There is a storm that is hanging over us today. We had rain last night and there is a 70% chance of rain today with T-storms. A couple of positives here: there isn’t any wind (unless a T-storm happens); we are tied to a dock; we could travel 6 miles across the Straits to St. Ignace which would take 6 miles off our next destination. Decision made: St. Ignace.

The ride was calm; there was a bit of fog once we got closer to St. Ignace. And, of course, rain. Kelley and I laughed because the last time we came into St. Ignace we got slammed by a thunderstorm and rain. I think I am destined to be tying fenders and lines in the rain when we come to St. Ignace.

The town looks great. There are some shops that have disappeared but a new market is in town and it is a great one. If you want’ the marina said you can call them and they will deliver your groceries to your boat. You can also go and buy them and then they will deliver them. We walked on down and selected the items we wanted and because there wasn’t much, we carried it on back.

This evening we are having cocktails on Proud Mary, a Fleming 55 that is doing the Loop in the reverse. We are looking forward to hearing about the trip from Chicago down.

We have enjoyed our time here in Mackinaw City. I am enjoying returning to spots that we have visited last year. We have a feel for the places and know what we would like to do.

It has been very windy here starting the morning of the 2nd. We have put the flag away because of the noise that it makes whipping with the wind. Although it is a holiday weekend and the city has many events planned, the marina and the Straits State Marina next door are pretty empty. When we made reservations we were told that we may have to raft on the 3rd. We don’t think that this will be the case.

Last year it seemed to be gray most of the time, not cold but not really warm either. These last few days it has been HOT and HUMID, just like we were told the weather back here would be. Surprise!

The New Reformation Band played in the park near the marina. We were looking forward to hearing this jazz group play; however, we had forgotten to change our watches and missed the performance. We heard a couple of pieces and then it was over!

Mackinaw City did not disappoint with its fireworks. The parks near the marina had huge groups of people sitting in chairs and on blankets waiting for 10 pm. It was wonderful to see such patriotism. There was a band playing in the park before the display. Lots of patriotic songs and then people began cheering, no, not cheering – the surprise was that it began to drizzle. People were gathering their possessions and dashing for protection. But, the fireworks went on and what a fabulous set it was.

We could also see the firework displays from Mackinac Island and St. Ignace. A terrific evening! Happy Birthday, America!

We wanted to leave Fayette and make the run to Mackinaw City. This is a distance of about 120 miles. We have never gone that distance before and there is always the weather issue. We had heard stories about how Lake Michigan can kick up in minutes. We would be miles from any place that we could pull into for safety. The weather read that it was to be a perfect day for boating.

We left at 5 in the morning. No wind, flat water. It basically stayed that way until we hit the Straits of Mackinaw. For about an hour we were bumped a bit, but not like our last trip through the Straits last year. Under the bridge we went and pulled into our slip. It was a fabulous day. Lake Michigan at its best!

Kelley went off on a bike ride with a gentleman that we met last evening who had kayaked from his house into the harbor. While Kelley was gone I started to investigate this place. We were surprised last night that the buildings are open for visitors to walk into. This would never happen in CA. I walked around the whole town going in and out of buildings. The state has been renovating the buildings and they are doing a fine job in my opinion. In some of the houses the walls are covered in glass so that you can see the lath and plaster that makes up the structure. The colors on the walls are bright yellows, pinks and greens. The site had historical people study chips from the original walls and that is how they came up with the colors.

I took about a mile walk through the grounds. Kelley said that he had seen a doe and her fawn when he had gone out for a walk in the morning. On the walk I saw fresh deer tracks. And the best part, no bugs! In the brochure about the park they mention that there aren’t any bugs…and they were right.

Later in the afternoon Kelley and I took a walk to the camp grounds. They are very nice with electricity and water. No water or electricity for the boaters!