July 8, 9, 10 - Sister Bay

July 8, 9, 10 Mon, Tues Wed - Sister Bay

Monday brought the departure of Bonnie as she ends her holiday weekend cruise.  It was nice having her along.  She kept Colletta company and saved Tom from having to do shopping.  This morning Tom worked on the generator, finding the leak, diagnosing the problem, and also a solution.  The usual boat maintenance was also done - laundry, cleaning, arranging supplies, etc.  We enjoyed walking thru town - naturally to a hardware store and an ice cream shop.  The wind shifted from the west but the usually boat departures and arrivals continue.  We relaxed on the back deck listening to local music from a restaurant across the harbor.  

A cool breeze greets us in the morning.  We borrow the bikes from the marina and ride to the top of the hill to do some shopping.  We rode and walked the bikes up as the hill is very steep.  We coasted and used the brakes on the way home which was good as we had groceries to carry home.  We also rode the bikes north and stopped at J J's for a beer and cheese curds - a tradition in this town.  Another stroll in the evening and back to the boat.

The wind is blowing and the sun is shining brightly.  A slow morning turns into a slow, relaxing afternoon.  Tom rode the bike to the library to use the wifi and update the blog. We stop for our daily ice cream, this flavor was Door County Cherry.  There was a concert in the local park so we enjoyed the music and an evening of entertainment with the locals and vacationers.  Another beautiful sunset.

Sister in law, Bonnie's final night on the cruise

The world famous goats on the roof at Al Johnson's Swedish
restaurant

I needed a close up as I thought I recognized on of the goats, LOL

A beautiful sunset in our final year 5 Great Loop cruise

The band Right Now from Chicago that played in park for
a free concert

 

Notice the seagull on the top of the roof of the pavilion.
He watched most of the concert from up there. He only flew off
when the band took a break. Go figure

 

 

The concert drew a nice crowd. we brought our chairs and table
and more snacks then you could imagine. We enjoyed the concert.

End of a great day

 

July 5,6,7 Door County Harbors

July 5,6,7  Fri, Sat, Sun  Door County Harbors

As we look around the Egg Harbor anchorage, only 3 boats are left so we move on too  We anchor outside of Fish Creek and dinghy into shore to shop and explore.  This is a very popular little town and the holiday weekend finds the stores and sidewalks full of people.  We take our time, make a few purchases then catch up with Tom at Bayside for some eats and a few beers. Once back aboard Greeks Folly we head to Nicolette Bay in Peninsula State Park and catch up with Tom's cousin and his wife, Wally and Deb.  We enjoy the cocktails and conversation on the back of their boat.  The bay appears calm so we decide to stay for the night.  Well - the wind shifted just before midnight, came out of the north and by early morning we were bouncing pretty good.  The captain decided to move now and not to wait so by 0700, in 1-4 ft. waves we were heading to Horseshoe Island.  This island has a bay that is well protected from a north wind so we settled in with 3 boats already there.  The captain is a genius cause the wind blew all day  but we were comfortable and cozy.  Vacationers still wanted to boat and enjoy the sun and water so they too arrived at Horseshoe Island and at one time there were 17 day boats, pontoons and 3 jet skis all anchored in this small bay.  The entertainment never stopped.  By evening, there were only 4 of us left and we enjoyed a delicious salmon dinner and a calm evening.  

By Sunday, the water started to calm but Horseshoe Island was still a popular place.  When we left at 1130, there were 8 small boats already visiting.  We headed to Sister Bay marina where we have a slip for a couple of days.  There is room for us now as many weekend vacationers have left - a perk of being a summer cruiser.  Bonnie and Colletta walk through the shops while Tom enjoys the solitude on the boat.  We have dinner on the top deck at the Boathouse with a nice view of the marina.  The evening was cool but relaxing as we strolled around the harbor and the town.  Nice way to end the day.

The Merganser ducks on the sunken wall

 

 

Off on an explore of the island. Some nice trails and historic
plaque to 1853 Moravian settlers who were buried on the island

 

Bonnie and Colletta sited these deer in downtown Sister Bay
while shopping, yep we are up north

View  of Sister Bay Marina looking west out over Green Bay

Dining at the Boat House restaurant. Great cheese cuds and
brats

Repairing the marina break wall. The operator was an artist
in his ability to pick up the stone slabs and position them
exactly as he wanted them. He provided a lot of entertainment
for the marina quests

 

Sunset in Sister Bay with the charter sailboat from

the harbor

 

