Friday July 29 and Saturday July 30

Well here we are at Black River Harbor! Just a little tricky getting in here but so worth the effort. Black River Harbor, although not many amenities,makes up for that by the incredible scenery. There are several hiking trails, the longest one being five miles. We took a shorter route but was so impressed with the view of Rainbow Falls once we got thre. After we hicked back we went to the beach. Skip managed to get totally wet; I waded in to just above my knees. It was so cold! We're used to bathwater temps on Kentucky Lake.
Now we're relaxing and planning tomorrows trip. Destination - Bayfield! (pics below are from Black River Harbor)

Saturday
Motored all day with the rain much of the time. But the late afternoon and evening have turned out to be beautiful. We are in Bayfield now which was our ultimate goal.
We went to Maggies for a late lunch. It hasn't changed one bit. Still the same fun place it was 15 years ago. Flamingo's everywhere! Glasses, clocks, stuffed flamingo's, ceramic flamingos... they're everywhere.
We had whitefish livers - delish! And I had a Maggies Bloody Mary, the best I've ever had.
More later,
Love and Blessings,
Margo and Skip

Tuesday, Wednesday July 26, 27 (revised)

Well we're in Houghton/Hancock Michigan! We arrived. settled in and took a walk.  We are actually on the Hancock side of the canel. So once we got settled we took a walk across the bridge to Houghton. This is a college town, Class C in football and ice hockey. Beautiful town nestled in the Huron Mountians. The mainstreet of Houghton is where the action seems to be. We had dinner at the Ambassodor. The pizza was wonderful. Thin crust (not  as thin as Torino's but good) but the stuff on top was good. We walked back to the boat and were satisfied for the evening.
On Wednesday we went to the grocery. The marina called the city transportation company and a bus soon appeared. We got back  and again walked into Houghton. One thing you quickly learn on the boat is that you walk alot!
So we did what we needed to do and came back to the boat. You don't see alot of overweight folks here as everyone walks, runs, rides bikes or whatever it takes to get where they need to  be.
We're having a grand time on our  great adventure.
Love and Blessings,
Margo and Skip

Monday, July 25

Happy Birthday Wendy and David!
We arrived at Big Bay about 2:30 from Marquette. We had a pretty good ride but about an hour before we got here the wind picked up and the waves were getting higher. This bay is big, hence the name, but the town is small. And there is alot of history here.
Back in the day, Brunswick (the bowling pin people) logged this area and made bowling pins here. The town was built to provide housing for the workers. They made the pins out of oak at that time.
Sometime in the mid 40's I think, Henry Ford purchased the factory and used it to produce the wood vaneer panels for the old "Woody" stationwagon's. Some of you won't remember that car, but Skip and I sure do! They also made other wood vaneered accessories for the interior - steering wheels, shift knobs, and the like.
About that same time, Mr. Ford also bought the Thunder Bay Inn and renovated it. It was used as a summer gathering place for the Ford executives. Big Bay also had a Army training camp located here.  It was used as a gunnery school.
About 1951-52, this small village gained noterity due to a murder that took place at the Lumberjack Tavern.
An Army Lt. was told by his wife that she had been raped and beaten by the innkeeper/bartender of this establishment. The Lt. admitted that he did murder the man, plugging him with 7 bullets; he was charged with 1st degree murder; a trial took place and he was acquited by reason of "irrestible impulse". Today we know this as temporary insanity.
After the trial, the defense attorney wrote a book titled "Anatomy of a Murder" and it quickly shot up the best seller list. The book was subcequently made into a movie staring Jimmy Stewart, Lee Rimmick and a cast of others. The movie was filmed in Big Bay with the  Thunder Bay Inn used in the movie. Both Thunder Bay and the Lumberjack have newspaper clippings from the murder and the making of the movie.
While we were at the Lumberjack Tavern, the lady bartender told us that she was a little girl when it happened but she can remember her mother saying what a "floosy" the Lt.'s wife was.
If you haven't seen the movie, I would recommend it. I read that it is used in many law schools as a teaching tool.
So there you have your history lesson for today. I just love meeting mew people abd listening to what they have to say. You sure do learn alot!
Love and Blessings,
Margo and Skip

