WEDNESDAY AUGUST 24TH, 2011

The Ojibway say that many years ago, in a place now called Wisconsin, lived a mother bear and her two cubs. One day a raging forest fire forced them to swim across Lake Michigan. It was a very long swim. Soon, the two cubs grew tired and fell behind their mother. When the mother bear came to the shores of Michigan, she climbed the high bluff and watched for her cubs. Her cubs were in sight of the shore but too tired to make it and drowned. The Great White Spirit, who watched over all the animals, turned the cubs into the islands of North and South Manitou. Exhausted and knowing that her cubs were now safe, she fell fast asleep. The Great Spirit covered her with sand to keep her warm as she still watches over her cubs from her spot atop the giant hill made of sand. We call her Sleeping Bear Sand Dune.





We were able to rent a car for the day so thought a road trip to the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park was in order. Our friends Richard and Carol from SALT N SAND joined us. Just last week on Good Morning America they announced that this park was voted the most beautiful place in America (if you can see it) by their viewers. Figured we better check it out.

We took the scenic drive. This is a photo of Glen Lake from one of the scenic overlook stops. Amazing isn’t it? Did I mention earlier about the pea soup thick fog?










We bagged the scenic drive and headed to Glen Haven. Glen Haven has restored buildings of a once thriving community. A man named D. H. Day came here in 1878 and had a tremendous impact on the area. He looks like he didn't get cold wearing this coat, but I couldn't help but wonder how much it would have weighed?

His business was providing cord wood to the steam powered ships. With the advent of coal burning engines, he switched his business to a sawmill and shipping lumber. The deforested areas he turned in to farmland and had one of the finest pure bred Holstein herds in the state. During the early 1900’s he imported 5,000 cherry and apple trees, thus pioneering the areas first orchards.

He built this cannery not for processing fish,








but for canning fruit.













We had packed picnic lunches so sat at a picnic table overlooking Lake Michigan. The sun came out and the fog started to lift so we thought we’d give the scenic drive one more chance and took off.









Along the way we stopped at the Dune Climb. This picture is from the top. The start of it was about 150 feet, and steep! A 25% grade. We had to stop a couple of times to catch out breath. It was a very windy day but luckily for us it rained last night so we weren’t being sandblasted with flying sand.









This is Ross and Richard on the way back down.


















Richard was curious as to how much of an impact the people climbing up and down on the dune had? When we reached the bottom his wife Carol took us over to a display that answered the question. This measurement beam was placed the edge of the dune in 1985. So it looks to me like the dune has been advancing about 2 feet per year.





We did the Scenic Drive loop again and I retook the first photo. It was still a bit hazy, but you get the idea.

TUESDAY AUGUST 23RD, 2011

Day 2 in Frankfort, and the wind is a blowin’

First thing on the agenda this morning…the bakery!

There is a great bike trail that passes next to the marina so we decided to ride off a few of the bakery calories. Our plan was to bike against the wind first so it would be an easier ride back. It felt like we were riding against the wind. But when we turned around to go back there was no mistaking which way the wind was coming from. And we were pedaling into it!  By Wednesday night the lake is predicted to have gale force winds. So no lake travel tomorrow.

As we biked along, we could see a couple of boys up ahead of us. They had something big hanging from one of the handlebars and seemed to be struggling with it. As we got nearer, we could see it was a huge salmon! They told us they had “hooked up” with several but this was the only one they landed. And no net by the way.  Ross asked them what they used for bait. They told him they use a certain kind of yarn that looks like fish eggs when it’s in the water. The boy told us he would clean it by himself but he probably would have his mom cook it. It warmed our hearts to see these two kids on their bikes, tanned to the color of a baked potato because they had spent the summer outdoors instead of in front of a video game.

Who needs a big fancy fishing charter when all you need is a fish pole and yarn????


After happy hour at SALT N SAND, some of us walked up town Dinghy’s restaurant. Ribs are the specialty and most of ordered them. Richard opted for the smoked turkey leg. Looks good doesn’t it?

