for safe passage. Much later a lighthouse was built close to the barrel. On this day, a seagull had found a safe place to perch.
More evidence of the navigational nightmare. The water turbulence was caused by rocks just slightly underwater. We just had to hope and pray our charts were accurate, markers were correctly placed and we went as slow as possible.
A wind farm guided us into our next anchorage.
The next morning, the wind farm sat eerily in the low fog.
Pretty sure this guy, and his dog, waited far too long at this marker.
Yes, this is a channel!! 😩
All of the sudden there were mountains on the horizon as we cruised towards the North Channel and said goodbye to the Georgian Bay. We need to go back someday and spend more time in this gorgeous area.
Next stop was the Killarney Mountain Lodge, with its manicured grounds, beautiful buildings and our own personal dock complete with Adirondack chairs.
Float planes and boats share the channel.
We took a walk through the town to purchase fresh fish and came across this sign. It was actually our first hint that said "You better get south fast!"
A massive paddle sits on the resort grounds which symbolizes the areas history and tradition of canoe travel.
We celebrated my birthday and enjoyed dinner with a fabulous view.
As we exited Killarney and ventured further into the North Channel, we were met with totally different landscapes of mountain fjords and granite cliffs.
We traveled through the Baie Fine fjord with a destination of "The Pool" anchorage.
Right before entering 'The Pool", we passed the Evinrude (outboard motors) family island. Exactly what you would expect a summer mountain haven would look like.
We then entered "The Pool", and were surrounded by beautiful mountains and crystal clear water. We shared the anchorage with our friends on Simplify (Kelly/Marty) and Funquest (Jim/Cindy).
We took the dinghy to shore and headed out on a hike to Topaz Lake. Yes, the lake water is a gorgeous topaz blue. After a few wrong turns 🤪, we found the lake and took a very cold swim!
Next stop was the Kagawong River and Bridal Veil Falls. We had a gorgeous anchorage right off the beach.
Bridal Veil Falls was stunning amidst the fall foliage.
Our last stop before entering the USA was Vidal Island anchorage, where we were happily joined again by Anchored Souls. We had missed them while they had their prop repairs completed.
Our return to the US didn't go quite as planned, as we awoke to this...
We delayed our departure for a short time and then headed out blindly into the fog (using radar along the way 😜).
It wasn't too long before the fog cleared, and we were treated to a clear arrival day in Drummond Island Michigan and the good ole USA. Incoming customs entry was a snap and completed by phone as soon as we entered US waters.
We spent one night in Drummond Island and met up with our good friends from North Carolina, Donna and Kevin. They cruised with us to Mackinac Island the next day!
That evening a full moon rose over Mackinac and we enjoyed a great dinner and evening walk. We were even able to sneak a walk onto the porch of the Grand Hotel.
Our slip at the Mackinac Island Marina was overlooked by "Lady Liberty", a replica donated to the island by the Boy Scouts of America.
The island is beautiful and our visit would not have been complete without a bike ride around the entire island. Just a few of the sights along the way.
Scott and his usual shenanigans!
Just a stack of turtles...
and another reminder of fall.
Sunrise as we left Mackinac!
The Macinac Bridge, aka "The Big Mac", certainly lived up to its nickname!
The charming town of Charlevoix was our first stop on the Michigan shoreline.
One of our docktails with other loopers, and Scott made sure to raise the martini flag on "Southern Tides".
We stayed 4 days in Charlevoix and enjoyed several walks around this beautiful town.
Charlevoix is famous for its "mushroom" houses which were designed by Earl Young in the 1920s and 1930s. He designed homes to fit the site and blend in with its landscape. We enjoyed a long walk through the neighborhood and marveled at these homes and their intricate rock work and roof lines.
Even the sidewalks were lined with rock work.
Found an "angel"? along the way!
The Charlevoix City Marina was surrounded by fountains dancing to music, ponds full of fish and ducks and wonderful gardens.
We were treated to a "Super Moon" on our last night, and it did not disappoint.
