To Chicago and Beyond

            We left Ludington a little reluctantly. It’s a beautiful little town and full of great people and salmon. We did our best to help reduce the salmon population. We have had a great run of weather lately and really took advantage of it. We made it to Benton Harbor in about seven hours. We fueled up and were delighted to find that the price had dropped. Not much, but every little bit helps. We were tired and didn’t go anywhere or do anything, just got a good night’s sleep and took off early the next morning.

            From Benton Harbor we took off for Chicago. We wanted to get to Chicago so that we could go through on the weekend and avoid most of the commercial traffic. We had a good run across the lake, with no rough weather. Lorenzo had some trouble with one engine, but it turned out to be minor and he was able to repair it without any problem.

            We docked at the DuSable Marina in Chicago, within sight of the Navy Pier and a short walk from Millennium Park. We were surprised to find that the folks in the big city were just as friendly and helpful as those in the smaller places. We got directions to grocery stores, found out that there’s no such thing as a laundromat in Chicago, and that there was a free concert in Millennium Park at 6:30. It was a Tribute to Nat King Cole. We thought we’d like to go, but opted to walk to the grocery store and pick up dinner in their in-house café, which had been recommended by another boater.

            This turned out to be more of an adventure than you might think. Walking to the grocery store. Few blocks. No big deal. Oh yeah? NOT! We had to walk on a bike path and we found Chicago bikers are bikers with a vengeance or a score to settle or something. To make matters worse we had to cross the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. Don’t let the “Sanitary” part fool you. It’s anything but!. It was built to handle the waste from Chicago and keep it out of Lake Michigan. We had to walk across a fairly nice little park, climb some stairs to the overpass, then walk carefully single file across the bridge. When we broke our single file we found bikers would appear from nowhere, silent and deadly. I don’t believe I saw one without a grim look on his or her face. There were also joggers, most blissfully oblivious to everything but the I-pods growing out of their ears. We were glad to cross the bridge and trip down the stairs to the street.

            Chicago is not like Tabor City. They actually need those traffic lights. Even in the crosswalks I didn’t feel really safe, but we made it to the grocery store. Gary swore it was several miles according to his knees, but it was really only several blocks after we exited the bridge. We got sandwiches and salads at the deli, then toured the grocery. We didn’t stay long. Eggs (organic, of course) were $4.99 per dozen. Gary said we could buy one and split it. Fortunately, we didn’t need anything but coffee. We had plenty of beans on the boat, but our grinder had fried itself and so we forked out about twice what we usually pay for a pound of coffee. Then we hoofed it back to the boats and slept the sleep of tired people with aching knees.

            Next day we did boat maintenance and practiced our loafing styles. I have almost finished crocheting an afghan and have sewed part of the binding on a quilt I started so long ago I can’t remember when. Late in the afternoon we got together with Lois and Lorenzo to hike the mile and a half to Navy Pier. Walking down the dock was an interesting experience. There were boats with interesting names like Neon Penguin, and another named Finally Paradise. It had two plastic palm trees sitting on the dock behind it, decorated with mini lights and an inflatable flamingo sitting on the deck. Things like that really make you want to meet the owners, but we were disappointed in that respect. We did have to crash through a party in progress to get to the end of the dock, but we didn’t stay to see how long the girl in the itty-bitty bikini could stand around without putting on  more clothes—although Gary would have liked to.

            We saw more interesting sights at Navy Pier. It is a long, long pier with eateries, entertainment venues and cruise ships offering dinner cruises, sailing excursions and “architecture tours” of Chicago. We ate “cheeseborgers” at the Billy Goat and found they’re really just plain old cheeseburgers. But they were good and filling. After watching several of the cruisers leave the dock and discussing whether they had pods or thrusters, and seeing the four-masted sailing ship leave with a lady captain calling out the orders to her crew, we started the slow stroll back. We were distracted temporarily by the Hagen-Das ice cream shop. After a little pick-me-up to fortify us to face the  deadly cyclists on the bridge, we  encouraged each other through the pain of aching knees and sagging bellies and stumbled to our boats and beds by nine p.m.

            Next morning it was off to the Sanitary and Ship Canal and our first lock since leaving Canada. It only lowered us two feet, but we were off into the heart of Chicago. It was like being in a canyon with the skyscrapers all around us, but was surprisingly pretty. Many of the buildings had flower boxes that literally dripped flowers and vines along the route. We were a little antsy about the bridges we had to pass under. Gilraker didn’t have any trouble, but she has a low profile. Li’l David has a fly bridge where Lorenzo usually sits to operate the boat. In preparation for the bridges he had collapsed the fabric cover of the fly bridge and lowered its profile as much as possible.

