Headed Home

After we tied off at our slip in Grand Haven we headed out for some lunch and then cleaned and packed up the boat.

Tyler was sad... Sammy cried... They weren't ready to leave!  It's amazing how well the kids did in a small space for a whole week.  

We arrived home Saturday around 4:45 pm.

And so there is the end of a great family vacation aboard "Time Out".  Thanks for coming along with us! 

Coast Guard City, USA

This last week was Coast Guard festival here in Grand Haven.  Although we missed most of the festivities, we had a great view from the water on our ride in.

Welcome Home!

We decided to spend our final night of vacation at our home port, Grand Haven MI.  

We arrived at 1:39 pm.  Welcome home!

Perfect Conditions... Final Leg

Perfect day on the lake.  It switched to a north wind over night se we are riding along with the waves.  The sun is out with no clouds in sight... Gorgeous!

We left Ludington around 10:45 am after a breakfast of sausages and granola bars. (hey it's the end of a week on a boat... I'm working with what's left)

Destination: Grand Haven  eta 1:45 pm

Ludington at Last

1:30 pm.  We arrived in Ludington as expected but man was it rough.  The rain shower started maybe 30 minutes out of Frankfort.  We pulled on the canvases and kept it at cruising speed.

The swells were big... bigger than anything we'd done before.  So big in fact that at one point, our prop came out of the water as we crested a large one.

It was too rough to walk around in the main cabin (took me off my feet several times) so we had the kids stay up with us and tried to play games to keep them looking at the horizon.  Sammy showed some signs of sea-sickness but kept it together.  We pulled into port, pulled the canvases down for some fresh air, and Sammy was immediately back to her old self again.

We are staying at the same marina as we were on Monday evening.  Scott's parents drove in from their cabin and spent some time with us this afternoon.  We played at the beach, got some ice cream and then headed to the marina pool.  Grilled burgers and dogs for supper and then played on the playground til the Badger came in.  The kids had a great day!

Goodbye Frankfort

We slept in and had a lazy morning with sausage, eggs and toast for breakfast.

The kids and I headed back to the playground while Scott took a shower.  We loaded up and left port around 11:30 am.

The view of the channel.  To the left is the public beach, all set within the break wall.

The kids in front of our slip.

Scott and I sipped coffee and enjoyed the view from the back of the boat last night.

Destination:  Ludington eta 1:30 pm

Greetings Frankfort!

We pulled in around 6:09 pm.  Wasn't sure what to expect since I hadn't been there or even heard much about it.  But what a pleasant surprise!  Town is in walking distance of the marina (row of boats not stacked out on docks).  It has a small town feel about it... not overly touristy but just enough.  Really LOVE it!

We fueled up and headed to our slip to get settled.  The kids were itching to get some supper so I called in an order for pizza and we walked over for supper.  We bought our customary shirts (see the pattern yet) and then did some window shopping.  Of course we hit an ice cream shop and the local ship-themed playground.  The kids headed to bed for a movie around 9:00 pm.

Ps. If that's not enough, Frankfort has citywide free wi-fi... We love it!

So What Do You Do On A Long Boat Ride?

The kids do pretty well filling their time while we are underway.  However, today we required them to come upstairs every once in a while to avoid getting sea sick :)

So how do we spend our time?

We blow bubbles... And watch them split when they float into the air flow coming off the boat.

We pop bubbles... Oh Sammy :)

We snuggle under blankets and play games (in this case Legos)

We watch movies, play iPads and eat snacks too!  So much to do when boating!!!

Remember how I wrapped presents that rainy night, on Day 1 of our trip.  Well, they haven't let me down yet and the kids LOVE a special treat each day.  So far I think they loved the glow stick bracelets at bedtime the best!

Let's Go For It!

4:30 pm. Well, we have decided to go for Frankfort!  We are just passing Leland (just under 2 hours).

Regardless of the rough ride, the sun is out and the view is gorgeous as we make our way back south past the Manitou Islands.

Lunch was on the go...  Seriously, if you have ever camped, you know what it's like prepping meals in a small kitchen.  Now take that camper and put it on a roller coaster and you can get a feel for what it's like.  I cracked up laughing as I tried to sprinkle cheese on my plate... Missed it completely.  Then I tried to microwave it to melt the cheese and the chips bounced most of the cheese right off.  Absolutely hilarious!  Slicing chicken was no easy feat and I must admit to falling into furniture at least twice.  Scott must have been laughing from his view at the cockpit.

Anyway, let's just hope we arrive in port in time for supper.  :)

Exploring Charlevoix

We called the harbor master right away this morning to ask for a day slip.  He agreed so long as we spent some money in town.  (I really love the character and charm of harbor masters... So proud of the cities they work for). So we hopped on the bikes and headed for town for our customary tshirt purchase and a donut :)

Then we headed out to the pier to see the lake from a different vantage point.

Charlevoix is a gorgeous area.  Lots of small stores perfect for window shopping.  The city marina is literally steps from all the action which explains why it's hard to get a reservation.

I wanted to take a shower and do some laundry so Scott brought he kids to the marina pool.  Not huge but heated and just enough after a warm bike ride.

And off we went... Fueled up in Round Lake and back out to Lake Michigan by 2:50 pm.  Seas are pretty choppy.

We are not sure on our harbor tonight.  Leland is 35 miles away which will take just under 2 hours.  They do NOT have slips available but technically cannot turn us away.  The next harbor beyond that is Frankfort... Another 45 miles beyond Leland.  They have a nice comfortable slip available... But it will be a very long ride to make it that far.  By most boating standards, 80 miles is a HUGE day.  We did do 90 one day on the way up but it was favorable conditions.  

We'll see how it goes and where we end up tonight!