Cruising Lake Michigan

Cliff and Terry came to visit!

8/27 to 9/4

      Lake Michigan is the second largest Great Lake and it has beautiful clear blue water. We almost felt like we were in  the Caribbean, except that the water is very cold!  The lake has a reputation of being a great place to cruise with calm water but it can also quickly turn choppy with dangerous conditions, depending on the weather.  It has the well deserved nickname, "Lake Washing  Machine!"  We experienced both  of these conditions during our cruise down Lake Michigan's 307 mile coastline toward Chicago.  We traveled down the eastern side and were amazed to find big sandy beaches and huge sand dunes on the shoreline.  We stopped  at many small towns and marinas along the way.

Farmer's Market

Sunset in Charlovoix

      One of our favorite stops was in Charlovoix, a small charming town.  The streets are lined with hanging baskets of flowers and there are plenty of restaurants and local shops to enjoy.  We met our good friends Cliff and Terry here.  The weather was windy, yet it was sunny and warm.  We enjoyed eating out and walking around town.  There was a fantastic Farmer's Market  on Thursday morning  where we stocked up on fresh local fruits and vegetables and even got some fresh walleye fish which  we grilled that night.

Mushroom house-looked like a house where Bilbo Baggins would live!

      In Frankfort, we were  lucky  to find out that  Jacobson Marina was the place to be.   They offered a service  where they delivered a wonderful lobster, steak or bacon-wrapped scallop dinner  to your  boat, with all  the trimmings!   We did not pass that up and we enjoyed eating dinner on  the boat without having to cook!

Pound of bacon sandwiches!

      Next stop was Pentwater where the marina docks were partially  submerged,   due to the exceptionally high water level of the  lake this year.   This ride was choppy with 4 to 5 foot  waves almost the whole  65 miles.  The shops were great with local crafts  and art and street music.

Street band!

     Grand Haven was our next destination.  We experienced gale force winds while in the marina, making  it very uncomfortable  for a day or two.  We were glad to be safe  and tied up to a marina, but the wave action  still rocked our boat unmercifully.  We even had a line break and  that has never happened to us before.

Grand Haven

Tasting local Michigan Wines

Water Fountain Light Show with Music
Labor Day Celebration on the Water across the marina
We had great seats on our fly bridge!

Windy Conditions- The waves are similar to the ocean!