Frankfort, Day 9

On Saturday we decided to try to get home to Sturgeon Bay. The forecast again was not great. We ended up making our way down to Frankfort and the waves were again brutal. With the exception of Mondays ride we have had wind and waves directly on our bow. We left Leland with the waves at our bow and when we went south to Frankfort they were quartering us. About 10 minutes from the break wall both Pierce and Peyton were vomiting from sea sickness. These can be the toughest waves as they are steep and pound the nose of the boat repeatedly. Then when we went south they still pounded us but also were rolling us. All you can do is go slow and make your way trough them. After about 3 hours we were again back at Jacobson Marina in Frankfort. They accommodated us with a slip and we were greeted with a rainy day.

Once we were situated I got the kids off the boat and went up to there boaters lounge. They have a big screen television, pool table, books and board games to relax and rejuvenate. We played a game of Sorry with Pierce and Peyton watched a Harry Potter marathon that was playing on ABC Family. The staff also made us a nice breakfast from the leftovers they had from the Grand Banks Lake MI Rendezvous that was at the Marina the last few days.

After Breakfast Susan did some shopping as they were having a sidewalk sale and bought Peyton a raincoat and some other items that caught her eye. When she returned we were all still relaxing up in the lounge when we saw some bigger Sea Rays coming into the harbor. Susan and I were both wondering if these boats possibly came across the lake from Sturgeon Bay and wanted to see if they had a report on how the lake was. I guess the day before this area saw 12-14 foot waves and said it was more like October weather than late July weather.

Turns out the boats were from Sturgeon Bay and we actually knew them. I stopped to talk to them and they said the waves were OK as they had following seas and it did not get really bad until they were about 15-20 miles out. With this news Susan and I figured tomorrow would be the day to attempt to go back.

Later in the afternoon I went to the downtown to get some tools at the hardware store to replace some allen wrenches that were dropped in the lake on accident. When walking downtown I noticed their little theater in town was playing the Despicable Me II movie, so when I returned to the boat I told everyone that I had a plan. We did dinner at a brew pub next to the movie theater and went to the show at 8 pm. This was the best thing we could do on such a rainy crumby day. The rain clouds ended up lifting in the afternoon and we did actually see some sun but for the most part it was still too cold to go to the beach and spend the day on the water. While at the brew pub the boys decided to play a game of tag while waiting for the food.

Making the best of a rainy day... Day 8

Although we were stuck in Leland, MI for a couple of nights we made the best of it.  After all, I could think of worse places to be stuck.  Leland is a beautiful little town with infamously named “Fishtown” due to the history of the quaint fishing village that borders the shore of Lake Michigan.  The weather was quite windy so we decided we would find a bike trail and try to make our way to Sleeping Bear Dunes, recently named the most scenic area in the United States.   According to Paul’s calculation the park entrance was a short 4 mile jaunt.  So on our way we went…unfortunately the path took us on M22, a very busy highway with barely any shoulder for riding a bike.  After 4 miles Paul “recalculated” and found we were still a couple of miles out, and I was getting nervous with the 55 mph traffic zooming by.   We decided to scratch the bike ride and turned around. 

Due to the fun looking waves crashing on the beach, we decided to pack lunch and make it a beach day for the kids.  The town has a beautiful beach that is not too rocky yet has some decent depth to it for swimming.   The kids had a blast chasing the waves and it gave Paul and I an opportunity to relax a bit and strategize on how we were going to get home with Mother Nature not cooperating. 

Mother Nature continued putting a damper on our vacation by sending rain on our beach day.  We quickly had to pack up the kids and make our way back to the boat.  Paul took the kids to the boat while I stopped by the local store to pick up a few needed items.  Paul was able to beat the rain, I however, was not so lucky.  On my 2 block walk back, it down poured, causing me to resemble a drenched rat...

We dried off, pulled out the rain gear and decided to have dinner at the Blue Pelican.  Paul and I enjoyed some pecan encrusted walleye and a nice glass of wine prior to heading back to the boat and turning in.  We decided before bed that we were going to try to make our way to Frankfort in the morning.  Hopefully the waves won't be too bad!!

[Paul edits] after dinner we did not turn in right away.  We all went the the boater lounge and attempted to download a movie that we were going to watch after the kids went to bed. While the movie was downloading we did a puzzle that was there. 

The bike ride was also the day before. When on vacation the days tend to blend together....

Day 2: a little R&R and Day 3: The Crossing

Day 2 - A Little Rest and Relaxation
After a great first night on the boat we decided that we would be staying in Sturgeon Bay and not leaving until Sunday AM. This allowed us an opportunity to stop at a few favorite stops within Sturgeon Bay. We took down the bikes and decided to get some exercise while running some errands.  For us, no vacation is complete without a stop at Target in Sturgeon Bay. We decided that the rugs we placed under the bikes, to prevent tire marking on the hull, needed to go. After rain they turn into a soppy wet mess, so we decided to replace with some cupboard lining as an alternate solution, so far it seems to be working like a charm. We then proceeded to go to the bakery and farmers market to pick up some items for dinner.

