Chicago, IL – August 31, 2008

This morning we took our bikes and rode to Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum. It was founded in 1930 and was America’s first Planetarium. There were a series of exhibits, including the Gemeni/Apollo missions to the moon, Big Bang Theory, History of Astronomy from the flat earth theories to modern day astrophysics and more. We saw the planetarium presentation of the summer sky, given by the resident astronomer. We also saw the movie “Cosmic Collisions” shown on a 360 degree overhead screen. We ate a surprisingly good lunch in the Planetarium Cafeteria and spent most of the day at the Planetarium.

We saw many groups of people driving segways. There are many places you can rent them and some places offer group tours on segways.

When we left the planetarium we biked around Chicago. We went several miles. We certainly got our exercise.

Fuzzy and the Loons

Fuzzy was in the boat with Nana and Papa when he saw 2 baby birds swimming with their mom and dad. Papa told him they were Loons and that baby loons are called chicks. The chicks in this picture are pretty big. They are much smaller when they are younger.

Loons love the water and they are excellent swimmers. Both the mom and dad loon build their nest close to the water and they take turns sitting on the eggs until they hatch. There are 1 or 2 eggs and it usually takes 26-31 days for an egg to hatch.

Fuzzy found out that loon chicks are able to swim as soon as they hatch, but often ride on their parents' back. This lets the chicks rest, stay warm and avoid predators. After 2 days they don’t go back to their nest. The chicks are fed by their mom and dad for about 8 weeks and then the chicks start getting some of their own food. By the time the chicks are 11 or 12 weeks old they get almost all of their own food.

Loons fly, but there is only 1 kind of loon that can take off from land. All of the rest have to be in the water and swim into the wind before they can take off and start flying.

Fuzzy thought that was very interesting. Imagine the chicks climbing on the back of their parent and getting a fun ride! Ask your mom or dad to find a better picture of a loon so you can see how pretty they are. Hunter, ask Uncle Greg or Aunt Heidi.

Chicago, IL – August 30, 2008

Late yesterday afternoon we walked to Navy Pier. Navy Pier was originally designed as a shipping and entertainment area. Construction started on the Municipal Pier in 1914 and it opened to the public in 1916. At the time it was the world’s longest pier, 3000 feet long. In its first 10 years the pier was successful in attracting both visitors and ships.

By the end of the 1920’s the Municipal Pier’s success started to decline. In 1927 the pier was renamed Navy Pier, in honor of World War I veterans. Navy Pier served as a naval training facility during the second World War.

In 1992 renovation of the Navy Pier began and was completed in 1994. Navy Pier is now a very successful recreational center next to Chicago’s downtown area. There are many attractions and 50 acres of parks and gardens. Among the attractions are a 148 ft high Ferris Wheel, a 44 ft high musical carousel with hand-painted animals, ice skating rink (in winter), the Children’s Museum, the Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows, Shakespeare theater complex, Cirque Shanghai, miniature golf course, funhouse maze and many others.

We ate dinner outside at Be Bop Café. The food was delicious and they had a great 5 piece jazz band with an amazing sax player. We walked back to the boat under the stars. The nightlights of Chicago are very pretty.

There is a large ship tied up in the harbor. It is a 372 foot former Canadian icebreaker from Nova Scotia. It is now the home of the Columbia Yacht Club, originally founded in 1892.

Although we can see Navy Pier from our marina, it was quite a walk, so this morning we took our bikes. There is a wonderful walking path and bicycle/running lane right next to the marina and to the bridge over the Chicago River. At Navy Pier we took the free trolley and rode around seeing the city of Chicago. We got off and did some walking and shopping. We stopped at Ed Debevic’s for lunch. It had been recommended by a friend of ours. This restaurant is an upbeat 50’s diner known for home-style cooking and sassy service. The restaurant is decorated in the 50’s style and staff dresses outrageously. Darrell had a hamburger and Beth had 6-way Chili. That’s chili, cheddar cheese, macaroni, onions, kidney beans and sour cream. (The 3-way chili was chili, cheddar cheese and macaroni, there is also a 4-way and a 5-way). The food was good, but the experience is what you go for.

