Detroit, MI Part 1

Lynn had been getting concerned about planning for our living arrangements once we completed our journey and moved back to a Miami.  So, first thing on Tuesday, Sept. 4 we had a conference call with our realtor to discuss the best way of finding a short term rental in Miami.  Our thought was to get a furnished rental while we took our time finding a more permanent place to live.  We resolved that issue by postponing our search until later in October which would be closer to the time we would need a place.  With that resolved, we proceeded on our voyage to Detroit.  We had a five hour journey on a sunny day with calm waters.  We spent the time planning what we would do with the several days we would be docked in Detroit.  Jonny had to fly to an MTOA board meeting for a few days and our friend Cathy was flying in from Kansas City to keep Lynn company while Jonny was away.  We passed some huge freighters on our way and also began seeing some attractive churches and homes as we cruised the St. Clair River approaching Detroit.

We arrived at the Detroit Yacht Club at 3:45 and tied up at this venerable old yacht club that was founded in 1868!  Its clubhouse is a restored 1920’s era Mediterranean-style villa and it is reported to be the the largest yacht club in the U.S.   The building was beautiful but quite old-fashioned and in some places in need of significant updating.  The docks were great though, and it was fun having the experience of staying there. It also was a rather long Uber ride into the city.

The yacht club is located on the beautiful Belle Isle and it is the only commercial property on the island.  We took our bikes for a seven mile ride around what is now a big state park with lovely beaches, fountains, and historic buildings. We were pleased to see a lot of local people using the park and enjoying the beautiful end of summer weather.

That evening we ate on board and enjoyed having good TV reception for the first time in a while by watching  a Ken Burns special on Mark Twain.

The next day we set out to explore Detroit since neither one of us had been there before.   We visited the Renaissance Center, an incredible complex where General Motors is headquartered along with other companies.

We followed a do-it-yourself walking tour and saw some of Detroit’s  architectural masterpieces such as the Guardian and Penobscot buildings.

That afternoon we did a tour at the Motown Hit City Museum which was a lot of fun.  It was amazing to learn how many of the greatest groups including Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross and the Supremes, the Four Tops, the Tempatations, the Jackson Five and the great Stevie Wonder had their start in such a modest studio!

On the way back we stopped at the Detroit Museum of History which had a particularly interesting exhibit on the Underground Railroad and the main library where we saw some amazing sculptures and murals.

That evening we went to a local jazz club called Cliff Bell’s where we sat at the bar and had dinner and watched an excellent jazz combo play non-stop for two hours with local musicians walking in to jam with the band.  It was a real treat for us since we have missed all the great jazz we used to hear in Miami.  

Our plan for the next day was to move Zendo to the W.G. Milliken State Harbor Marina closer to downtown Detroit where we would dock for the next few days. 

St. Clair, MI

With it being Labor Day on Monday, September 3, we decided to take our time and walk into the little town of Sanilac to have breakfast at what looked to be the only place to eat.  It was a cute little diner named Mary’s where we had a decent breakfast.  It was nowhere near as busy as yesterday’s breakfast spot.  We strolled the main street of town afterwards and went into the local hardware store. The owner was very engaging and proud of the fact that his was the oldest hardware store in the state of Michigan.  It even had several beams and posts that were made of tree trunks!  He proceeded to show us around his large and exceedingly neat and clean store and regaled us with stories about the town’s history.

A lovely lighthouse that appeared to be  no longer operational was located along the shoreline.

We took off on Zendo at 9:40 heading for St. Claire thinking that we would stay in the marina there.  Storms were expected later in the day and there aren’t many places to anchor in the area.  We cruised in warm and sunny weather and calm seas listening to various podcasts.  As the afternoon wore on we cruised off of the lake and onto the St. Clair River which is actually a strait connecting Lake Huron to Lake Erie.  We are clearly entering civilization as we passed more industrial areas and also some impressive shoreline homes.

After going through a low drawbridge, we arrived at 3:00 ahead of the storm which never materialized.  We tied up at the St. Claire Boat Harbor that is located on a small river that feeds into the St. Clair River. This was another marina with a lot of empty slips.

There were some cool Cris Craft boats in the marina and apparently they are built right up the river from here.

We got a ride into town from the marina staff to go to a local brew pub that turned out to be closed.  So we walked along the very nice boardwalk that lined the waterfront and is purported to be the longest fresh water boardwalk in the world. There were several groups of people picnicking on the grassy banks and and enjoying the cool breezes.

After our walk we returned to Zendo and had dinner ( spaghetti with clam sauce and sardines and a salad). While Lynn caught up by phone with her sister Lisa and Stephanie, Jonny got some good advice from our dock mates about Detroit, our next stop.  We will be staying in Detroit for the next week.  Jonny will be flying to Maryland for an MTOA board meeting and our friend Cathy is flying in from Kansas City to spend the weekend with Lynn. 

