Photo Credit: Karen Kaufman Off Leash This blog marks a huge transition in our trip thus far. We have always boated in the Great Lakes but we said good bye to Lake Michigan and started our journey through the inland river system which would take us from Chicago, Illinois to Mobile, Alabama. Travelling on the rivers is a lot of back to back travel days so in this section we will cover four days including Chicago to Wilmington, Wilmington to Ottawa, Ottawa to Henry and Henry to

We had a great crossing of Lake Michigan (see our crossing video ). There were some swells, but we only started seeing waves when we approached the harbour. What a beautiful day! Sadly, with all newsworthy tragic moments in time, we will always remember that we crossed Lake Michigan to Chicago the day that Queen Elizabeth II passed away. When we were getting close to Chicago, Heather started smelling a burnt-like smell. She was sniffing around the boat down below frantically.

This blog documents the last of our time on the eastern shores of Lake Michigan including Saugatuck, South Haven, and Saint Joseph. At this point, we were trying to make a scheduled date in Saint Joseph because we were renting a car to go home from there for a wedding. In boating, wind and waves should control your travel timing for your destinations, but sometimes life happens. That meant we only had time for a day each at Saugatuck and South Haven. Saugatuck The entrance to

For our next chunk of Lake Michigan we stayed at Lake Muskegon for three days and Grand Haven for two days and there was lots to do at both locations. Lake Muskegon We had perfect conditions for our run to Lake Muskegon. We ended up anchoring with Looper boats, Will 'n Joy and Stay Cool, near a cruise ship! The cruise ship was empty and we learned that they would be starting a cruise in a couple of days. They actually left after dark the first night and we were happy to see

At this point in our travels, it is time to conquer Lake Michigan. Having spent most of our boating years on Lake Huron and Georgian Bay, we figured that this would be similar. We were wrong! First of all, Lake Michigan is huge and the water seems to rough up most afternoons. We also learned that we must get a swell forecast as well as the usual wind and wave forecast as Lake Michigan can have swells and waves coming from different directions which can make for a very uncomfo

We didn't know much about Leland before we arrived. We knew there were historic fishing shanties and that it was hard to get a reservation at the marina...but we managed to get one! What a surprise! This was such a pretty little town and we fell in love with it instantly! They have done a fantastic job preserving their heritage and waterfront. Right near the marina there is a section of town called Fishtown full of a bunch of old fish shanties. While the authenticity of the s

On our approach to Mackinac Island, and again on our horse drawn wagon ride on the island, we caught glimpses of the Mackinac Bridge. Finally, we got to go under it! The bridge is significant for a couple of reasons: One was obvious because it is so huge! It is the longest suspension bridge with two towers in the Western Hemisphere. It spans between St. Ignace and Mackinaw City. The second is that it marks the transition from Lake Huron to Lake Michigan which means a new body

Have you seen the old movie, Somewhere in Time , with Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour? The story is about a man who travels back in time using self-hypnosis to meet the love of his life and it all takes place at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. As we navigated toward Mackinac Island we were prepared to take our own journey back through time. We were just finishing securing our boat in the marina at Mackinac Island. As we were coming into the marina, Heather was very foc

Photo credit: Maggie Tate, Currently We were up early and pulled away from the dock in Gore Bay just after 6 AM. Our friends on Currently were leaving as well and took this photo of us as the sun was coming up. It was a beautifully calm day and the sun rose with a warm glow on the horizon. That morning, six weeks into our adventure, we really felt like we were "starting" our Great Loop. Heather had butterflies in her tummy. That's because we were finally leaving our familiar

We had two separate trips to Gore Bay, before and after our son and daughter-in-law's visit. When we first arrived in Gore Bay, we were literally piped in by a man further down the docks playing his bag pipes. We had heard this previously in The Pool at the end of Baie Fine and it was such a treat! As we docked, we were greeted by old friends from our home town of London, Jeff and Marie from SV Senicio. They came back for dock tails and a great visit before they left the nex

We had a great trip from the Pool through Baie Fine. Heather took over the helm to lead us through Fraser Bay and past the Strawberry Point Lighthouse toward Little Current. We were about 10 minutes early for the bridge so we had to hover for a while. There were two firsts for us at this bridge opening. First, we saw the bridge operator come outside the booth while the bridge turned. Usually we don't even see him. Second, there was only one other boat besides us that went thr

For many years, we have boated past Okeechobee Lodge at the entrance to Baie Fine. This year we found out that you could book a slip at Okeechobee on their website . The site said no amenities, but you could get cell signal. We thought it would be fun and the cell signal would be useful for Cam to work. First, we spent a night on anchor in Nichols Bay, the horseshoe shaped bay at the far east end of Fraser Bay, before heading to Okeechobee. We met Ted, Jill and Sam there from

We've been coming up to the North Channel for almost 20 years. Killarney Mountain Lodge was our first ever stop in the North Channel so it is a sentimental favourite of ours. In addition, Covered Portage Cove is our favourite anchorage and it is located just to the north of and around the corner from Killarney in Killarney Bay. There is a high rock wall on the south as you enter the cove. When you get it lined up just right, the rocks take the form of an Indian Head. We like