We went back to Navy Pier and walked around inside some of the buildings. We were entertained by 4 pirates fighting and dancing to see who got the Pirate Booty. It was very funny and very good. We walked to the Beer Garden and listened to an all girl band. They were pretty good. Back to our bikes and back to the boat.

It was a beautiful day.

Racine, WI – Chicago, IL, August 29, 2008

We left Racine at 6:45 a.m. We had a very nice, smooth run to Chicago. It was really appreciated after the last 2 trips on Lake Michigan. We had a following sea on our stern quarter. It was a relaxing day - “Otto” did all the work - It would have been hard to hand steer all day.

We saw the Chicago skyline several hours before we arrived in the harbor. It was similar to arriving in New York City. We passed Navy Pier. We also saw the 150 foot traditional four masted gaff topsail schooner, Windy, taking tourists out for a sail.

We were tied up at the Chicago Yacht Club dock by 2 p.m. and considered ourselves very lucky. There are few transient slips in downtown Chicago, most transient space offered is moorings. Chicago Yacht Club has 10 transient slips but do not take reservations. It is first come, first serve if you belong to a yacht club with reciprocity. Luckily we do and we got the last slip available.

This is a beautiful facility with a very nice restaurant. We look forward to dining there. The location is ideal, right on the waterfront, just south of Navy Pier.

Racine, WI – August 28, 2008

Today started out overcast and windy. We had decided to stay another day and our first order of business was to get moved to another slip. When we arrived last night the marina office was closed and the night guard has us tie up to an un-occupied dock. This morning we discovered the entire dock was covered with bird droppings. We were able to move to another dock, one that was occupied, much cleaner and also closer to facilities.

Our TV hadn’t been working well and we wanted to get another. We checked into bus schedules and found we could get a bus from downtown Racine to close to a Best Buy. We walked to the bus stop, then had to wait 50 minutes for the bus. It seems that during mid-day they cut 1 of the 3 buses traveling on that route. The bus finally came and we got to see some of Racine. There are some beautiful, old houses here. We got off at a very large shopping center then had to walk several blocks to Best Buy.

After doing our shopping we were trying to find a closer bus stop and asked a woman who was nearby. She offered to drive us back to the marina. We accepted and on the way back found that her husband helped to design the marina we are staying in. She also has a grandson named Jackson. If we had been able to visit longer we may have found other coincidences. The sky had cleared up and it was starting to get hot. We were very grateful for the ride.

Racine is larger than we thought. There is quite a bit of industry here and the downtown has started to come back since the marina was built. Racine has a zoo that, until last year, had been free to see. Racine is also the home of kringle, an oval-shaped Danish pastry. It is 32 layers of flaky, buttery dough filled with a variety of fruit and nuts and topped with icing. It also takes 3 days to make. There are several bakeries here that still make this delicious treat.

The 6th annual Public Art Event was taking place while we were here. Past events have featured decorated dogs, cats, fish, birdbaths and lighthouses. This year large globes have been decorated by local artists and displayed throughout the downtown.

Sheboygan, WI – Racine, WI, August 27, 2008

We were up at 6 a.m. to check the weather. The wind was from the east and blowing harder than when we ducked into the marina yesterday. We waited and around 9 the wind had subsided, just as was forecast. We left Sheboygan and were planning to stop at Milwaukee.

As the wind continued to subside and we heard the weather for the next few days wasn’t expected to be very good, we decided to go as far as we could today. We continued past Milwaukee and got to Racine about 6 p.m. We decided if we had to stay an extra day we would rather be in Racine than Milwaukee.

Manitowoc, WI - Sheboygan, WI - August 26, 2008

We got underway early again this morning, 6:40 a.m. Today wasn’t as pleasant a day as yesterday. Although it was clear and sunny, the wind was blowing from the east and there were 3-5’ seas. We were really rolling. The wind was higher than forecasted and wasn’t expected to subside until tomorrow. We decided to follow the first rule of cruising - if isn’t fun get off the water - so we stopped at Sheboygan instead of continuing on to Port Washington. This wasn’t as bad as our Albermarle Sound crossing but it probably earned second place. We arrived a little after 10 and were quite happy to be inside the breakwater at a marina.