MONDAY AUGUST 22ND, 2011

If you use duct tape to keep your refrigerator door closed…..you just might be a redneck.

Or, you learned your lesson about Lake Michigan yesterday and today it will be a different story.

We left early and only had seas of less than a foot and a slight swell. What a treat after yesterday’s travel. At one point we noticed the starboard engine missing. After listening to the engines for close to 700 hours now, you immediately notice any change in their rhythm. And its not a sound you want to notice when you are out on Lake Michigan. Turned out to be a wire that had vibrated loose on the fuel solenoid causing it to miss. Captain ‘scoe had it fixed in a jiffy though. Whew!

We are noticing the shore line is becoming very sandy and there are dunes in some areas. We are getting closer to the Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes National Park. We hope to rent a car and drive there at some point in the next few days. Stay tuned.

The weather forecast is for wind and big seas the next few days, so we will hunker down in the town of Frankfort. Back in the 1800’s a guy built a house here and built a wooden fence around it to keep the snow from drifting over his house. The locals referred to it as Frank’s fort. The name stuck.

There are loads of shops and places to eat, so we can’t complain about having to ride out weather here. This town even has the fountain of youth. Or so we have been told.

Great, just what I need. A six foot three baby!!!!











Our walk around Frankfort took us the shoreline.









 
Gorgeous beach.













We’re starting to think Christopher Columbus is stalking us. We have forgotten how many times we have seen these ships since starting the Loop. The NINA and PINTA  really get around.











We invited all the Loopers over for social hour.
From left to right is John (PASSPORT), Kris and Larry (BLUE SKIES), and Theresa (GREAT ESCAPE)













Richard (SALT N SAND), Ross and Donald (GREAT ESCAPE)













Mary (PASSPORT) and Carol (SALT N SAND)













John (PASSPORT) and Kris (BLUE SKIES)

SUNDAY AUGUST 21ST, 2011

We left Northport and headed to Leland, Michigan. The marine forecast we for 2’ waves or less. What they REALLY meant to say was 6’ seas on the beam!! Which meant we had to zig zag back and forth across our course rather than have the waves rolling us from side to side. It also meant Nance got seasick! We would pound directly into the waves for a time, then turn and somewhat surf the boat on the waves as they came at us from behind. Oh boy, did it feel good to finally get in the marina and tied up.

The Leland Harbor Marina is one of many harbors of refuge on Lake Michigan. What this means is no boat can be denied access. Often time’s boats are rafted (tied to one another) together, but room is always made. There are safe harbors of refuge about every 20 miles along the Michigan coastline between Frankfort and Chicago. Lake Michigan is not a place to be when the wind comes up.

Once on terra firma I felt fine. The marina is right next to an area known as Fish Town. It is full of shops and eating places now, but at one time these wooden shanties housed such fishing industry business as ice and smoke houses.

In the 1800’s this little river was known at the Carp River. Now it is called the Leland River. It was the access to Lake Michigan for the many fishermen who made their living off the lake.









The wooden spool like structures are what the fishing nets would have been wrapped around to dry on once they were cleaned. They would have been turned by muscle power, and I imagine would have been very heavy when wet.












Now a day the nets are wrapped around a spool by a machine and cleaned by what looks like a fire hose.


















We ate lunch along the Leland River. I wanted Ross to move over next to the flowers for a better picture but he was not cooperating. Models are such prima donnas.

SATURDAY AUGUST 20TH, 2011

We arrived back in Northport yesterday to find the ODDYSEA had been taken over by spiders in our absence. Ish! We spent the day cleaning inside and out, reprovisioning and spraying nooks and crannies with Ortho Home Defense spray. Take that you arachnids!

Much to our delight we finally connected up with Loopers Richard and Carol Nick of SALT N SAND. They are harbor hosts in Cape May, New Jersey who started the Loop this summer. We first met them when we passed through New Jersey last summer. We walked up town and ate dinner at Stubb’s.

We are headed on the same course for at least several days so it will be fun to travel together.