Port Sanilac, MI

We decided to take our time leaving Port Austin on Sunday, September 2 and have breakfast at the local restaurant that everyone goes to.  It was very local and very packed but they found us a table and we had a hearty breakfast.  We walked through the town a little but didn’t stop at this cool looking bakery. 

We left Port Austin by 11:30 and had calm seas following the coastline of Michigan along the thumb to Port Samilac which took all afternoon. Thankfully, the winds and seas were calm.  We spent quite a bit of time looking at the condo listings that Tom, our realtor, had sent us to see if we could find a 6 month furnished rental when we return to Miami.  We thought we should live in a condo for awhile to see if we even like it before we decide what to buy.

When we arrived in Port Sanilac (another port of refuge) we tied up at the dock.  

This marina had a lot of sailboats in it and was obviously quite popular with boaters.

We had a quiet evening onboard Zendo and made dinner (salmon, the remaining ears of corn from the farmer’s market, and salad). We watched the last episode of Dancing on the Edge and went to bed early.

Port Austin, MI

We left Oscada very early at 6:45 on Saturday, September 1 because we didn’t want to spend another day there.  We thought we would have a chance of getting ahead of what was predicted to be very windy conditions later in the day.  Our plan was to get to Port Austin and our back-up plan was Tawas. 

It was breezy but we were able to be relatively comfortable because the waves were on our bow quarter. Three quarters of the way through the morning  we got into the shadow of Michigan’s thumb and the waters calmed down a bit.  We arrived in Port Austin at about 11:15 and tied up at the very nice marina there.  The marina is one of the many state run operations lining the Michigan coast and from what we can see they are all in great shape with wide docks, accessible services and excellent breakwaters.  This one was surrounded by parkland, beaches and attractively maintained grounds. 

Everyone we met encouraged us to go the the farmer’s market that takes place every Saturday and was just a couple of blocks from the marina.  Of course we had to go and it was one of the best we’ve seen this summer.  It was very busy and we bought so much food that both of us had our hands full walking back. 

Upon returning to Zendo, we had delicious native tomato sandwiches for lunch and then set to work on boat cleaning chores including laundry, bike repairs and prepping for our upcoming guests.  Jonny was about to wash the outside of the boat when a big thunderstorm came up. It was pretty fierce and we were glad we were not out on the lake during it!

We had a nice, dinner of fresh perch and corn on the cob that we had purchased at the farmer’s market.  The marina had been quite active all day due to the Labor Day weekend.  There were many boaters and lots of families enjoying the waterfront park with its marina, playing fields and two beaches. 

That evening a band was playing in the park.  The musicians were older guys (like us) apparently all retired from the Detroit area.  They played classic rock and country with a couple of local guest singers from the audience.  They were very entertaining and even introduced us to the crowd after the lead singer worked the crowd during their break and heard our story.  We are realizing that the midwesterners we are meeting are just as warm and friendly as the Canadians were!

Oscoda, MI

We had a long pretty smooth day of cruising on Friday, August 31 starting early at 8 a.m.  We wanted to make a good long run while the weather was good because the next day looked a little iffy. Also, there was no place of interest that we wanted to stop and visit along this part of the coast.  The weather was sunny and clear but cool enough that we ran with the stratoglass closed early on.  The lake was fairly calm for most of the day except for a couple hours of hours when we encountered some rougher waters. The waves got to one foot but the short duration made  it choppy.  Fortunately, the waters calmed down again and Georgio spent most of the day sleeping in his little cardboard box on the flybridge.

We spent most of the day listening to John McCain and Aretha Franklin’s memorial services - both quite moving.  Unfortunately, we couldn’t tune in on Aretha’s live stream which would have been highly recommended entertaining.  We’re sorry that the  poor reception in this part of the world has caused us to miss many of the visual aspects of major news events over the last several weeks.

There were really very few places for us to cruise to.  At first we were going to go to Harrisville but then decided to to push on to Oscoda.  The only marina there - Haglund’s - didn’t even show up on Active Captain.  Jonny had to call the Chamber of Commerce to find one. We would have been happy to anchor out but there was no safe place to do so.  So we pulled into Haglund’s at 5:15 and entered the harbor with its good breakwater.  We passed some modest modular homes along the coast as we entered the marina. 

The marina owner also ran a hunting and gun shop.  He had recently bought the operation and the “marina” part was quite neglected.   There was no water, no restrooms, no WIFI but at least there was a power outlet, though it was just a household outlet!  We tied up at the dock across from the gun shop with a big gazebo right next to us and a busy highway across the street.  

The nearby town held no interest to us but we were grateful to be in a calm and safe harbor.  We were glad to only have to stay one night!.

Presque Harbor, MI

We had a long and uneventful day of travel along the eastern coast of Michigan on Thursday, August 30.  The weather was quite cool and we cruised with the Stratoglass closed for much of the day and wore layers of sweatshirts and jackets.  The lake was fairly calm early in the day but picked up as the afternoon wore on with 1 - 2 foot swells.

We stopped at Presque Island Marina for fuel and were surprised by how few boats were docked at the large and well-maintained marina.   

