Adventures on Slàinte Mhath

Day 74: September 30: Another sunrise, another beautiful summer like day, quite unusual for this time of year in Michigan. We won't question why but just enjoy!  Charlevoix is a quaint town, located on an isthmus between Lake Michigan and Lake Charlevoix. Lake Charlevoix is one of the larger lakes in Michigan that provides access to Beaver Island, the largest island in Lake Michigan that can be accessed by air or ferry. Settlement of Charlevoix was originally by fishermen as were many of these harbor towns. In the harbor just beyond the bascule bridge is the Beaver Island ferry company which transports folks to Beaver Island during the summer season. We took a walk around town with our first stop being John Cross Fisheries. This small shanty store, tucked just up the hill from the fishing dock, opened its doors many years ago under the ownership of John Cross from Beaver Island. The Cross family was a fishing family and through the years, John owned and oversaw the operation of abo...

Day 73: September 29: Last night we noticed the wind shifting, giving us hope that it would decrease enough to allow us an opportunity to get UW this morning. Once again, even in the midst of turbulent weather there is beauty to be found. The moon shining over the harbor was glorious.  Overnight, the roaring wind finally subsided, bringing relief to all of us. We slept well, not having to endure the jerking and bouncing that has plagued us for the last 4 days. In the morning the water was flat and calm and the wind was but a breeze. Anxious to be on our way, we made preparations, threw off the lines and headed out toward the Mackinac Bridge. As we made our way out of the harbor I watched as the island and its landmarks like the Grand Hotel slowly faded away and turned my focus to new sites and wonderment. Just outside the harbor, we passed the Round Island Passage Light which marks the southern side of North Channel, the narrow passage between Round Island and Mackinac. The light c...

Days 70-72: September 26-28: The wind has been blowing for the past 3 days. Gusts up to 20 mph have been reported on the lake. Needless to say we are not able to leave the marina even though staying on the dock has not been comfortable at all. Open to the east, we have been bouncing and twisting for days. Everyone is spending day after day re-adjusting lines that are being stretched to their limit. Now I know what it must be like in a washing machine.  Aside from the 5 Looper boats stranded here, we have seen 1 or 2 other boats arrive, noting how awful their travel was. We have had a mix of clouds and sun; one day is warm, the next cold; luckily no rain. We are thankful for the dry weather because we spend our entire day walking around the island or sitting on a bench, not able to stay on the rocking and rolling boats for any length of time.  We are doing our best to make lemonade out of lemons, finding new areas to investigate. John and I really enjoyed sitting on a bench in ...