Well, as predicted, the wind came to stay for a while. Throughout the day last Sunday a bunch of other Looping boats came to Leland Michigan. Don and I took Skia for a walk and checked out the town a bit. It was a really cute area, quiet woodsy neighborhood with mom and pop shops.

Monday we did a few odds and ends on the boat and then I walked the stores with Janet and Peg, fellow loopers we’ve met along the way. After dinner the whole collection of Loopers at the marina met up at the lounge for docktails.

Tuesday we walked over to the beach to check out the waves on the lake.

We stopped at the grocery store on the way back and got snacks for docktails, then headed up to the Distillery with Tug Bussle and Eric’s Inheritance. We were told Eric finds his parents boat name amusing 😄. After dinner the whole group of us met back up for docktails and it was a chill evening.

Wednesday was still windy but it was a short walk to a smaller lake inland where Skia could swim in calm waters. We came back and checked out some more of the shops. Then it was ladies choice this evening and we went to the winery. They had a really good Riesling and very peachy peach cider 🍑. That evenings docktails was also a weather meeting. Everyone compared apps, reports and plans. There looked to be a small weather window in the morning so the consensus was to make some travel progress. Most planned on going to the same place, a few were aiming for a bit further.

So Thursday we were all up early around the same time and the Looping armada set off. We got to Frankfort MI, just a little further south, and got set up to wait out the next bout of wind. The marina had a nice pavilion where another large group of us met back up for docktails. Including some new Looping boats/people we haven’t met before.

Afterwards we went to dinner with Jerry and Peg from Eric’s Inheritance and Shane from Shandie. His wife’s name is Brandie and she will be meeting him in Chicago. That boat naming style probably wouldn’t work for Don and I. Donchel, Rachon… definitely not.

Friday I walked down to the beach and the waves were crashing up the break wall.

I did pick up a bunch of good shells though 😄. Unfortunately with the waves being so forceful, they were pushing in through the opening of the break wall and down into the harbor. It made for a rocky few nights. Docktails that night had us chatting with a couple from the Flora-bama area who had some good info about where to stop and what to see. Like where there are super playful dolphins and the best tacos. 🐬🌮 The important stuff!

Saturday for a change in pace, more wind.

So we went to this bakery for breakfast and got an apple coffee cake for docktails later. We went to the farmers market, laundromat, and where else, an ice cream shop of course. This one had fancy waffle cones dipped in all sorts of goodies.

Another Ranger Tug doing the Loop pulled into the marina so we invited them to docktails.

Sunday Don finished the extra seat he has working on for the dinghy so I don’t have to sit backwards on the tubes. The wind and waves had calmed down a bit, so while Don did his fantasy football draft, I took Skia to the beach for a swim. A few more boats arrived, one of them from the area who just started their Loop today. We gave them a rowdy welcome. There were also three other boats from Buffalo! One was even originally from North Tonawanda! We joked about starting our own WNY sub group.

Today all reports indicated that it would be a good weather day. So we decided to make the jump across Lake Michigan to the Wisconsin side. It was not quite as calm out there as we would have liked, and we were definitely glad the Lake wasn’t any wider, but we made it. Still being early in the day (partially because we changed time zones), we decided to push all the way to Green Bay.

We got a slip for the night and plan on checking out the city tomorrow. The weather/wind the following few day look to be even better, so we are hoping to make our way down to Chicago.