Sunday, July 24

We spent today in Marquette... a day of recovery for me!
The morning began with a phone call from our dear friend, Jim Coy. He wanted to report to our Sunday school class on how we were doing.
Then we walked for a couple of hours. As we were walking we came upon the Huron Bakery! Skip was in hog heaven. After his donut fix, we walked to the business district, then up the hill to Ridge St. The first thing you notice is three churches  - Methodist, Presbyterian and Episcopal. Two of the churches are quite old and were having their services with the doors open.  I commented on that and Skip reminded me about the lack of air conditioning here.
Ridge Street is a beautiful area of town.The homes are older with beautifully established yards and gardens. Some of the homes were constructed using sandstone from the area. The architecture is just beautiful.
At the end of Ridge Street is the Marquette Maritime Museum. We went through that and learned so much about the history of this region. And it was interesting reading about the Edmund Fitzgerald.
This weekend the "Tall Ships" are in town. You can pay to go on a two hour cruise or, when the boats are docked, you can go through the boats.  They're beautiful. Tall masts with all the riggings. Amazing to think that those were sailing the waters not that long ago.  I've added some pictures for you  of the Tall Ships.
Tonight we had dinner with Jeanne and Micheal, the couple we me at Grand Maris. They took us to the Landmark Inn, a beautiful old Marquette hotel. We had dinner on the top floor overlooking the harbor. What a view! We could see the entire harbor, with the Tall Ships going out and coming back.  Amazing!
Jeanne and Micheal also took us to the grocery store for a few items. What nice folks! We're going to  connect with them on our way back to Lake Michigan.
Now we're back on the boat looking at maps and the weather  for tomorrow's sail.

Friday July 22 and Saturday July 23

Friday
Beautiful, glorious day today. Temperature in the 80's with wind out of the NW as we left Grand Maris (pronounced Mo-ray) this morning. Much calmer than yesterday's pounding we took!
So we sailed for awhile, we motor-sailed for awhile and then we just  motored... alot! The wind did not sustain itself at all.
But the day was lovely and the scenery breathtaking. Between Grand Maris and Murry Bay where we anchored, there are the Sable Sand Dunes and the Pictured Rocks. I've attached picutures  but they don't do justice to what we saw.
The dunes were used in the dogging days. Logs went down "Devils  Slide" into the water and were then transported to the mill at Grand Maris.
Further along the coastline we came upon the Pictured Rocks. Cliffs, caves and arches of  soft sandstone are carved out of the rock due to the action of the lake and the weather.  Different mineral deposits have colored the stone in reds, greens, blues and white.  The Pictured Rock National Lakeshore is a protected area and is the first National Lakeshore. They truly are a gift from God!
When got to Murray Bay (located by Munising, MI), we thought we saw sailboat "Freedom", belonging to our new friends Micheal and Jeanne. We met them in Grand Maris the day before and had dinner with them and others at the Lake Superior Brewing Co. We got closesr and it was them. They rowed over for a visit. It was a very enjoyable evening.

Saturday
Only one word can describe today - YUCK!
Most of the 53 miles we sailed today found your's truly with myt head hanging over the side of the boat! Not pleasant at all.
Between 12-18 knots of wind and waves were 4-5 and rolling. The boat was pitching forward and left to right. Ugh!
We were going to  Big Bay but pulled into Marquette. We'll be here tomorrow  as well. My tummty needs to recover.
You know I  don't feel well when I don't even have a glass of wine!! Oh My Goodness! I'm just glad we came in when we did.

