I'm finally getting some pictures posted of our trip . We bought a new/used boat in Sturgeon Bay, WI and brought it "home" to Bayfield, WI via the waterways. We traveled almost two weeks(July 2-July 15 2005) and saw some awesome sights and met some interesting people. And, we all got along (for the most part). Our brother-in-law Jim came with us and that worked out well. It was nice to have another hand on deck when it came time to dock at the various marinas. We swam in all the lakes we traveled through, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron and finally Lake Superior. The water was chilly (averaging 65 degrees) but still nice on the hot, humid days. We had windy weather the first two days which proved to be a challenge for Capt'n Dan, but he managed wonderfully and we arrived safely into each port. The remainder of the days were hot on land but required a sweatshirt on the boat as the wind off the lake was cool. Ashley and Nicole had a great time on the trip and enjoyed all the scenery,towns and history. We were all ready to get back home at the end, but once home, we were ready to do it all again. I guess that's a good sign. Hopefully the pictures work out, otherwise I'll have to have Rob post them for me.
Standing in front of the Mackinac Bridge.
Ashley & Nicole enjoying a dinghy ride.
Beaver Island Marina.
Border Patrol Sault Saint Marie.
Entering the locks at Sault St. Marie.
Iron Smelter, Fayette, MI.
Ships on the St. Mary's River.
Johnson's Restaurant, Washington Island, MI, Goats eating on the rooftop.
Our Tolleycraft.
Marquette,MI.
Looks like a lot of fun, Carol. I combined your entry with the pictures. Great, great photos.
Didn't the Patrol look like a submarine? Like a German U-Boat maybe? What's the idea of the length of that boat, and the low draft? All of these pictures were wonderful. I'm so glad you had a good time and want to go again. I'll bet the auto trip home was a long one though, wasn't it? I'd like to see a picture of your boat too. And what about those big boats -- were they coming right at you? It looks like the entire roof of the restaurant is grass. Is that right? What a nice memory for those girls to have. I have a friend who moved to Michigan a few years ago and she says northern Michigan is scenic and beautiful and a tourist's dream. I'm guessing that's where you were. Say hi to everyone this weekend. Hope you all have a wonderful time.
Rob, thanks a lot for posting the photos. I wonder if having dial-up is part of the problem I have posting the pictures. That plus operator error :). In answer to your questions Aunt Ginnie..
Didn't the Patrol look like a submarine? Like a German U-Boat maybe? What's the idea of the length of that boat, and the low draft?
It was one of about four that we saw and each one was just a bit different. They had just launched another one, so I think they must've been deploying a new group of people. It was cool but kind of eerie.
The ride home was indeed long, only because we were tired.
There is a picture of our boat. It's the one labeled "Tolleycraft". I thought I put "Our Tolleycraft" but evidentally not.
The restaurant had a grass roof and the goats had run of the whole thing. There was a stairway in the back of the restaurant for them to go up and down the roof as they pleased. It was fun to see.
Yes, we were mostly in the upper penninsula (The "UP")of Michigan. Michigan has the most shoreline/coast of any state on the great lakes. We dubbed it the state that never ends 'cause we were in MI territory almost the entire trip. It was a very memorable trip for the girls (and Dan & me too)
Carol
Dial-up is almost always a risk when dealing with large files, Carol. It's also a little frustrating unless you're a patient person. If patience is a Tompkins trait, it skipped me entirely. Two of your pictures were enormous and might have been causing you some trouble. I'm glad you were able to get them to me for posting. These pictures are just fantastic. I love, love, love pictures with blue skies or blue water in them and most of these have both.
Sounds like a great trip. We were in Sault Ste. Marie years ago and I don't remember much of it. It is on my list of things to do. I have some good vacation pics also but don't have a clue on how to post them (correctly). We were in South Dakota in the Black Hills July 9th - 16th. Temps over 100 every day. It cooled off at night so sleeping in the tent was not a problem. I would have loved to snuggle up in my sweatshirt. Brought two with, never came out of the bag.
Great pictures. How many MPs does your camera have? Just wondering. Thanks for being patient enough to post them. What a vacation! I had just finished posting my measly picture and story of my two day trip to the gulf coast when I checked the blog to find this pictorial. Awesome. Next time we come to Mn, I want Dan to hang with Michael for a little while. Ashley and Nicole look like they get along very well. Aaron and Julia are very good playmates too.
It does say "Our Tolleycraft." I just checked. I missed it on the first go-round. Getting back to the goats: it looks like the building is very large. A very large roof covered with grass is what I mean. Kevin bought Katie four sheep (and added a billy goat some time later that kept jumping the fence and eating the neighborhood's flowers and plants) and one day, Katie said something about cutting the grass and I asked what the sheep were doing and she said, "Oh, they were standing in the door of the shed watching me." So much for sheep and grass. However,it looked like the goats were doing a good job keeping the roof-grass down.
It didn't when she said it, Mom.
The restaurant wasn't really that big, but yes, the entire roof was grass. There were a couple other little cottages by the marina that had grass roofs. We weren't there long enough to find out the story behind that. Also, for anyone who reads this and thinks I'm a whiz at the photo posting biz....Rob gets all the credit. I couldn't get them to post, so I sent them to him and he posted them for me. So thanks Rob!! Carol
WOW! What lovely pictures! It sounds like a lovely vacation! Thank you for sharing it with us! It makes me want to explore the midwest. There's still lots in the PNW I would like to explore, but your vacation looks so idealic.
Your boat looks wonderful! How big is it? How many does it sleep? Would it be considered a yacht? I have a friend who lives on a boat. They just got a new one but I haven't seen it yet. Your boat reminds me of the last boat they had.
Have a great time with your family this weekend! I wish I could be there to see you all again!
I enjoyed the pictures and reading all the entries with explanations. I did not see "Our Tolleycraft" on any of the boats, though. Which picture has that one in it?
Sue, I just looked. Our boat is the second to last picture. Katie, the boat is 34 feet long not counting the dinghy and the bow sprit. It can sleep 6, but I bet we could squeeze in a couple more. It may be considered a yacht by length, but the actual style is a "Sportfisher". Carol
Sue,
Click on the "Continue reading "What an adventure!"" link just above where you click for comments.
I totally missed that feature - thanks!