            There were a couple of bridges that had to open for him, but we had an uneventful trip to Joliet and, since it was Saturday morning, saw very little barge traffic. We tied up in the late afternoon at a dock wall in Joliet. The dockage was free and there were free electrical hookups set in boxes along the wall, which marked the edge of a really nice park. The park had a broad walkway that ran for a couple of blocks and marked the site of the original settlement of Joliet. There were markers and displays telling a lot of the history of Joliet and flower beds and large benches throughout the park. It was a great place to spend the rest of the weekend.

            We had people stop to chat and one man told me his son had never been on a boat and asked if he could come aboard and look around. So I gave nine-year-old Vittorio the fifty-cent tour. He was less than impressed, but was fascinated by Maggie, who wouldn’t say a mumblin’ word to him. A boat from Texas, Our Way was docked with us, but left Sunday morning. Sunday afternoon Going There and Glory Be II joined us. We had seen them at other marinas and we all walked to Harrah’s Casino, right across the river, for the buffet dinner. Lorenzo broke the bank by finding a five-dollar bill on the floor. We were one group the casino probably lost money on. None of us was tempted by the casino, we just wanted to eat and they were the closest restaurant.

            Monday we had planned to go to Ottawa, but spent a lot of time going in circles waiting for a drawbridge to lift. Lorenzo’s boat was just a little too tall to go under without the bridge being raised. All our guidebooks said the bridge was closed from seven to eight a.m., during rush hour. We got to the bridge just a couple of minutes after eight and all three boats in our group hailed the bridge on the monitored channel, but got no reply. Finally Glory Be II went under the bridge, pulled up to the tender’s house and Marty blew his horn. The bridge tender came on the radio with two words: “Ten minutes.” At the next lock there was a  posted that announced that the bridge was closed till 8:30. Our guidebooks were wrong, but none of us has figured out why the tender couldn’t have had the courtesy to tell us that.

Later in the morning we arrived at our first lock of the day. There was a huge tow going through. It was so large they had to send it through in two sections. We had to tie up at the lock wall, wait till the first section went through, the lock was re-flooded and the second part of it went through. The lock then had to be flooded again for us to get in. A few miles down the river we got behind the huge tow. It had barges lined up three abreast and flour or five deep. We followed for awhile, then had a chance to pass it. Even that took awhile. We decided to forget about Ottawa and stopped at Spring Brook Marina about 13 miles north. Their restaurant was closed on Mondays, and since there was no eatery within walking or biking distance we dined at Chez Li’l David. There was some of Gary’s salmon “catch” left, I threw together some shells and cheese, Lois fixed her famous green beans with bacon and potatoes, Barb from Glory Be II brought a salad—they have tomato and pepper plants aboard—and Lois and Bob from Going There brought a fruit salad. It was another throw-down, topped off by Lois’s fresh blueberry cobbler. We ate till we ached.

            Tuesday morning we set off down the Illinois River and intended to run all day, but since we hadn’t been able to get any supplies except ice at the last place we decided to stop at Ottawa just to get some supplies. Are we ever glad we did! There is a city dock where boats can stay free for 48 hours. It is bordered by a beautiful flower-filled park and populated by very friendly people. We had read in Skipper Bob’s guide that a grocery was within walking distance of the docks. W took our little folding carts and set out. At the checkout Gary learned that the store owner would be more than happy to give us a ride back to the docks. In a luxury van, no less. Several store employees volunteered to play chauffeur, but the former owner did the honors. On the way, he gave us a short tour of the town, pointing out restaurants and the park commemorating Ottawa as the site of the first Lincoln-Douglas debate. Off and on during the day several people stopped to chat and offered rides to Wal-Mart or other places if we needed them. We have been really favorably impressed by this beautiful little town. If you ever have a chance to get to Ottawa, Illinois, especially in a boat, don’t miss it!

            Our friends in Going There stayed at Spring Brook to have some repairs done on their boat. We hope to meet them again along the way. Glory Be II plans to pull out with us tomorrow as we continue down the Illinois and more adventures.

Sorry about the dearth of pictures. My camera is acting up and I’ll have to switch to Gary’s. I had a lot more, but something messed up the memory card and I lost them.  