Love and Blessings to Everyone,
Margo and Skip  

Thursday, July 21

OMG! What a day we had! We left Whitefish Bay about 7AM and the water was pretty flat - no wind at all. Before we knew it the wind was 18-22 knots and blowing right in our face! Pounding all day long. It felt sometimes like the boat would just break in two. This all started in the area known for shipwrecks - more than 500, the most notable being the "Edmund Fitzgerald"!  I'm sure you've heard Gordon Lightfoot's song about the Fitz.
The was were 5-6 feet and we weren't making much headway with the wind in our face. It took 9 hours to go 53 miles. The waves moved like the old lava lamps used to. Anyway my tummy was not happy at all!  I only went below on an as-needed basis and I stretched that out until the bitter end!
We finally arrived in Grand Maris, MI. There we ran into Niels and Vicki Jensen who we met earlier at the Soo.  We also met Paul (the sailor who had the issues on Thurs with his boat at Little Bay) and Micheal and Jeanne. The seven of us walked up to the local brewery and had dinner together.
We saw the most beautiful sunset today. The sky had the wispy clouds and the sun reflected off them. The colors were so amazing - pink and orange painted on a beautiful blue background. God was pretty busy with His paintbrush for sure!
Hope all is well with all of you. We miss you all lots and pray for you daily.
Love and blessings,
Margo and Skip

Pictures are Niels and Vicki with their dog Tucker and the other one is Paul, Skip, Niels and Vicki enjoying after dinner beverages!

Wednesday, July 20

An exciting day today! First we locked trough the Canadian side of the Soo. What an adventure that was. We came in from St. Mary's River and locked up to Lake Superior. We secured the boat and waited for the lock to fill. Before we knew it we were talking to the lock folks nd pedsterians who stopped to watch. So cool!
We continued on and finally reached the Big Lake of Superior. The wind picked up and we were  able to sail for about 3 hours. It's the first time we've had wind in several days. We were sailing along when a Coast Guard boat past us; about 20 minutes later another Coast Guard boat past us.  Then a Coast Guard helicopter  flew by.  An hour or so later we realized they were doing rescue practice.  We soon saw the helicopter  hovering over the smaller boat.  It's so good to know they practice rescuing.  Hopefully we won't need them.
A while later we heard a may-day call to the Coast Guard. A power boat was in trouble. About the same time we heard another call from a  sailboat that had run aground going into a harbor called Little Lake Harbor. Most of these harbors are the responsibility of the Army Corps of Engineers. They are responsible for dredging these harbors - some on a regular rotation; some as needed. But Lake Superior, because of the current and weather, silt builds up  making it difficult to maintain and for sailboats to get around.
Later there was another issue with a boat on Lake Michigan that had overturned around Traverse City.  The radio was busy today! And the Coast Guuard wven busier.
We came into Whitefish Point Bay and tied up to the dock. There are no facilities here but the view is beautiful. The wind was picking up at that point. Around 9pm that winds were at 20 knots. I was glad we were in a safe place. Two other sailboats joined us. This particular harbor is a "harbor of refuge"; a place to duck into in bad weather.
I for one was glad we were here for the night.
Love and blessings,
Margo and Skip
PS pictures from the locks were posted earlier. Check them out!

Through the Locks!

Check out the pictures below taken about half hour ago as we locked through the Soo Locks on the Canadian side. Soooo much fun!

Tuesday, July 19

When I was a little girl and my Daddhy was in the Air Force, we lived about a block from the flight line at  Hickam (spelling) Field in Hawaii. Every night I was lulled  to sleep by the sound of aircraft warming  their engines for a night flight or taxiing toward a hanger after landing. The past two nights the sound of  the fog horns and horns of the tankers and freighters have had the same affect on me.  Wonderful sounds to go  to sleep by.
Our day here was not too exciting. Took a bike ride to the grocery and post office. (David the saddle bags are perfect and work wonderfully!) Then I spent the next several hours in front of a washer and dryer! Ugh! I don't know why someone doesn't invent paper clothes!  Certainly they could be made soft enough to wear on certain parts of your body! What those few hours did afford me was watching the Food Channel for a bit! Yipee!
While I was doing that Skip took off on the bike in search of a hardware store. When he got back he reported that he didn't see one bakery!  Just as I thought!
Love and Blessings,
Margo and Skip