July 3-4 Door County Harbors

July 3-4  Wed- to Thursday -  Door County Harbors

It is time to move north.  The timed departure from the marina is coordinated with the bridges openings in Sturgeon Bay.  We make the 0900 opening and head out into Green Bay.  The sun is shining and yet there is fog.  Our visibility is about 1/2 mile.  The fog lays on top of the water and at times we can see the bluffs off in the distance.  As we head north, the fog lifts and the ride on the Bay is peaceful.  We head to Sister Bay to pick up Colletta's sister, Bonnie.  We arrive at a dock where my cousin Wally and his son Phil catch our lines to temporarily dock,  as Bonnie pulls a cart towards us, full of supplies, food and treats.  She is welcomed aboard as her stuff is loaded and we head back south to Egg Harbor.  As this is July 4th holiday weekend, all the marinas are full so we will be anchoring out for a few days.  Egg Harbor is known in the county for its great fireworks so we join the other boats in anchoring in a location for the viewing.  More boats arrive, all types and even cousin Wally and Grant bring their boat Sommerfest to watch the fireworks.  We raft together, sit on the bows and enjoy the great entertainment and celebration.  It is enjoyable to be on the water, relaxed and celebrating the holiday. 

Capt. Wally and Dr. Phil ( a.k.a.Anchor Dog) show up for fire
works. Prepare to be boarded!

Successfully rafted off Greek's Folly and waiting for the fireworks
to begin

Photos do not do the firework display justice. It was
as we had been told spectacular.

Egg Harbor Marina. It has been remodeled and they did a great
job. As the blog said getting a slip over the holiday weekend
was not possible but we enjoy anchoring out and the boat
is setup for it so no problem

The marina has a sculpture garden above in the
park above the marina

We got to town and found out there was a parade at 1:30 so
we stayed and waited.....

Thirtsy work waiting for a parade. There we food and beer
booths set up for the parade so we sampled as many as we
could.

The parade lasted almost 45 minutes with a multitude of various
floats. This one was from the local Bbq restaurant

Small town July 4th, outstanding. Nearly everyone in town adults,
children everyone was decked out in red, white, and blue

Local summer residents presented a Chicago Bear float. Not
well received in Packerland.

Part of the University of Wisconsin marching band was in the
parade and afterward performed their 5th Quarter program in
the park above the marina. They were great and got the
Wisconsin alumni and fans going. A great performance

Hey, no body said parades and cruising was easy. Sometimes
you have to kick back and catch some Z's

The locals partied hard and enjoyed the holiday weekend

June 28 to July 2 Sturgeon Bay, WI

June 28 to July 2 Fri -Tues - Sturgeon Bay, WI

The stay at this marina is wonderful-Dan and Mary are gracious hosts.  As marina owner, Dan always has  something going on, things to fix, problems to solve and Tom enjoys watching and following the progress - usually at a distance.  It seems that Dan's quitting time often corresponds with happy hour and we often join them on their apartment deck and enjoy the view.  We also join them for dinner often - Mexican food, Asian, burgers, chicken on the grill and their homemade spaghetti prepared German style.  In the evenings we played dominoes - Mexican train- which was followed by chocolate and ice cream for dessert.  What's not to like!!  Saturday morning we played pickelball on a nice court with a plastic surface.  The ball takes a different kind of bounce but we adjusted quickly.  Tom also took a dip in the pool.  We even rode with them into Green Bat - saw Lambeau Field and stopped at Costco.  What more could we ask?!  Sturgeon Bay is the gateway to Door County.  The town has a main shopping street, an easy bike ride away, and the best hardware store in the county.  Tom shopped their four times.  Dan and Mary are trying to sell the marina and we are happy we stopped for a visit! 

June 26, 27 Ludington to Frankfort to Sturgeon Bay

June 26, 27  Wed,  Thurs   Ludington  to Frankfort to Sturgeon Bay

The winds calmed and the captain is making plans.  After taking on fuel, we will travel to Frankfort today with a one foot following sea and then hopefully tomorrow cross over to Door County Wisconsin.  It  continues to amaze that the water can be so powerful and mean one day and the next day is calm and the next day may be flat water.  Air pressure and wind are powerful and make the conditions on the big lake change drastically.  We use patience and caution and have great respect for the water.  We pass Big Sable Point, continue to head north and see other boats out cruising.  The temperature remains cool - in the 50's on the lake but true cruisers are starting to travel.  Once in port at Frankfort, we again moor in our previous slip, walk to pick up groceries , head to the lake front to watch the sunset and stop for ice cream and coconut flavored coffee.  This is a comfortable port.

With a 0645 wake-up call, the winds are calm so we prep to leave.  Our neighboring boat, One More, (from Mercer Wis.) is heading south and we follow them out and head across the lake.  We see a few sailboats, a couple of power boats and a few fishing vessels, all criss crossing and heading the direction of their choice.  Tom keeps a watch, reads and enjoys the ride in one foot seas.  We head thru the Sturgeon Bay canal and take a mooring at The Yacht Harbor Marina.  This marina is owned by our friends Dan and Mary Schott who we met in Key Colony Beach, Florida. We are pleased to be here.