Weekend in Ludington

We spent a great evening in Frankfort on Thursday, August 14, which happened to be my dad’s 94th birthday. Happy birthday, Dad! It is a pretty village and very boater-friendly. We all had a good laugh at an old beat-up looking boat named “Kathy.” Lois and Lorenzo’s friends Kathy and Bill Bouman joined them at Northport and plan to cruise with us to Chicago. We’ve had a great time with them.

We pulled out of Frankfort bright and early on Friday morning and had about the most perfect day you can have for cruising. The water in Lake Michigan is a beautiful deep blue and we had some swells, but no choppy waves to make for a rough ride–or to keep one from napping. There were a lot of boats on the water fishing for salmon. And catching them! We have seen boats bring in some huge salmon.

We passed some places that looked like high cliffs from a distance, but on reading some of the guides we brought along, found out they are huge sand dunes. Spectacular was the word used to describe them in the guide and we agree that it’s an apt description.

We pulled into Ludington Friday afternoon and were assigned a slip right next to Li’l David. Lois outdid herself with fried chicken for dinner with all sorts of go-withs and a topper of blueberry pudding. The blueberries and cherries are ripe right now and we have enjoyed those as well as the “early” Michigan peaches. As usual everyone around us is very friendly.

Lorenzo was talking to a guy on the dock who’s here with his wife on a fishing trip. They live in Ohio but spend their vacation here every year during salmon season. They have an SUV and he volunteered his wife to take us to Wal-Mart Saturday morning. This is one thing we have consistently found among boaters: always willing to lend a hand in whatever way they can.

Pat picked us up on schedule and we made our “run,” and re-stocked on necessities and niceties. We spent Saturday cleaning the boats and walking and bike riding around Ludington. Gary gave Gilraker a much-needed scrub-down, washing off the spider poop and gobs of spiders he’s hit with some spray Lorenzo gave him.

On our afternoon walk to the village we girls had a Michigan specialty: cherry hot dogs. They were good, but seemed very similar to Jesse Jones sausage dogs to us. Whatever. We got them from a wagon set up in the park bordering the marina. We then ambled on down the main street, touring a few antique/junque stores, and then we spied an ice cream and fudge shop. You can guess the rest. We sat on the convenient park bench and enjoyed our treats, then waddled on back to the boats.

Gary had arranged with the local barbecue joint to deliver some ribs, pulled pork, barbecued chicken, coleslaw, and baked beans. We had a picnic near the end of the dock. We had planned on grabbing a picnic table under a shade tree, but it was so cool (in August!) we moved to one in the sun right near a rock wall that overlooked the channel. Just as we were putting out the food the S.S. Badger pulled in. Badger is a huge car ferry that runs between Ludington and Manitowoc, Wisconsin. It leaves every morning at 8:00 a.m. We know this because we hear the horn it blows to warn the fishermen to “get out of the way, I’m coming through.” The ferry saves a long drive down the shore, around, and back up the eastern shore for folks living in Manitowoc. Why take the long drive when you can take a four-hour ferry ride, enjoying yourself in a stateroom if you want to fork out the money, or just lounging on deck or in the lounge. We got to watch as the big boat  pulled up to exactly the right spot in the channel where she let go her anchor and pivoted around it so that she was in perfect position to back into her slip to unload the cars. Quite a maneuver that all the captains are in awe of. She is a coal burner puffing out black smoke—surprising to see in this day of “green.”

After stuffing on barbecue we retired to the boats. Sunday morning Gary and I rode our bikes to an old-fashioned ice cream parlor which serves breakfast and had a good old-fashioned one of eggs and bacon. We then biked back to the boat where we lounged around most of the day. I had looked up local churches on the ’net, but none we really liked was within walking distance.

On one of his strolls up and down the docks Gary had met a couple of salmon fishermen (actually more than a couple, but a couple in particular). He must have looked particularly hangdog or something, because they gave him a package of salmon already cleaned and prepared for the freezer. Gary is nothing if not nervy and he told the guys he appreciated it, but he needed enough for six. So they gave him two more packs. Lois and Lorenzo’s friend Bill was with him and was so embarrassed that he just walked off. Gary then offered for Lorenzo to grill the salmon for us.

We were lounging on the back deck Sunday afternoon, waiting for dinner time, when we saw Voyager II, Les and Judy’s boat come chugging into the marina. We had met them at Kingston and saw them again in Campbellford. We had parted company along the way, but there they came again. Gary went down to help them dock and invited them to eat dinner with us.