This beautiful sailboat is on the same dock we are. Look at the stained glass hatchboard.

Sturgeon Bay, WI – Manitowoc, WI – August 25, 2008

We were up early this morning and left the dock at 6:30. It was a cool morning and sunrise was noticeably later than it had been earlier in our trip. All signs that fall is approaching and we need to be heading south.

We cruised south, about 1 mile off the western shore of Lake Michigan, using both engines. This is the first time we’ve been able to run on both engines since Peterborough, Ontario. We had following seas with swells of 2-4’. Our speed fluctuated between 7.5 to slightly over 10, depending on whether we were climbing up or surfing down the waves.

On our way into the marina we met the carferry Badger, based in Ludington, Michigan. The Badger is the last remaining coal-fired ferry operating on the Great Lakes.

We docked at Manitowoc Marina at 1:45. Manitowoc is proud of its boating heritage and built more than 100 vessels during World War II, including 28 submarines. That was the only time in history submarines have been constructed in an inland port. The submarines were longer than the locks (at that time) on the St. Lawrence Seaway, so they were transported to Louisiana on floating drydocks via the Illinois and Mississippi River.

We went to visit the Wisconsin Maritime Museum, located close to the marina. The museum also houses the USS Cobia, a Navy Submarine memorial established to honor those who served on and built submarines in Manitowoc and throughout the nation. Among our small group touring the submarine was a navy sailor, currently serving on a sub. He added a lot of information to the tour about how newer submarines have changed and improved.

Notice the swimsuit picture of Betty Grable posted in the mess hall. There is also a sample menu shown. Submariners ate better than anyone else in the Navy.

Sturgeon Bay, WI – August 24, 2008

A cold front came through last night. It got quite cool and today the high is only 70. It is overcast and tonight the low is supposed to be 51. Has fall arrived!?!?!?!?

Darrell finished with the radar mast. When we get to Chicago it will be very easy to lower the mast. The boat was cleaned, both inside and out and we are ready to go. We topped off the fuel, pumped out and are hoping to get an early start tomorrow morning.

Margaret and Bob were over for dinner and we had some final games of 500. Bob and Darrell won 2 games. Let us just say that table talking and cheating were involved!

Fuzzy Visiting his Cousins

Fuzzy was so happy that he got to go home with Nana and Papa. He had missed his cousins so much and wanted to see them and play with them. Jackson had his birthday party when Fuzzy was home so Fuzzy got to go to that. He had so much fun.

All his cousins were happy to see Fuzzy and they had their pictures taken with him.

Emma, Halle, Fuzzy, Hunter (Heidi's nephew), Jackson, Hayden

Sturgeon Bay, WI – August 23, 2008

Darrell’s glasses broke yesterday. Bob and Margaret lent us their car so he could get them fixed. Since we had wheels we also stopped at the grocery store and picked up a few more items.

Darrell spent the afternoon working on the radar mast so we can easily lower it when we go under the 17’ fixed bridge in Chicago. That is the lowest fixed bridge on The Great Loop and it stops many people from going through downtown Chicago. Those who can’t get their height below 17’ may take the Calumet River as an alternate route, however bridge clearance is limited to 19.1’ on this route. If you can’t get under this one you must turn back.

Bob and Margaret had us over to Bellissimo for dinner. We had an enjoyable time, as always. We will miss them, but they will be in Burnt Store Marina this fall when we finish our trip.

The tasks which needed to be done today took longer than anticipated, so we have postponed our departure until Monday. That will give us time to finish everything without rushing.

Sturgeon Bay, WI – August 22, 2008

Beth’s sister Hope left this morning. She drove our car back and will leave it at our sons house in Lake City. We are glad Hope was able to visit and wished her husband Phil had been able to join her. There is a story Beth would like to tell, but Hope threatened retaliation if she did.

Darrell took the boat out today to check the alignment and it seems to be fine. He then changed the oil in that engine.

We are completing odd jobs around the boat in hopes of leaving Sunday morning. The forecast right now seems to be good and we hope it remains that way.