The crew bundled up on our crossing of Lake Michigan
from Frankfort, Mi. to Sturgeon Bay, Wi. We like crossing
here because it is the shortest distance across the lake here,
54 miles across

Entrance into Sturgeon Bay ship channel. The Coast Guard
Station is in the background

Dan and Mary's marina, quite an operation and cheapest fuel
in Sturgeon Bay

Another shot of the marina, the beige floating house boat in
the center of the picture is a floating rental cottage that Dan and
his crew built. They have three of them you can rent and be
right on the water. The marina provides all the usual's plus a
salt water swimming pool and pickle ball court. A first class
operation.

Removing some of the water logged piers to facilitate
new floating piers because of the high water

June 24, 25 Pentwater to Ludington

June 24, 25  Mon, Tues   Pentwater to Ludington

Fog greeted us this morning as we rose.  We were only traveling about 14 miles so we ventured out slowly.  Slowly is the key word as the fog was dense.  The radar was helping us navigate, the manual fog horn (Tom) was sounded and our eyes were concentrating on any dark shadows on our route.  The Badger, the car ferry, left Ludington about 45 minutes before we arrived.  That was a good thing because we missed one side of the break wall entrance and did a circle out front to find our way in.   We crawled forward until we found the municipal marina and relaxed a little once we were safely in our slip.  The fog persisted throughout the day until the rain fell and a squall went through.  It was very calm afterwards and visibility improved.  Tom was ready to get out into town after being confined to the cabin quarters for the afternoon.  The Badger returned this evening and brought the fog, rain and cold back with it.  It has been a weird weather day.

The wind blew all night long and the waves were crashing over the break wall by morning.  The sun was out tho which made for a bright morning.  We got our shoes on and started our walk along the river's edge. We were stuck in Ludington many years ago, again due to fog and wind.  At that time the marina was full so we stayed at a small local fishing marina.  We followed the rivers edge and  found that local marina - Thompson marina - looked just the same after all these years.  We walked back to the downtown area and had lunch at the Old Hamlin restaurant.  (It could have been Tom's Family Restaurant) - the salad bar, the decor, the waitresses, regular customers and of course great food.  Back at the boat, the rain came again and Tom napped.  After soup dinner, we walked the channel path and watches the arrival evening of the Badger.  That is a big ship!

Ludington Municipal Marina ( taken the day we left, no fog)
looked alot different in the fog

Squall coming in, luckily safely in a slip

The S.S. Badger returning from Manitowoc, WI. at the end of
the day. She makes the 60 mile trip in approx. 4 hours. The
tickets were $ 89.00 person round trip if you return in 48 hours

Passengers, cars and semi's save time having not to go all
around the lake to get to Wisconsin. 

Backing into her slip. The Captain does a magnificent job of
maneuvering her

Big Sable Point lighthouse north of Ludington. We are headed to
Frankfort.

June 21-23 Frankfort to Pentwater

June 21, 22, 23   Fri, Sat, Sun Frankfort to Pentwater

Is it summer yet?? It is trying to arrive.  The sun is shining brightly, the lake is flat and we are moving.  At 0615 Tom aroused his first mate and we departed from the dock.  The lake was calm so the captain set a course while the first mate reclined to finish her evening's rest.  The sun shone the whole trip as local fishermen too enjoyed the good day.  As we passed Big Sable Point we noticed all the fishing boats heading into port -Ludington.  The 1/2 day fishing charters must have concluded.  Tom also got a nap in as this is along day of travel for us - 7 hours and 65 miles to Pentwater.  This is one of Tom's favorite harbors.  It is interesting this year with the high water.  When the wind shifted, so did the water level. Much of the time the cement docks are covered with 2-3 inches of water.  The water levels  are very high and fluctuate during the day.  Sometimes the water is over the sidewalk and floods into the grass park making one huge puddle - no ball playing or picnicking in this area this year. Other times the sidewalk is dry.  The wind seems to blow the water into the lake and harbor and the water ebbs and flows. We often walked out of the boat bare-footed then put our shoes on when we found dry ground.  Here too we strolled thru town and once back to the boat we enjoyed visiting with the 2 neighboring boats, sharing laughs, boating experiences and of course sharing info about our Loop.

We did the usual things at a new port.  We walked thru town to see what was there, made a stop at the ice cream shop and walked to the beach to see the sunset.  The winds were out of the northeast and altho the lake was calm, the boat bounced in the harbor.  The Saturday sunset was very nice and there were many people enjoying the view.  This is a state park and campground right next tot he beach so families were enjoying the playground, sand and park area.  Conversely on Sunday, it was overcast all day with gray skies, except at sunset; but there were only 5 people on the beach watching its descent. The Brown Bear restaurant served Tom broasted chicken dinner and the band played at Gulls outdoor deck. The summer activities continue on.  

The water would go out......

The water would come in......

Notice the water temperature.... that is why we are not swimming.
Even dogs that people thru balls out into the water waded in
gingerly, and they had fur coats on. Ha

Pentwater beautiful; sunset