In the meantime, the salmon fishermen came by and gave us some more salmon. Gary invited them to join the crowd and eat dinner with us. I pedaled down to the market to add some sides to the leftover baked beans and the salad that Judy and Les were bringing to go with the corn on the cob Lois was providing—not to mention the back deck to eat it on!

The salmon was to die for! Lorenzo marinates it in Italian dressing, then grills it in a George Foreman-type grill. It was done perfectly, and we all enjoyed catching up on Judy and Les’s adventures as well as getting to know Roy and Norma. They are native Michiganders and come here every year to fish. The other fellow was Roy’s brother-in-law, but they couldn’t come. Which is probably good. Someone would have had to hold a plate AND someone else on their lap. But we would’ve made room. The more the merrier when we chow down!

Monday morning Gary and I pedaled our clown bikes over to Chef John’s, a restaurant Pat had recommended when we went to Wal-Mart. Chef John’s is a neat place with old tables surrounded by mis-matched chairs and spread with vintage linens. There is art work around the walls and the floor is painted with a mosaic pattern. And the prize! A bakery in the back! Chef John has a menu that many consider “different.” I had Eggs Chipotle. It consisted of a hunk of cornbread with two eggs on it, covered with a chipotle sauce, a chicken/pork sausage patty and oven-baked home fries. Scrumptious! Gary’s breakfast was more boring, but filling, the usual eggs, ham, potatoes and toast.

We bought a few items at the bakery and pedaled back to the boat to rest. All this pedaling can get you down if you’re fat—literally. I don’t know what it is that makes these clown bikes so hard to steer, but I feel like my guardian angel has been making a lot of overtime lately. The lack of traffic in Ludington helps, too. I haven’t fallen again—yet, but it’s bound to happen. Maybe when it does someone will get pictures.

Tomorrow we leave for Grand Haven and we hope to be in Chicago by the end of the week. We had planned to leave today, August 18, but the wind was too strong and from the wrong direction. We couldn’t tell it in the marina, but on the way back from breakfast we could see whitecaps on the lake outside the sheltered marina. Mary Anne and Bill were supposed to sign papers on their new lot and meet with a builder today. They hope to catch up with us sometime soon. They left Our Turn at Muskegon, which we should pass tomorrow as they are on their way back.

Late entry: We did arrive safely at Grand Haven about 3:30 in the afternoon of August 19. It is a beautiful town with a great marina. Les and Judy turned off at Muskegon to take care of some business, but Going There with Bob and Lois arrived shortly after we did. It was a sad time in a way because Bill and Kathy decided not to go on to Chicago with us and debarked here in Grand Haven. To cheer us all up a bit we had a great dinner at Kirby’s right across the street from the marina with the Bouman’s daughter, Heidi, and her two boys, Curt and Zack, both handsome young men and a credit to their mom and grandparents.

We were sad to say goodbye to people who have become such good friends in such a short time. We’ll certainly see them again. After bidding the Boumans goodbye we sat on the dock and watched the “dancing waters” on the other side of the channel. They were similar to the dancing fountains we saw in Atlantic City, but these are outdoors. Really a beautiful sight. Tomorrow we’ll leave for Benton Harbor and plan to be through Chicago by the weekend. Mary Anne called this afternoon and they plan to leave Muskegon in the morning and possibly do a long run to catch up with us. 

We’re Back on the Loop

After a busy vacation from the Loop we are back on Gilraker and Looping again. We left the boat at Drummond Island, Michigan, and returned to North Carolina in a rental car. Our friends on Li’l David left on their boat at the same time, heading for St. Ignace, a village on the Lake Huron shore. After one day spent on one of the Great Lakes, a person realizes why they’re called that.

We are grateful that my dad didn’t have anything really serious wrong with him. He apparently had diverticulitis that had caused his weight loss, plus some other things like arthritis and other difficulties that go along with being 94 years young. He has been very blessed with a long, productive life, good friends, and until the last few years, good health. We feel especially grateful to my nephew Charles, his wife Karla, and other family and friends who help, either directly or indirectly by helping Karla with childcare, etc. After talking with Dad’s doctor and seeing him and talking with him, we felt at peace about coming back to the boat and continuing with our trip.

I had touchup laser surgery on my left eye on Wednesday, we loaded the rental car on Thursday, and bright and early Friday morning we left for Michigan. We made the trip in two days, stopping by Northport, on the shore of Lake Michigan to see Bill and Mary Anne and drop off a goodie bag prepared by some friends of ours. It was great to see them and spend thirty minutes visiting.