Peyton with his beautiful artwork... aaarrrggghhh!

It was a great morning with the boys and I must say, I am so VERY thankful to Paul's family for taking our dogs this year. Not having them with us is amazing... less dog hair, less 5AM wake up calls to go outside and more peace and quiet. Don't get me wrong, I love my pooches and miss them dearly, but this is really nice!!!  In the afternoon we enjoyed some well deserved pool time and wrapped up the evening with dinner and s'mores by the fireplace. 







Day 3 - The Crossing
We decided the night prior that we would head out at 6:30am to take advantage of the calm winds and morning light. Our target was Leland, our result was Frankfort. The waves were projected to be 3 ft or less with and occasional 6-8ft.  Occasional, my a$$!  Our initial start seemed fine, then after about 10 miles in, it was quite rough. I considered telling Paul that we should turn around, but Pierce was getting scared, so I bit my tongue. I knew it could create some serious discussion, and a 5 year old that is already scared just needs reassurance, not talk that the waves were too big, so we forged on. The waves were not as large as some we have navigated on Michigan, but a few of them ranked up there. So I did the best I could to keep Pierce calm and bit my lip.  Fortunately for us, about half way across the waves subsided a bit, making it a bit more comfortable. The closer we approached Michigan, the better the waves became which was fortunate for us. We were getting close to the Manitou islands, and after hearing the famous "land ho" from Peyton, the lake smoothed out beautifully.

Unfortunately, for our travelling companions, their ride was not as good. Paul radioed that we were going to veer off course to look at the shipwreck near the south Manitou island and take a few pictures. Our companions informed us that they needed to get to Leland as soon as possible due to taking on some water. We didn't realize the full severity of their predicament until after we approached the shipwreck and then had to steer back towards them because they came off plane. The decision was made to head to Frankfort instead of Leland so that in the event they needed, they would have more facilities to support their situation. They put in a call to the Coast Guard to let them know that they may require some assistance, even though they were fine and under there own power the USCG escorted them in and helped out. In the end they had to pull their boat out of the water, putting a huge damper on their vacation plans.

Nope, he has not seen Titanic!

Our companions were able to find a hotel in Frankfort allowing them to figure out their next steps. We enjoyed a great dinner at a new wine bar/restaurant in town called Cru and ended the evening with some ice cream and a beautiful sunset.

Tomorrow we are on our way North to Sutton's Bay to continue our progress towards Elk Rapids!

  

Day 8; Frankfort MI, Jacobson Marina

Woke up extremely early to embark upon the day.... alarm at 6:15am and fortunately the children decided to sleep in. We left Boyne City to hook up with our friends in Charlevoix, grab a quick coffee and off we went. Winds were light out of the east giving us a decent ride. After approximately 3 hours we arrived in Frankfort after passing Sleeping Bear Dunes and Betsey Point (a beautiful lighthouse, that hopefully if the weather holds out tomorrow we will be able to bike to).

After arriving at Jacobson Marina in Frankfort, we decided to top off the tanks in preparation for our crossing back to WI coming up on Sunday as well as pumped out the sewage (boy it is amazing that it took 7 days to get that tank to only half full, now that is a lot of poop!!). ....

We rested in the slip for a while and then headed off to have lunch at the very first place we ate in Michigan on our trip last year. Again, food is not all that great, but after 3 hours of riding on the boat most anything will taste delicious... and it gave the kids a change of scenery. After lunch off to take the kids to the beach, and what a beautiful beach it is. Although, the water is not as crystal clear as in Bay Harbor, the sand is amazing and the breeze refreshing in the hot sun! The kids enjoyed making holes in the sand and swimming around and Dad caught a quick cat nap in the sun.

Since we knew the stomachs would be growling at any moment we decided to splurge and enjoy steaks for dinner. This meant jumping on the bikes to find a local market and along the way found a great fresh fish market as well. The kids loved the all you can try samples, including cherry salsa, candy and miscellaneous pates. We left with some smoked trout, fresh salmon, pretzels and an amazing marinade that we ended up using on the salmon. I really wanted the hat that said "Got Chubbs!" but resisted the temptation.

Enjoyed cooking our dinner on the grill directly behind the boat and enjoyed a glass of wine with some friends while the kids watched a movie. All in all, another great day. Keta is doing well acting as though nothing is even wrong. With the exception of coughing here and there no one would even know she was sick. I am thankful that she has the opportunity to enjoy one last trip with us and know that she too is enjoying every minute of it.

Susan