What a mistake this was! The weather report was that it would be windy and that the waves would be 4 to 6 feet and it was correct. We had gusts to 35 -and many, many times, the waves went over the front of the boat and washed the isinglass. Perfect! Remember, fresh water – not salt! We had 40 miles to go.
We were pleased to arrive at the dock; the last part of the trip was more protected – darn right calm, well, it is all relative. People were surprised to hear how rough it was out in Grand Traverse Bay. I feel so badly for my aunt and uncle. They have come to cruise with us and we had weather and distance issues. Not to mention the difficulty in locating a car.
Charlie has decided to rent a car here and we will tour the area as we did in Charlevoix with them and then drive them to the airport and return the car here. No drop offs in this area, well for $175 you can do that!
So, Sunday, in heat, we hung out on the boat.
Monday, we drove to Sutton Bay (darling!) and Leland (charming) and then to Northport (cute). These were marinas that we were planning to go to (except Sutton Bay).
On Tuesday we did a marathon drive: Glen Arbor (precious – with lunch at Art’s Tavern), a drive to see Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park, and the final drive through the country side to Grand Rapids. We left them at the hotel (they fly out tomorrow) and we drove back to the boat.
Wednesday was a get the boat organized and cleaned. It was a lovely day and would have been a great day to cruise. It is challenging to invite friends and family to cruise. The weather here is so unpredictable and transportation is unreliable in these small towns. I hope that my family had a nice time. It was great for me to have there here and see them.