As we drove through Traverse City Gary spotted Li’l David at a marina there and we stopped and dropped off Lois and Lorenzo’s goodie bag (full of homemade shortbread and Lois’s favorite: baklava!) with the dockmaster. They told us later that they were thrilled when they found the bag on the back deck of their boat—when they arrived at 2:30 in the morning and Lorenzo had had to disassemble the marina gate in order for them to get to the boat. To add insult to injury: SPIDERS! EVERYWHERE!

In the meantime, we arrived at Drummond Island Yacht Haven late Saturday afternoon, threw some things on the boat and crashed. Unfortunately, it was a little hard to sleep because one of our fenders had gotten lodged behind a piling and the rubrail squeaked against the dock all night. We were just too tired to get up and do anything about it. Sunday morning we drank several pots of coffee, ate some baklava for breakfast, and got busy installing the hot water heater. Gary installed and I fetched and carried. It was not fun. Gilraker doesn’t have an engine “room.” It has an engine “space.” The space is under the deck of the pilot house and is reached by raising a lid that consists of most of the pilot house floor. There is a tiny bit of “wiggle” room on either side of the big diesel engine. Large people don’t fit wiggle rooms well. Gary is large, very large. The best thing I could do was sit on the back deck and hand wrenches or other things when asked. And keep my mouth shut. Not easy for me.

After the water heater was installed the engine oil had to be changed. By now the water heater is taking up more space in an already tight space. This does not make for having a lot of room to “wiggle” when changing filters. But it’s done! Tuesday was spent cleaning the boat, stashing and stowing the things we’d brought back from North Carolina, and killing spiders. We were fortunate in that most of the spiders were on the outside of the boat, but there seemed to be millions of the creatures. At least the stress was relieved by taking hot showers without having to walk a quarter-mile to the bathhouse! And it’s a snap to wash dishes now. I freely admit to not being half the woman my grandmother was. She had no running water in the house and cooked on a wood stove well into the 1950’s.

It was a thrill to get up this morning and pull out of Drummond Island at 7:00 a.m. We first planned to go to St. Ignace, but since the weather was so nice, Lake Huron was so flat, and it was just so great to be back on the boat, we ran on up to Northport where Lois and Lorenzo and their friends Bill and Kathy were waiting.

Our trip took just a little over twelve hours, passing through the Mackinac Straits, under the huge bridge we’d driven over just a few days before, going from Lake Huron into Lake Michigan. We waved at the Grand Hotel as we passed by. They really know how to keep the riff-raff out. Our friends had stopped there on their way around the shore and found the lunch buffet for two people was $90.00. Much as we like to eat, we didn’t feel we could do even a buffet that much justice, so had Spam and eggs on the boat. Not Grand Hotel fare, but it tasted great to us.

What a thrill it was to clear the end of the breakwater at Northport and see Lorenzo standing on the fuel dock waving to us! When we docked there were hugs all ’round and after Gilraker was docked Lois threw down on Li’l David’s back deck. Lorenzo had made his special chicken bog, we had fresh squash from Kathy’s garden and Watergate salad for dessert. A meal fit for the Grand Hotel if ever there was one—and much better company to share it.

Lorenzo had saved some chicken bones for Maggie and she chomped right down on them before tucking her head back to go to sleep. She had almost stopped talking while we were home, but cranked up as soon as we got back on the boat. She calls, “Where’s Kilby?” then whistles the “dog” whistle. Dogs on the docks at Drummond were going crazy trying to figure out who was whistling for them.

We had a really nice visit at home, especially getting to church a couple of times, since we so seldom get to go when we’re on this trip. I hope there was nothing significant about the fact that we got home in time to hear the seventh sermon in a series on the Ten Commandments. Installing water heaters and changing engine oil in tight spaces might make one think of divorce or murder, but hardly adultery! We are grateful to those who keep us up to date via e-mail and we know they’re keeping us in prayer. We have had very few unpleasant experiences and wonder of wonders—fuel prices have come down in the last couple of weeks!

We left Northport early Thursday morning and arrived in Frankfort, Michigan, late in the afternoon. After an invigorating walk to the grocery store, we got together with Lois, Lorenzo and their friends Bill and Kathy and we all strolled through the village to a highly-touted ribs restaurant. This little town is really beautiful and very friendly to boaters. We also met some other Loopers and got hints on saving fuel costs by topping off before we get to Illinois and again after we get into Missouri. Missouri will refund any fuel taxes incurred by out-of-state boaters. We’re planning to take off early in the morning for Luddington. They’ve got Wal-Mart!