Our friends on Simplify were leaving and planning on crossing their wake within a week. Kelly had injured his arm again and was using a sling. We decided to follow them until they finished their loop, in case they needed assistance. We left out of Charlevoix on a beautiful morning and headed south. The water was extremely clear.
We were amazed at the tall dunes and cliffs on the Michigan coast.
This staircase seemed to go on forever.
Next stop on the Michigan coast was Leland. Another sign it was time for us to move south was the empty marina we entered.
We took a walk around the town's historic Fishtown. This is one of the last working and thriving fishing districts on the Great Lakes. Many of the stores and restaurants are located right on the waterway.
Even the Post Office displays signs of the fishing history of this town.
We have found a new motto!
Outside the restaurant, someone was showing off their Amphicar, combination auto and boat! The license plate was awesome and check out the props below.
Sunset...something I never tire of.
More lighthouses...
Next stop was Ludington, home of the car ferries. These ferries originally were built to transport loaded rail cars across the lake. In the 1950s, the Badger was built to carry rail cars, as well as passengers and their vehicles.
The Ludington waterfront is surrounded by a park with the most interesting sculptures.
Next stop Grand Haven! Beautiful lighthouses line the inlet, one even has a "v-shaped" plow which splits the waves as they crash on the building. All was calm as we entered, but winter pictures of this iconic lighthouse tell a different story.
A cute name for this house...
We docked in a marina across from a unique hillside anchor. Apparently, the night time light show in Grand Haven should not be missed, but we were a couple weeks late. The anchor was lit at night, which softened our disappointment.
We enjoyed a great dinner with Kelly and Marty (Simplify) and then a nightcap on "Bandit" with Cliff and Ann. One of the great joys of this journey is meeting so many awesome people. Some being friends for life!
As we said goodbye to Grand Haven, we entered a smooth calm Lake Michigan.
It was the perfect travel day for "Simplify" to end their loop and cross their wake in St. Joseph.
We spent a week in St. Joseph, due to high winds and heavy surf on Lake Michigan. It 's hard to believe this is the same lake we were on a few days before. The lake was very angry, and this day was definitely a "No Go" day!!
The kite surfers certainly enjoyed the rough seas.
We made the best of it, taking multiple scooter rides around the town. We were frequently seen at the local marine store, Wolf's Marine. We changed out our captain's chair (which they thankfully delivered), along with many other projects.
We also visited the Silver Harbor Brewing Company, where Scott had his first smoked beer.
Finally, but definitely not the least important, we enjoyed a few "docktails" with other loopers waiting out the weather (Ineffable, Indigo, Lade Grace Marie and others).
The future weather report for Lake Michigan was dismal. We decided to leave with the whole pack on 10/11th, even though it wasn't the best forecast. The first few hours were not good, but smoothed out as we approached the Indiana coast. Sorry, no pictures, as it was too rough.
We arrived at the Hammond Marina and awaited weather widows, AGAIN, to continue our journey to Chicago and down the river system. Many "Loopers" were also at the marina, as the locks were still not open south of Chicago.
We provisioned and prepared for the next leg of our journey. We met the most interesting Uber driver in Hammond during one of our Walmart visits. As he arrived, I was sure he was grimacing as he looked at 2 full carts of supplies. This ended up being totally not true. Fred Evans "The Swimmer" (Google him!) was a great guy. He personally, not working as an Uber driver, took us that night to a local brewery where we enjoyed drinks and dinner. He told us stories about his athletic family (i.e., son in the NFL, daughter in Olympic bobsledding, nephew in MLB, etc, etc). We decided to invite him to join us on our cruise to Chicago the next morning. He happily agreed and we had an awesoome morning off the shoreline of Northern Illinois. He enjoyed seeing his city by water. Another friend for life!
An example of a "water crib" on Lake Michigan.
The only negative of the day was seeing the skyline under a haze, but the "Windy City" was still beautiful.
We said goodbye to Fred and prepped for family to arrive.
Until next time...
NEXT UP: CHICAGO, FAMILY, FLOTILLA 15, THE RIVERS AND MOBILE BAY!!
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