Bob and Margaret of Bellissimo arrived yesterday and are spending some time on their boat, offloading and getting it ready to sell. They joined us for dinner last night. After all the time we have spent together it will seem odd traveling without them.

We met 2 couples at the marina who plan to start the Great Loop in 1 or 2 years and who were interested in hearing some of our experiences. Clark and Kathy invited us and Bob and Margaret to their boat for hor‘derves. Their friends Dennis and Marie were also there. We had a very nice evening, ending up with dinner at Stage Road Inn, a very nice place with good food and reasonable prices.

Sturgeon Bay, WI – August 21, 2008

Today was overcast and a little cooler. Beth and Hope explored the eastern side of Door County, driving through Jacksonport and Bailey’s Harbor before going back to the west side and checking out Sister Bay and Ephraim. We lunched at Harbor Fish Market & Grille in Bailey’s Harbor. This brought back memories for Beth of a ladies only week-end several years ago with Nancy, Barb I. and Barb Gernes. We had eaten lunch at the same place and had a very fun couple of days.

The Harbor Fish Market & Grille had a very unique aquarium. There was an old console TV with the insides removed and replaced with an aquarium. Toy furniture was placed in the aquarium making it look like a small apartment. It was very fascinating to watch.

The boat had been extremely dirty when we returned from our 2 weeks away. We had heard that the spider population was up this year and we can certainly attest to that. There were cobwebs all over the outside of the boat. Darrell spent some time cleaning the boat.

A new transmission/shaft coupling was installed and aligned while we were gone. We are hoping that takes care of the problems we had.

Sturgeon Bay, WI – August 20, 2008

Beth and her sister Hope spent today looking around and shopping in Door County. Beth helped Hope spend her money in quaint little gift shops in Egg Harbor and Fish Creek.

Darrell was very sorry he couldn’t come along. He felt he needed to stay at the boat and take care of some small jobs.

Sturgeon Bay, WI – August 19, 2008

We are back on our boat after a very nice 12 days at home. We were able to spend time with our children and got a grandkid fix, which will have till last us until November.

We went out to dinner with friends and really enjoyed catching up with what we had missed. We were lucky enough to be in Lake City for the 1000 Dock Party and were able to see many people from our yacht club. We hadn’t seen some of them since last year.

Beth’s sister Hope came back with us today. She will spend a few days with us before we continue on our trip. We are re-energized and refreshed and looking forward to the last leg of our journey.

Sturgeon Bay, WI – August 6, 2008

Today was spent packing and getting the boat ready to leave for 2 weeks. We are renting a car tomorrow and will be going home for a much needed visit. It has been 4 months since we have been home and we are anxious to see family and friends.

Since we left Burnt Store Marina in March we have traveled 3,368 miles and are more than “half-looped”! We will continue our blog when we return to the boat. The last leg of our trip awaits!!

Fuzzy and the Canal Cards

Fuzzy went through the Trent-Severn Canal with Nana and Papa. A canal is a stretch of water that connects 2 places. The Trent-Severn Canal connects Trenton and Port Severn and is 240 miles long and has 44 locks. It is in Ontario, Canada. Can you find it on the placemats Fuzzy sent you?

When Fuzzy went through the first lock the lock tender (that’s the person who runs the locks) asked him if he wanted to start collecting cards. They were giving out cards with pictures and information about animals, birds and plants in the canal area that are at risk of becoming extinct. Extinct means all gone, not any left.

Fuzzy said “yes”! He sure would like those cards. But he also said he had 4 cousins that he thought would like the cards too. Could he have more so that Jackson, Emma, Hunter and Hayden could have a set? (Halle is too small, she would just eat them!) Fuzzy was so pleased when the lock tender said yes!

Fuzzy asked at each lock and got 4 sets of 36 cards for all his cousins. Fuzzy will be home soon for a visit and will give them to you.

Frankfort, MI – Sturgeon Bay, WI – August 5, 2008

Darrell and Bob got up at 5:30 to listen to the weather forecast for Lake Michigan. Everything was a go and we left the marina at 6:15 EST.

