August 30-September 14, 2018
Departing Mackinac Island, we’re island hopping to Beaver Island. Beaver Island is only accessible by boat (personal or ferry) or plane. No bridges to this island. We plan on spending one night, but weather keeps us here several. We relax and take things on island time, fitting since this was our last island of the trip. We rented bikes and toured just a small part of the large island. We got a chance to hang out with the locals at one of two pubs on the island. We had an amazing meal at Circle M, a very unique restaurant recommended by Howell friends Jim and Kelly, who sail out of Frankfort.
As the weather cleared up, we sailed across to the mainland in Charlevoix. We were lucky enough to spend several days here as well, since we had many visitors! Chad’s sister and brother-in-law live nearby, so we got to hang out with Kristin and Matt. We also met up with Todd, a friend we met at the beginning of our trip last fall. We traveled a large portion of the rivers together and even shared Thanksgiving on a small creek in the middle of nowhere Alabama. Chad’s mom and boyfriend also came to visit us, so we had a great time and had plenty to do to keep us busy! We also met up with a large group of Loopers. Finding out we were near the end of our loop, the congratulations started flying. As nice as that was, both Chad and I wanted to yell, but we’re not done yet! But in reality, in just a few short stops, we would be done. The reality of which was only beginning to set in.
Departing Charlevoix, we head for Leland. Leland is the last port I haven’t been to by boat on the west Michigan coast. Since we got our first sailboat in 2014, we’ve explored every other port south at least once on our summer vacations and weekend getaways. Leland is a small but cute town, full of fish which is why they call it fishtown! There are more Loopers in Leland, and we even got to meet up with Best Day Ever, who we hadn’t seen since the rivers.
We are excited to get to Frankfort, one of our favorite stops in west Michigan. On the way, we pass the beautiful Sleeping Bear Dunes. We arrive to town, ready to have another group of visitors! My parents drive up, as does Scott, who helped bring our new to us boat from Bayfield, WI to Frankfort last summer with Chad. We have a fun dinner at the brewery, discussing the last days of our trip and what’s to come next. Scott is all too familiar with the flurry of emotions we are feeling these days, as he completed a similar biking adventure a few years ago.
The next day we have a short travel day, as we head to Manistee due to building wind and waves. We had heard that the municipal marina was closed, but luckily it was open. It’s a great stop right in downtown. Sadly, much of the marina is still in disrepair after the meteotsunami this spring. A meteotsunami is a type of tsunami caused by meteorology, in this case a thunderstorm. The short, extreme bursts of wind and pressure caused a rapid rise in Lake Michigan, which caused extreme damage to the docks in Manistee. We got to enjoy the new brewery in town, and a walk through town.
The next day is a much calmer day on the lake. Arriving in Pentwater after the end of tourist season, we find most of the town closed up on this weekday. We head to the beach and enjoy the beautiful weather. It’s been awhile since we had the dinghy down, so we launch it and take a cruise around Pentwater Lake.
Heading out from Pentwater, we pass the Silver Lake Sand Dunes. It’s very calm on a late season weekday, we only see one truck on the dunes. We arrive to a very busy Grand Haven. This weekend is the Salmon Festival, and most of the marina is already booked. We are lucky to get a slip for the night. My parents stop out to share a beer on our last night on the loop. We met a couple just a few days into their loop. It felt like a passing of the baton, as we shared all of tips and tricks we had learned along the way. I remember being so nervously excited as we left Holland last year, so much to learn!
We get a late start from Grand Haven, as we are completely fogged in. I can’t even see the other side of the river. Late morning the fog lifts, and we depart. It’s still a very hazy day, and Lake Michigan is eerily like glass. As we near Port Sheldon, we know we are half way. Chad gets out our gold loop flag, hoisting it up as he removes our worn, dingy white one. The gold flag is a badge of honor you get to fly once you complete your first loop. We have a hard time spotting Big Red, as the locals affectionately call the big red lighthouse that marks the entrance to Holland harbor. And then out of the haze, we spot it. The places, the faces, the memories of the last 354 days rush past all at once. I’m so very excited to see those faces we have missed dearly. Yet I can’t help but feel a bit sad that this adventure is coming to a close as we “cross our wake” today.
As we enter the channel, we are greeted by many of those faces we have missed. What a wonderful welcome home, complete with noise makers and a beautiful, bright homemade welcome home poster! We love you guys! Nothing could have made our arrival home better than this welcoming committee! We continue on into Lake Mac (Macatawa), that old familiar path “home” to Anchorage Marina. As we near the marina, we are greeted by more familiar faces. How fun to see you all! We are so glad you followed along on our journey!
We tie up the boat, ready to celebrate with family and friends. Luckily we have a busy weekend ahead, complete with a wedding at the marina. All of the activity delays the reality of the end of our trip just a little bit. The reality of it all sets in when our friends on Wander stop by. After a fun night reminiscing on our time together, it’s time to say goodbye. We won’t be moving on with them any longer. As they finish up their trip, ours has come to an end.
As this adventure comes to a close, the promise of another adventure helps us move on. In the words of Mr. Rogers, “Often when you think you’re at the end of something, you’re at the beginning of something else.”