Season Wrap Up

I'll take some time to fill my audience in on our activities since the July outing.  We actually did a lot of the same stuff with another stay on Mackinac Island because that's where Kathy likes to go, but also squeezed in a couple other things during August.

Kathy's folks came up to celebrate their anniversary...#68 as I recall...Geez, that's a bunch.  Anyway, I decided this year's entertainment was going to be a cruise up the Inland Waterway to Burt Lake and return.

We locked through the Cheboygan Lock and entered the upper Cheboygan River.

It takes a good hour to get through the river and into Mullet Lake where I can exercise my 680 horses after an hour at no wake speed.

Probably 10 miles across the lake then another hour through the Indian River which is a bit more quaint with cottages and boat houses.

It's a scenic trip.  We had a lunch while we drifted in Burt Lake and then made the return trip.  The waterway is something like 42 miles long in its entirety.  We did about 2/3 of that.

So after ditching all the summer visitors, we decided to move the boat up to Mackinaw City for a few weeks and enjoy life on a boat.

So it's down the river and through the US-23 drawbridge.

Passing the USCG cutter Mackinaw, I get a look at glassy calm Lake Huron beyond the breakwall.

These are the kind of conditions that make boating fun.

I won't have to worry about spilling my soda today.  It's smooth as a table top.

All the way to Mackinaw City, although there's a little roll to the lake because of the ferry boats when you get within about 5 miles of the city.

I pull into the city marina and am assigned slip #63.  That's the slip we had when we were seasonal slip holders there in 2019.

This is my picture window view for the next few weeks.

We are entertained with the tourists coming and going aboard the ferry boats daily...and there were thousands this year as the Island had one of their best tourist years ever.

We enjoyed the sights and sounds of the city and had some incredible weather.  Sunrises were always enhanced by the haze from the western fires.

Of course, the bridge is the focal point of Mackinaw City.

At night too.

The week before Labor Day, we had reserved a slip on Mackinac Island and ventured that direction on a bit of a lumpy lake.  I was a little concerned that the wind might make docking a little stressful.  We were assigned slip #74 on the west shore (we had reserved #6 on the east shore) so this was an upgrade for us and a pleasant surprise.  

Docking was no issue.  That boat tracks straight as an arrow in reverse.  Kathy likes to dock stern to shore so that we can keep track of the tourists passing by.

Downtown Mackinac Island was definitely less busy now than it was during our July visit.  Many schools are in session by now so that affects a place like this,

Early morning, you'll find the deliveries being made to the various businesses.  Here a dray delivers groceries to the island's grocery store.  Doud's Grocery is the oldest grocery store in the country. It dates back to 1884.

We did all the usual island activities including a daily ride around the island...or two.

There's always something to see.

The daily hikes always involve a climb of some kind.

This stairway goes to the east bluff for the view of downtown..

Then on to Arch Rock.

and the view up the east side of the island.

Then on to Fort Holmes.  This is the highest point on the island.

Another hike gets us to the West Bluff.

Down the road...

On to the porch of the Grand Hotel.

We went into the lobby and hung out like we were spending the big bucks.

Enough of the good life and it was off down the avenue back to town.

We could have taken a taxi like this one, but this was a hike.

Back in town, the Grand Hotel's carriage passes us.

After 4 days on the island, we headed back to Mackinaw City passing the Round Island lighthouse.

As well as steering clear of a passing lake freighter.

The purpose of returning to Mackinaw City was to be in town for the annual Labor Day Mackinac Bridge Walk...with 20,000 of our closest friends.

That gave the COVID vaccine a test.  

The bridge is closed to vehicle traffic now for the walk.  There is a concern that some idiot will drive into the crowd if vehicles and walkers are on the bridge at the same time.  

You can start at either end and walk half way and turn around, or walk across and wait for the bridge to reopen to get back, or be a "double crosser" and walk across and back.  We went halfway and returned.  Including the walk from the marina, it's probably about 7 miles total for our excursion.

With nasty weather in the forecast, I fired up the motors and headed the boat back toward Cheboygan.

It's about 15 miles and takes an hour to get home by the time it's all said and done.

The drawbridge opens at :15 and :45 past the hour or if you get lucky, it opens anytime for commercial traffic like the Bois Blanc Island car ferry.

Another 1/4 mile and I'm home.

So that was the gist of the season for cruising.  The Last Resort is high and dry now and ready for the winter nap.

Time for some household projects and if we're lucky...Caribbean cruising is back on our schedule in a few months.