The day started out nice. There were 1-2’ swells and we did roll some. Around 9:30 we went into a large fog bank. Visibility was down to about 50 yards and we lost sight of Bellissimo. We turned on our radar, not only to see where Bellissimo was, but to also see any large ships heading our way. We crossed a southbound shipping channel while in the fog. About ½ hour later we were out of the fog.

“Otto” (autopilot) has been working very well for us.

We reached the shores of Wisconsin went into the canal that connects Lake Michigan to Sturgeon Bay and Green Bay. We docked at Quarterdeck Marina in Sturgeon Bay at 1:10 p.m. CST. 8 hours of travel today and 58.8 miles.

Quarterdeck Marina is the nicest marina we have stayed at during our trip. We are planning to keep the boat here at least 2 weeks and, in addition to a fantastic rate, their facilities are the best we have seen. They have a large living/dining area with big screen TV and comfortable chairs. There is also a kitchen area with refrigerator,stove and complimentary coffee. And, best of all, there are several individual large, beautifully decorated bathrooms with showers. They have just finished remodeling and everything is brand new. There is also beautiful landscaping and a large swimming pool.

Leland, MI – Frankfort, MI – August 4, 2008

We departed Leland at 8:45 after Bob and Margaret took on fuel. The day started out nice, but the wind started to increase and soon we were pretty uncomfortable. We were in choppy water, going into the wind. There were whitecaps and 3-6’ waves. We were glad this weather hadn’t been yesterday.

We cruised along the eastern side of Lake Michigan. Most of the shoreline looked like this. It is pretty and rugged looking.
We arrived in Frankfort at 2:15. There is a long breakwater with a lighthouse just before the entrance to Frankfort. The entrance is very narrow and opens into a large lake with 6 marinas. This is a nice, small town.

We are hoping the weather is good tomorrow. If so, we will cross Lake Michigan to Sturgeon Bay.

Mackinaw City, MI – Leland, MI - August 3, 2008

We left Mackinaw City at 6:45. We went under the Mackinac Bridge, which spans the Straits of Mackinac. It also marks where Lake Huron ends and Lake Superior begins.

As a note: Although the spellings differ, Mackinac and Mackinaw are both pronounced the same. Mackinaw is the correct pronunciation.

Today was a beautiful day to travel. It was clear, sunny and warm, with little to no wind. We had a very smooth ride.

We had planned to stop at Charlevoix, but found they had no room for us at the marina. There was a discussion between Bellissimo and L’Attitude Changer and we decided to continue to Leland. It would be a very long day.

We arrived in Leland at 5:45. We fueled, put in 198.1 gallons of diesel and also pumped out. We got tied up to a dock at 6:45. 87.5 miles today, the longest of our trip so far.

Fuzzy and the Locks

Fuzzy went through a lot of locks with Papa and Nana. He hadn’t known what a lock was, but he sure found out.

Locks are made to raise and lower boats from one level of water to another. A lock is like a big long room that has a door on each end. The water is added to the room or emptied from the room through holes in the walls of the room or the doors at the end. It’s sort of like how a bathtub works. You add water from the faucet and the water gets higher. You let water out through the drain and the water goes away.

If you are going from a lower level of water to a higher level of water Fuzzy found that you drive the boat into the room through one open door. The door closes and water from the other side (the high side) is let in the room. The boat keeps floating as the water keeps coming in and pretty soon the boat is as high as the water on the other side. Then the door opens and the boat leaves. It is pretty neat!

Mackinaw City, Michigan – August 2, 2008

This morning we went by ferry to Mackinac Island. Automobiles are not allowed. The only means of transportation is by walking, biking or horse. Even the police ride bikes. As soon as you get off the ferry there are many places where you can rent bicycles, and even horses.

Mackinac Island is the site of Fort Mackinac and had a flourishing fur trade in the 1820’s. The fur trade was replaced by commercial fishing in the 1830’s. Hotels and cottages were constructed to accommodate overnight visitors. In 1887 the huge and palatial Grand Hotel opened and established Mackinac Island as the most fashionable summer resort in the Great Lakes. After a downturn to tourism after the Great Depression, Mackinac Island again became a popular and busy summer resort after WW II.

