Feeling Like We Are On A Boat in Petosky

Passed under The Mackinaw Bridge today and could only see parts of it. The fog made for some good photos.

Winds are blowing out of the NorthEast Quadrant and we are bouncing around a bit after being tied up. Showers and a surprise visit from friends of Ron's who are here to pick up some boat parts for their new racing boat bring us joy. They drove in from Tawas and were just walking the docks when they happened upon us.
We are rocked to sleep and wake up with some very blue skies and a cold wind blowing. The sky quickly gets covered with another system and a ton of clouds.

Decided to try my luck at finding Petosky Stones and after a couple hours of digging around the rocks and a quick lesson from an 8 year old boy...I come up with two nice stones. I also find many great fossils and a few tiny pieces of beach glass.

The bike trails here are awesome! We headed west to stretch our legs and passed wonderful views of  Little Traverse Bay. As we followed the path we went alongside a campground, through a couple private neighborhoods and popped out at East Park, then Bay Harbor. Hunting down a late lunch did not take long as we have been to this area a few years ago aboard The Shy Fox.

Bay Harbor has been in development for the past 20 years with funding from an LLC and government monies. The cement company that had dug out the limestone quarry was converted to huge marina and parks. Mega yachts line the docks and upscale shops line the road up the hill to a hotel. Large homes are abundant along the shores and it seems like a lot of space for such a short season. But, to each their own that's what freedom is all about. Time to tackle those hilly bike paths with more hills heading up than down.

Comfortable and Quiet Duncan Bay Boat Club

Let it be known that DBBC in Cheybogan has the most comfortable lodge with lot's of periodical's, comfy selection of chairs and sofa's and not to be left out is the selection of puzzles completed in an ongoing tag team of people .  I also claim it to have the  cleanest, warmest, "closest to home" bathroom/shower rooms, AND nice people to boot!
Wild Goose has been at this port twice in prior summers and it is always the same warm greeting from neighboring boats, person's at the pool lodge and at the grills. Ron decides to get the dinghy wet at this stop so we can explore Duncan Bay tomorrow...after all is unloaded and he's ready to hook up the motor, he finds that he has forgotten the fuel hose. HHMMM, last year it was the oars. Anyway, getting our hands on a new hose was going to eat up the rest of the afternoon and the store closed in 40 minutes....Captain Tom on the next boat over offered Ron a ride to town which is quite a distance and saved the day! Thanks Tom! Sorry to have delayed your Happy Hour!

Steak is on the menu after stocking up on meats in Roger's City...sure was tasty.

On day two we were able to explore the bay by dinghy. The tugboat we saw here on our first visit is fully under water now and marked by a buoy WR1 that has a tether to pick up for mooring and snorkeling the site.

Although the water is not terribly deep, this small wreck reminded me of my first wreck dive in Bermuda many years ago. The Bermuda wreck was at 90' and I was so anxious about it I blew my mask off on the way down. I remember Ron continuing down toward the site and looking around for me...and of course, I was above him and frightened and could not descend fast enough to get his attention. Thank goodness he was experienced enough to look up and then just hang and wait for me. Good thing dive instruction includes many hours of practicing for that kind of event. When we reached the wreck it was still another 30 feet to the seabed and overwhelmed is the only word I can think of to describe that dive. I eventually got more comfortable with wreck diving, but at the moment we went over the tug today, I became overwhelmed again. Weird....

No beach glass again, however, some soggy driftwood for making a pair of sconces comes back to Wild Goose II. Nice beach, great day out and off the boat!

Fore Sale By Owner

needs a little work. :)

Lot's to do in Mackinaw City

All day we have been listening to loud music, but not so sure of the source. So, after pasta and wine dinner we head to town to check out the music and take some pictures for a dear friend Pam who used to reside in town. We come upon an all day Elvis Impersonator Show in the middle of what appears to be a new shopping area that runs along side the main Central Ave.

What a hoot! Every time he came to our side of the stage, Ron did his own impression and the performer tried very hard not to laugh....after a couple tries, he quits looking our way. Elvis passed out "scarves of sweat" to all those willing to approach the stage, which was mostly young children. Elvis was quite good by the way.

The Keyhole Bar is now a stop for "foodies"  with a great menu. Our last visit here in the late 80's was all about The Bar portion of that same establishment.....or did we not eat much back in those days? Left a note at the bar on behalf of Pam.

Coastal Paths

A few pictures from Rogers City's coastal bike path...

Rogers City Renewel

Anxious for a new view, Wild Goose II took off for Duncan Bay this morning. Roger's City was just what the doctor ordered for Patti and the boat. The boat had a very small fuel drip and the captain/mechanic spent some time on the port engine and fixed her. Patti's virus is gone and pine trees are now part of the experience. We spent a few days letting some bad weather pass by giving the boat a thorough deep clean   washing all the rugs, towels and bedding. Rygulski's meat market had just what we've been craving for the grill and the awesome bike paths provided much needed exercise.

 The beaches provided no glass, however, a few nice pieces of driftwood are onboard and a couple nice rocks have been added to the collection to take home to Florida.

 Last night was our second dinner out in a row (yeah!!) and we shared the table with Tom and Trina Szott.  Three of us had awesome burgers ... Trina who was dying for their famous fried chicken and promised not to eat the skin....sure...
As you can see for yourself, the food we had the night before was wonderful too...as good as it looks! Szott's are off to The North Channel and I suspect we might see them again on Lake Michigan
with the ShyFox in a week or two.

YUMMY

Hunker Down in Roger's City

After another late morning awakening, we untie the boat and head out onto the calm seas.  We continue to have great conditions for boating, so we do not even get the bikes off the boat and continue heading North. Presque Isle bike paths and lighthouses will have to wait for our return trip. I cannot take advantage of the smell of pine trees that are abundant on shore. Ron reminds me of what I am missing and I hope to get my nose back to normal very soon. Napa auto parts has the fuel filters we are looking for and this gives us a destination for a much needed bike ride when we land.
Roger's City has a great park next to the marina with a swimming beach and I'm hoping the ice cream/fried food shop is open! Wild Goose gets assigned to dock 89 and after tying the lines we find out we are next to an old NCYC boat. The 1972 C & C 39 that Leslie Hill and family sailed. It is now serving as Mackinaw race boat and cruiser on Lake St Clair.

 The local gallery provided some great ideas for the empty house we'll be making into a home when we head south in a month or so. Leftovers and early to bed still hoping to wake up and smell "the north".