Monday, July 18

A quiet day on the water today through some of the most picturesque part of the country. Lovely little villages close to the water, nestled among the Northwoods of Michigan and Canada. We passed several large freighters and tankers throughout the day. We are on a major "throughfare" for big vessels so the channel is very well marked with buoys and day-markers.
I was overcast most of the day but eventually the sun came out and it got crazy hot. Not as hot as our friends and family are suffering at home I'm sure!
We arrived at Sault Ste. Marie,MI about 4pm. We docked at George Kemp Marina, had a big girl/boy drink and went for a walk. We ended up at a little place called The Palace - a Mexican American eatery.  The food was great and so was the service. And Monday is Mar-go-rita special night! Can't beat that at all!
As we were walking back we met our dock neighbors, Vicki & Niels Jensen. They are on their way home to Minneapolis after a 3 week tour. Very nice folks and extremely knowledgable about Lake Superior. In fact Niels shared a Lake Superior cruising book with us that we will try to find today.
Very lovely day, again seeing some of God's wonderful creation. Truly amazing and beautiful.
Love and Blessings,
Margo and Skip

Sunday, July 17

A very uneventful day on the water (no wind!) unless you count being stopped by the Sheriff's boat an event! They asked a few questions about us and the boat  and then about our official papers. And then they were off!
Again today  the lake (Huron now) was flat. Until we were about a mile from our destination and the wind picked up! Just as Skip predictted.
We stayed the night at DeTour Harbor, MI. The village is small but the marina was nice - clean restrooms and showers; laundry  facility; diesel and gasoline.  We took our grill (Ed the legs work beautifully!) to the picnic area and grilled our  steaks and potato's and had a lovely dinner.   We played cards again (I lost!) and turned in about 10. Around midnight one bug storm rolled through. It rained like crazy and the  wind blew our of the East. Mighty winds! Thirty to forty knots! Yikes!  But once we checked to make sure everything was battened down, I went right back to sleep. We were greatful that we were not anchored out someplace.
Never underestimate mother nature!
We're on to Sault Ste. Marie, MI tomorrow, Monday.
Love and blessings,
Margo and Skip

Check out the picture attached. This is a floating hot tub that looks like a boat! Ed, your next project!!

Saturday, July 16

Great night's sleep! A gentle rocking of the boat put us right to sleep. Plus I beat Skip in a game of gin rummy! Victory is so sweet!
We had breakfast and set out for our walk - 4+ miles today! We're showered and ready for the rest of the day.
Later in the day Skip and I wandered around town and headed for  the  Grand Hotel. It is grand there is no doubt about it! Lovely grounds, gardens and buildings. It certainly takes you back to another era. You can almost catch a vision of the Astor's, and others of that time strolling the grounds. We ended up at The Gate House sitting outside and having a lite snack. Most all of the service folks on the island are from outside the US. They come  here for the summer to work and then go back home for the school year.
Later that evening we went to Goodfellows Italian Bistro for dinner to celebrate our anniversary which is Sunday! And they said it wouldn't last!!
You can feel the excitement here as everyone awaits the arrival of  the racers. Very cool! The hotels are full and the horsedrawn buggies were out in mass. There are no motorized vehicle's on Mackinac Island. The taxi's are yellow horsedrawn wagons; there are bus wagons (but JoAnne there aren't yellow so I know you wouldn't want to drive that!); there are hotel shuttles; and fine black carriages from the Grand with fully decked out livery driving them.
We had a wonderful day... lots of walking. But it felt good and we will sleep well!
Love and  blessings to everyone,
Margo and Skip

ps-I've included a few pictures.

