Weather has improved...but

We have been waiting for the weather window to allow us to proceed to Leland and the Manitou Islands off the west shore of Lake Michigan as promised by the weatherman it was today.

Well, we departed Northport, MI this AM early and headed into a head sea for the Grand Traverse Bay outlet into Lake Michigan.We were again greeted by BIG WAVES! I had the window open just enjoying the fresh breeze and the ability to see over the spray on the windshield... I for some unknown reason closed it just before taking a large wave over the bow and into the windshield. Boy, I would have been looking for a snorkel had it been open. Enough said so we turned tail and ran with the following 3-5 seas to Traverse City. It took about 2 hours to retreat and a comfortable ride as agreed by Connie. Our choices were to return to Northport, Sutton's Bay or the new port of Traverse City.

Lot to do here and the temptations abound for our stomachs and wallets. Traverse city has transformed itself since we were here 15 years ago and is very tourist friendly community with shops and eateries on Front Street extending to the South Mall area. It reminds us of our home stomping grounds, on Lake Huron, the Tawases but on a much larger scale on a larger scale.

We had a lack of good information and picked up a copy of the 2009 Waterway Guide that the local West Marine store had overnight-ed from another store for us. It was 3 miles on bike to the store and Connie was once again convinced that I did not know where I was going... I showed her my sense of direction was about usual. A little "recalculating" as the missing GPS does when we are off course got us there. We even stopped at the Great Wolf Lodge for a brew on the way back, we have been to the Wisconsin Lodge with family a few years ago... ditto!

We are at the South end of the Grand Traverse Bay in the Duncan Clinch Marina which was remade per the harbor master just a few years ago for 10 million dollars and it is 1st class all the way! You want it it has it, laundry, grills, access to the city and of course fuel and ice at a fair price.

We are on floating docks tonight with a little motion and as you can tell the dock and boat are not moving in sync despite the camera being placed on a piling to steady it.


Thanks for traveling with us,

Tom & Connie
Cat's Away/ in Traverse City, MI as of 8/26/09