We toured Fort Mackinac. Fort Mackinac was founded during the American Revolution, in 1780 by the British. Americans took control of it in 1796. In July 1812, in the first land engagement of the War of 1812 in the United States, the British captured the fort. It was returned to the U.S. after the war. The tour was very interesting. The buildings have been restored to how they looked in the final years of the fort’s occupation.

We stopped in the Blacksmith’s Shop, where a blacksmith demonstrates traditional blacksmithing techniques. Today there were several blacksmiths from across Michigan participating in crafting special projects.

The American Fur Company Store sold a variety of general merchandise. They sold everything, dishes to food to liquor to clothing to household necessities. It was interesting to find out that when you bought a pair of boots each was identical to the other, there was no right or left boot at that time. It was also interesting that while ready made mens clothing was just starting to be sold, there was only material and thread for women to make clothes.

We walked to the Grand Hotel and looked around their grounds. We also went inside. The Grand Hotel is indeed grand. As we left the grounds we saw a sign that said men must be in jacket and tie after 6 p.m. and women may not wear slacks after 6.

We visited with an older gentlemen sitting outside of his home. He told us there was around 400 year around residents of Mackinac Island. He is one of them and said winters there are very nice.

DeTour, Michigan – Mackinaw City, Michigan - August 1, 2008

After listening to the weather forecast at 6 a.m. we left at 7. We wanted to be sure the wind wasn’t expected to be high and wasn’t coming from the south. That would have made for a very unpleasant crossing.

It was very cool this morning and overcast. We kept the windows on the bridge closed and still needed to wear jackets. The crossing was quite smooth and as we approached Mackinac Island the sky cleared. Darrell really appreciated the autopilot today. It was a straight line run across the lake and our autopilot worked quite well.

We arrived in Mackinaw City and were docked by 1 this afternoon. This is a nice town and we plan to explore more tomorrow.

Pilot Cove, Drummond Island, Michigan– DeTour Village, Michigan - July 31, 2008

This morning, before we left, we took down our Canadian courtesy flag and raised the yellow quarantine flag. That stays up until we clear US customs in Drummond.

Bob and Darrell retrieved the lines from land and we pulled our anchors. Ours was a huge ball of mud and grass. It took awhile to get it cleaned off. Both boats made it out of the cove with no problem, but it was a concern with the shallowness and narrowness of the channel.

We arrived in Drummond at 11a.m. and found that the Customs officials don’t get here until noon. We had to stay on the boat until they cleared us, so we had lunch while we waited.

After finishing with customs we left to go to DeTour, where we were going to spend the night. On our way to DeTour, Bob and Margaret crossed their wake and completed “The Great Loop”. That is a great accomplishment. They are celebrating tonight by having us over for a steak dinner and champagne!


Notice how Bob cooked the steaks.





And the Champagne Toast!

Clapperton Island, Ontario –Pilot Cove, Drummond Island, USA - July 30, 2008

We got underway at 7:45. It was a long, uneventful day. We were in the middle of the North Channel, not much to see except water.

Beth took her turn at the wheel. We were following Bellissimo and didn’t need to be too alert.







We anchored at 4:45 in Pilot Cove, Drummond Island. We are now in US waters. Our anchorage sounded large and beautiful in the books we read. In reality the cove had a very narrow, shallow opening and was not very large. We each put out an anchor and rafted together. Then we ran another line from each boat to shore and tied it to a tree to keep us centered.

Tomorrow we will go to Drummond and clear customs.

Little Current, Ontario – Clapperton Island, Ontario – July 29, 2008

This morning we went grocery shopping and walked around town looking in some of the stores. They have some cute shops.

We left the marina at 12:30 this afternoon. We had a short run to an anchorage at Clapperton Island. We anchored at 3:00 and Bob and Margaret rafted to us. There are many other boats anchored here. It is a popular anchorage.

We are now in the North Channel. The North Channel was created by glaciers and has some of the oldest rocks in the world exposed on its north shore. Many of the rocks in this area are more than 3 billion years old. The shoreline is rugged and sparsely populated.

Bob and Darrell tried their luck again at fishing. They were successful today. We had another wonderful fish dinner.