July 15, Friday

Movin out to  Macinac Island today! We motored all day. There wind was coming the wrong way for us to do  any sailing. So we motored 40+ miles. So far we've traveled 298 miles now!
The sight of the Mackinac Bridge is amazing. Begun is 1954 and open to traffic in November 1957, this 5 mile suspension bridge is the 3rd largest suspension bridge in the world and the largest in the Western Hemisphere. It's truly a sight to behold!
Met our starboard neighbor  when we docked and ended up having cocktails and dinner with him. A nice guy with a 43 ft. Hunter Ledgend. He knows the island well and was our tour guide for a bit.
The Chicago to Mackinac Race began yesterday for the crusing division and today for the real racers. An influx of boats and more people is expected all day today and tonight. This race is an annual event and fun for the crusiers and the more serious racers as well.
Mackinac Island - a little piece of heaven right here on earth!!
Love and Blessings Everyone,
Margo and Skip

Check out the attached pictures. A big tanker who passed us like we were standing still and a pic of the bridge..

Wednesday, July 13

We moved from Oyster Bay To the municipal marina. There are 70 transient slips here and a wonderful facility with laundry, a pool and showers. Oleson's Fresh Market is 2 blocks from the harbor and carries just about anything you might need from bandaids to liquor!
We docked about 1:30, got settled in and showered.  Then began the arduious task of the laundry! But I was okay with that 'cause I was almost finished with my book.Sister-in-law, Kathy game me a book titled "Cutting For Stone". What a wonderful read... I didn't want to put it down. And I did finish it. Thanks Kathe!
Aoubt 6ish we took a walk along the main street. Charlevoix is such a lovely place. Great little shops and eateries. Everything is well within walking distance.
We ate at the Villager Pub - lake perch and whitefish. Yum-ee!! Oh and sweet potato fries! Very tasty.
The harbor has a beautiful park just beyond the boat slips. Tonight there was a troupe of flagdancers performing. Very talented young men and women. There are concerts in the park every Tuesday and Thursday.
Charlevoix is getting ready for their Benetian Festival. All kinds of festivities including a boat parade and fireworks. It lasts from July 16-23.
The night ended with a game of gin rummy which I lost much to quickly! Skip is ahead six games to  my one! I wish I could remember cards like he and Pat and Melba!
Love and Blessings from beautiful Lake Michigan,
Margo and Skip
PS: David I've found your boat. Check out the picture attachd. Also attached a picture of the marina.

Tuesday, July 12

Left Leland after an hour of walking exercise! I often complain about these power walks, but they are oh so necessary given that we pretty much sit all day!
Headed to Charlevoix today. Sun is up  and the wind is right. Well not out of the South which would be REALLY GOOD but we did have wind at 10-12 knots.  The wind did build throughout the day so that Skip had to riff the main. Even with that we were running 5-7 knots of boat speed. 
It's so interesting how cool it gets on the water! I started the day in shorts and ended up in long pants,  long sleeved shirt and a jacket! I know everyone in Evansville is suffering from the heat. Sure wish I could send some of this coolness your way!
We traveled 40 miles today in 7hrs and 20mins. Sounds crazy doesn't it?!
But everywhere we turn we see God's handywork. The beauty of the sand dunes, the hush of the wind at one minute and then it roars, the gorgeous blue color of the water... only  one explanation  for it all!
We anchored in Oyster Bay for the night which  is nicely protected from the wind.  I think we'll stay here tomorrow as well.  Laundry is calling my name! A woman's work is never done!!
Love and Blessings Everyone,
Margo and Skip