The friendly dock hand explained that the marinas along the coast are state run and are only allowed to lease 30% of the slips for seasonal rentals so they can act as ports of refuge for any vessels requiring safe harbor in a storm. These marinas are 30 miles apart all along the Michigan coast so a boater would be no further than 15 miles from one of these ports if they ever needed one.  The marinas are all fortified with impressive breakwaters.  This is all very comforting because the waters of the Great Lakes are big and can change quickly.

We fueled up at Presque Island Marina and stretched our legs by walking to the small general store that was going out of business.  We scooped up a few staples including a restocking of our beer reserves!

From there, we cruised to the nearby bay and found a comfortable anchorage for the night.  Surprisingly, it took us three tries to set the anchor but there was no wind and we had a relaxing evening on board.  Just after sunset we had the unique experience of seeing four planets - Venus, Jupiter, Saturn and Mars.  It was pretty spectacular!

Cheboygan, MI

We left Drummond Harbor Yacht Haven after a lot of time spent deliberating the forecast on Tuesday, August 28. The winds and seas were projected to be higher particularly for our Great Loop colleagues who were heading to Lake Michigan. Out route seemed like it would be OK as the day progressed so we delayed our departure until noon and then set off.  The lake had one foot waves with short period swells to start which we were taking on the bow so it was relatively comfortable.  We made our way across the top of Lake Huron and as the day wore on the seas calmed because we were in the shadow of the mainland, hugging the east coast of Michigan and passing some of the lighthouses for which the Great Lakes are known.

By 5:30 we made our way into the Cheboygan River following a ferry into the harbor. After waiting for the 9 foot bridge to open we arrived at the municipal marina which was just a wall in the center of town.  We tied up next to that walk and a parking lot and a fellow cruiser mistakenly told us we could stay there for free with power and all!  Apparently he leaves before the attendant arrives the next morning to collect payment.  Jonny thought there might be a nicer place to tie up a bit further up the river and so we moved and found one next to a park and just under the pedestrian walking bridge.  It was a very nice location with an attractive gazebo and historic scenes painted on walls in the park (and the all essential restrooms nearby).

The next day we took a $5 shuttle bus to the ferry to Mackinac Island. On our way we passed under the bridge that when first built was the longest suspension bridge in the world.  The weather was a little cool and rainy but it was expected to clear by noon.  

We had a great time at Mackinac exploring a lot of the island on foot. The downtown area was busy with lots of shops,  restaurants, and horse drawn carriages.

We took one of the historic walks and went by the fort (but didn’t go in as we have seen lots of forts on this journey).  We went on to the Governor of Michigan’s summer home and lucked out.  It is only open on Wednesdays and this was the last Wednesday it would be open for the season.  The governor and his wife actually use it and it felt very much like a lived-in home. It was lovely with comfortably inviting seating areas around a cozy fireplace, a gracious dining room and a lovely sun porch. All these rooms had amazing views of the lake.  It was an 11 bedroom house but it didn’t seem so. Of course we did not get to see any of the second floor but we were assured that the governor and his wife used the rooms we were able to visit.  It’s the first time we had toured an historic home and felt that we could imagine ourselves actually living there. 

From there we took a scenic walk along the shoreline and saw several summer “cottages” with fabulous flower gardens and an amazing natural stone arch.

 As the rain stopped, we found a very nice outdoor restaurant for lunch looking out over the lake. 

Originally, we were going to rent bicycles and bike around the island after lunch but we decided to explore the historic areas on foot.  We walked through the less commercial parts of town, past historic churches, and forested areas.

Then we headed over to the Grand Hotel.  Jonny wasn’t up for spending $10 to walk onto their famous porch but Lynn was so she explored the resorts public spaces and reported back to Jonny.  

Lynn also wanted to walk through the part of town where the 500 or so permanent residents lived (to see how the other 90% lived)! Their homes were much more modest than the huge “cottages” that lined the shores of Mackinac.  We saw lots horses grazing and stables (some nicer than the residents’ homes) where the horses that draw the carriages are kept.  No cars are allowed on the island and surprisingly to us we saw no golf carts either! 

As we walked along a coastal road with some magnificent cottages we came again to the Grand Hotel.  There were no staff keeping people out from that side so we both walked in and Jonny got to see this iconic hotel for free!

At the end of the day, we took the ferry back to the town of Mackinaw where we killed some time waiting for the shuttle back to the marina by indulging in ice cream and coffee and wondering how so many fudge shops can compete and remain operational in two square blocks!  (Note that the town is spelled Mackinaw and the island is Mackinac but they are both pronounced Mackinaw.) We learned the interesting fact that Carl Fisher, one of Miami Beach’s founding fathers, was from this part of the country and was instrumental in building the Dixie Highway built that goes all the way from Mackinaw to Miami!

Once back in Cheboygan, we hit the local brew pub and grocery and had a light dinner before going to bed.

Our trip to Cheboygan and Mackinac Island turned out to be really fun, more so than we ever expected!