Charlevoix the Beautiful

Charlevoix is populated with friendly people, and fascinating homes -- the most unique are called "mushroom houses" -- these are a sampling of the homes around the town, designed and built by a local who had no formal training in architecture, but was fascinated by form and line.

As we get ready to leave Charlevoix in the morning for a quick ride over to Petoskey (less than twenty miles of open lake), we are treated to one of the more beautiful sunsets. This was taken around 10 p.m.tonight (Thursday). Hopefully, red sky at night holds as a predictor of good weather tomorrow. We will be leaving in the midst of a "Trout Tournament" with over five hundred entries registered as of this morning -- should make for some interesting who has the right of way discussions as we venture out into Lake Michigan -- we are bigger than most of them, they are more persistent than I.

Chessie has found peace at last. Dinner is done, and sleep is the only answer after a day filled with guarding against baby ducks, people on other docks, and the world at large. Really, this is not the result of cruelty to animals!

See you in Petoskey!

Beaver Island

Tuesday turned out to be a continuation of bad weather, so we postponed our trip to Beaver Island until Wednesday morning, June 10th. As you can see from the pictures on the ferry, it was crystal clear, not too cold, and the water was like glass. This is certainly a more relaxed way to travel to unknown destinations than plotting courses, watching for weather windows, and holding one's breath until you are safely in harbor and tied up.

Sooz posing for a picture as we arrive at Beaver Island, which is about 25 miles out in Lake Michigan from Charlevoix.

The day turned out to be really very fun. We were met by a long time resident (she's a child hood friend of someone across the dock in Charlevoix -- people who boat take good care of one another) who drove us around for about two hours. A a result, Susan and I had a private tour of the northern end of the island -- including some bumpy back roads through private land that fills much of the center of this island of 600+ permanent residents. In the mid-1800's, one James Jesse Strang declared himself King (and spiritual leader of a Mormon splinter group) -- and took over the island for his Kingdom. He was assassinated in 1856 by some disgruntled followers -- and the island was then inhabited by Irish imigrants -- apparently Gaelic was heard on the Island until the middle of the 1900's.

One of the inland lakes on Beaver Island -- I believe this is Barney Lake where Central Michigan University is studying some of the biodiversity that uniquely appears on this Island.

St. James Harbor -- the main city on the island and the point where the ferry and all other boats come ashore. Really quite a treat -- and a place that deserves more than one day of visiting.

The return to Charlevoix -- note the narrow channel, the drawbridge, and the two kayakers on the middle left of this picture. Some people have no sense, but they were okay after we passed.

Great News!

It's raining again!

Today will probably be a repeat of yesterday, except that the National Weather Service says we may also get a thunderstorm just to brighten our day. Because the winds are so strong coming up the lake, we actually are moving around in our slip as if we were motoring along -- the boats further out in the marina look like they are taking on three and four foot seas! The floating docks are fun to try to walk down with Chessie in tow -- she's fascinated by the edges, and I'm terrified she'll fall in and it's too cold to go after her -- we probably make an entertaining pair going back and forth to dry (actually very wet) land.

This afternoon, we are driving to the other end of Lake Charlevoix to Boyne City to visit with some sailors who are across the dock from us -- they invited us for land based dinner and exchange of information on where the best spots are in the North Channel (they've spent eight years going over there every summer) and I will give them my little (one transit) information on the Erie Canal and Hudson River since they hope to take off later this week to head east, and turn left at New York City to go on up to Maine for the balance of the summer.

Tomorrow IF the weather cooperates, we may take a ferry out to Beaver Island to tour around -- supposedly really beautiful scenery and history of intrigue (involving the a Mormon who declared himself King of the Island, and was later murdered by some of his followers).

Despite the weather, we are having a great time.

What to do on a rainy Sunday morning?

Reminisce about what we do on sunny days.



So, what are these two grown men doing? Searching for a 75 cent Allen wrench that they had dropped into the water -- it's on the bottom about twelve feet down. With a large magnet, and a lot of patience -- the wrench was found and brought to the surface!


Of course, that was the first wrench that was dropped -- not ten minutes later another one went to the bottom, and after about thirty minutes of searching (I joined in the game), we gave up. Afterall why not just replace the danged thing?


Rainy today and tomorrow -- chilly but not freezing -- long walks are out, so today will be reading, playing Yahtzee, maybe doing a jig saw puzzle, maybe just napping -- and, my friend Sooz reminds me, eating fudge -- afterall we are in northern Michigan.

Ah, the life of a boater!

ON THE WATER!!!

We did it -- we left the confines of the dock and motored down Lake Charlevoix, then back into Round Lake, and back to the dock -- only about two hours, but it's cold out there! Not so successful getting back into the slip -- five tries at backing in with a cross wind that kept catching the bow and blowing me down on a nice 36' sailboat right next to me -- finally made it with the help of others on the dock.

I suppose any landing is okay.

Charlevoix in Sunshine

At last, the sun is shining in Charlevoix -- and downtown which surrounds Round Lake is really most enjoyable on our morning walks. If Chessie and I walk round trip -- amble/stroll/sniff every single tree and bush -- and stop to talk with all the people, it can take us two hours to get back to the boat. Not that two hours takes much out of a day that starts at 6:30 when the sun streams into the boat -- and ends after 10 when the sun finally sets.

From the boat, looking east on Lake Charlevoix mid day. Although the sun is out, it's still very brisk -- that is it's been in the thirties at night. But, I now have a new heater on the boat. My friend Susan arrived from Florida on Tuesday night -- needless to say the cold is a bit of a shock for her. On Wednesday, the boat yard installed a new bilge pump -- and cleaned out the cockpit scuppers -- so now we have no excuse except the cold. The water is still in the low 40's, so you can imagine that running around on it is not exactly attractive right now. Tomorrow maybe.

Looking out from Ferry Landing Park to the Marina last evening -- tried to get some really special pictures -- but couldn't catch the feel of the place. Most enjoyable!

That sunshine stuff was short lived

Rained on and off all weekend here -- and still is below 50 degrees most days -- the natives are growing restless.

But, sailors and boaters the world around know what to do when it's miserable weather. We hunker down below -- tell outrageous stories of our exploits and seriously bad docking experiences -- and generally make the best of a bad environment.

Still haven't been away from the dock -- perhaps later this week when it is supposed to clear up.