Monday, July 11

The day certainly ended better than it began! About 7am the rains began followed by the wind. Everytime I think of the "wind" I think about Skip telling Kevin... never underestimate the power of the wind! It seemd that out of nowhere the winds turned ugly. Thankfully we were still at Frankfort watching the radar along with other boaters. Waiting out the storm.
So since we were waiting I made blueberry muffins!! Delish!
About 9:30 the weather changed again and it was overcast. After checking the radar we decided to leave Frankfort and continue our journey North. We had a pretty good trek as we headed to Leland.
Once we got to the big lake we set the main and began our journey. Winds 8-10 out of the South. As the day progressed the wind continued to build until we were hitting 11-15 knots of wind with a boat speed of between 6-7 knots. The sun came out and the day ended on a great note.
We pulled into Leland Harbor, municipal dockage at 5:15pm, just in time for cocktails! Joyce I wish you were here to share a glass of wine with me!! We walked around town, did a little shopping and went to the grocery. Hard to believe with all the food we have on board that we would need anything but alas we do!
Leland is called Fish Town. There is an old fishing village that is now little shops, boutiques and eatery's. Very quaint and a must see when you're in Leland.
Fixed dinner on board, showered and began to walk the docks to look at the other boats as the sun was setting. We hadn't gone to far and met another couple hailing from Bayfield, Ontario - Chris and Lorraine. About that same time Chris asked Skip if there was supposed to be water coming from the bilge pump. Not good at all. So we excused ourselves to go find out what the heck was going on. Skip found a disconnected water line in the shower! It's always something! One of the prerequisites to being a boatowner is that you have to be pretty handy. David, take note!
Love and blessings to all,
We miss you terribly!
Margo and Skip

Sunday, July 10

This is the Day the Lord has made. Let us  rejoice and be glad in it! But Oh My Goodness! What a day this has been. It's been wild and wooly!
We left Manistee about 10:45 after taking on fuel, and we headed North to Frankfort. As we were leaving it bagan to rain. We should have known!
We knew there was a chance  of rain, but there were patches of blue sky mixed with the clouds. Once  we were out far enough we hoisted the main and began to make our way North. Wind was again out of the S/SW at 5-6 knots.
As the day progressed so did the wind. We'd been listening to the weather every hour so we weren't surprised by this. The waves went from one foot to 4 foot swells and the wind was 12-17 knots. We were rockin' and rollin'!  Ed you would have loved it!!
Skip went top side to tie down the sail when we brought it  in and the wind picked up  even more. As I was at the helm, the wind indicator registered 19-20 knots. Yikes!  But we were safe. The boat handled so well.
We motored into Frankfort and we're once again docked  at the Municipal Marina. Very nice, lots of dockage,  clean restrooms and showers. No  laundry but the docks are a block  off the main drag and I know there is  a laundry facility not to  far.
Frankfort is a  great little town.... a must-stop on any trip!!
Love and Blessings,
Margo & Skip

July 8th and 9th

Last night (7/7) was our first night on the boat! We both slept well after the long day. We had breakfast and Skip had a few trhings he wanted to do before we left. Before we   knew it,itwas noon and we were still anchored in Indian Bay!  It's very refreshing not having a schedule to keep! After all those years of working it sure is different now. But we are both managing to  get used to it.  Gotta love retirement!!
We pulled out at 12:35 and headedto Pentwater a 35 mile trip by water. A 7 hour  trip by water! That is if we're traveling at 5 knots.
When we got to  the big lake it was  flat - no wind at all.  But we motored out  a way and hoisted our sails in spite of that.  We did get 3 good  hours of sailing before we began to motor again.
We arrived at Pentwater at 7:30.  A great little harbor  calledSnug Harbor is where we docked for the  night. A  great little harbor called Snug Harbor is where we spent the night.  Jack Witt is  the harbormaster/manager/owner and is  very helpful. Fees are $1.50/ft., showers are very nice and a great laundry facility. Across the street from  the marina there is a fully stocked grocery... don't be fooled by the looks of  it!
We showered and walked to Gull Landing for dinner on the outside deck. I had bourbon Salmon  and Skip had parmesan Whitefish... delish!
The main town/shopping district of Pentwater is 6 blocks long so everything is easy  access. There is also a municipal marina there.

7/9/11 - Another beautiful morning in Michigan! We decided to take a walk before breakfast today and we walked into the Pentwater Art Fair in one of the parks. Art of all kinds - paintings, photography, jewelry, pottery, knitted and and handmade items. Skip bought a coffee mug, but never could find the baked goods! He can't ignore a doughnut at all!
We got back from our walk, showered and had breakfast.  We wanted to get an earlier start then the day before.  The engine wouldn't start! Not a good thing at all! With all the battery power we have surely it couldn't be that?! And we knew we had diesel for the engine.  Well it was a battery issue and Jack had to use a power pack to  get us going. We still don't know what the problem was but we were able to leave about 12:30.  On our way to Manistee!
We had a good S/SW wind as we left so we were anticipating a good easy sail.  Winds were 10-15 mph. We had that for serveral hours then the water went flat! No wind at all. 
For some reason this day when Skip tried to pull in the jib, it would  not come in. So he spent some time on the bow re-tieing the line. I was sure we would  be practicing our man-over-board exercise! Thankfully that did not happen.
We  arrived in Manistee about 8:30 and  docked at the Municipal Marina. So nice, much nicer than the last time we were here. They've spent alot of money renovating their facility. New restrooms, showers and laundry. Also a great room with TV and WI-FI.  They also updated the electric boxes and docks. Frank was very accomodating and helpful.
We going to have rain tonight so not sure what time we'll leave tomorrow.
Love and Blessings,
Margo and Skip

Sailing, sailing, over the lake so blue...

Today (7/7/11) we FINALLY  began our journey! After much cleaning, fueling the tank, and putting air in our new dinghy we left Torrensen Marina in Muskegon about 5pm. As we were coming through the channel than connects Muskegon Lake with Lake Michigan the Lake Express ferry to Wisconsin was right behind us! Quite an imposing figure I must say!! Anyway, I got out of the way as quickly as possible... she was moving pretty fast!
We entered the big lake, made some adjustments to the main sail and the jib and we were finally under sail. It's going to be a beautiful trip to Whitehall.
9:07pm We have arrived! we are anchored in  Whitehall on White Lake. We had a great sail... gentle winds out of the NW at about 10 knots with calm water. We in a little bay called Indian Bay with no wind at all.  That's a good thing! So now it's time for a big boy/girl beverage!
Funny story... we were so excited and anxious to leave we forgot to get a bag of ice. So tonight the beverages consist of beer and wine only!
What's a girl to do!!
Check out the pics of the Lake Express and she went by us.
Love and Blessings Everyone,
Margo and Skip

Under Sail...

Well today was so much fun! The attached picture will so us undersail! We took her out for a test run to make sure everything was functioning as it should. And it was!! The plan now is to leave Muskegon tomorrow. The weather looks good for the next couple of days.
Yesterday we had our first company! Laurie, Mark and their daughter Kelly and grandchildren Luke and Lilly came through Muskegon on their way to Silver Lake for vacation. We had so much fun seeing them and are so blessed they took the time to stop by. I've attached a picture of them. Hey Luke, you left your sunglasses on the boat. They don't fit me but we'll hang on to them for you okay!?
Time for dinner... gotta run!
Love you all,
Margo & Skip

She's In the Water!

Check out the pictures of Jonah going back in the water. Pretty cool. And the engine fired right up! Thanks Chris for all your hard work and effort.
More news later. Blessings to everyone,
Margo & Skip

Happy Birthday America!

I hope your July 4th is all that you want it to be! We are enjoying yet another beautiful Michigan day! Not a cloud in the sky... Absolutely amazing! The morning started with a 3 mile walk in beautiful downtown Spring Lake. We've been staying on Doug and Kathe's boat the past 3 nights.  So much fun. The only drawback is they keep their boat at a place called Holiday Isle Marina. Right off the boat is a Holiday Inn with an outside deck/bar. They play music until midnight and for some, the party continues for a few more hours!  I guess we're retired now and should just be able to party right with them all.  Not so!!! Anyway after our walk we scrubbed down the boat until she sparkled  just like the night sky will later!

Missed our family gathering in Iowa this year. But David sent pictures and that helped a little. We sure missed seeing everyone not to mention the food and beverages. Oh and the fire at night and then the wonderful fireworks! 

Tonight we'll have dinner on the boat. Kailey and John will be joining us for dinner and fireworks.

Then tomorrow Jonah goes in  the water! Yipee!!  We're so ready to get on our way. I'll take pictures tomorrow and share her launch with you.

Have a wonderful rest of holiday and be safe! Love and hugs from Michigan, Margo & Skip