Nov.21, 2011: traveling the Tenn-Tom to Mobile Bay, Ala. Dec4: to Sarasota, Fl.


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On Dec. 3d., we completed the Great American Loop.We will now fly the Gold Burgee!

  Since leaving Norfolk, Va. in May, we have logged about 4,000 miles. We have traveled most of the time at 8-10 mph. When we have gone on plane for some reason, the Captain turns green as he watches the fuel gauge speed toward empty.

We travelled 450 miles on the Tenn-Tom waterway, visiting Columbus and Demopolis, Miss. Both small towns showed signs of decay due to the economy; sad to see. The only other marina stop was at Bobby's fish camp. For the rest of this part of the trip, we anchored out, often rafting with several other boats. Often, the anchorages were shallow or narrow; the water level at this time of year is low. That meant setting up a network of calling boats a day ahead or behind us to pass on the anchorage news.

The Tenn Tom is a partially man made "river" which is also made up of the Tom-Bigbee River and the Black Warrior River. It zigzags and curves back and forth between Miss. and Ala. The waterway and 12 locks  were completed in 1985. The waterway provides an alternative route to the Gulf in addition to the Miss. It was basically lacking in rec boat amenities and scenery, but was loaded with tows and barges. We put our passing on the ones and twos to good use.

We are still traveling with Brown-eyed Girl and Something Special, but met up with 40 or so other Loopers at different points. We have shared docktails, pot luck suppers, restaurants, and Evelyn's wonderful cakes along the way. She actually uses her oven; we just store stuff in ours. Core conversation seems to center around food, water depth, and fuel prices!

in Demopolis, some of us got a 2 hr. tour of this tow; Gene chose to stay on the
and make spaghetti!



just one of the engines; the tow takes 18,000 gal. of diesel fuel



a crew of 7 is on for 21 days and off 21 days; the stress for family life is harsh;
we have new respect for tow captains

The river challenge for the last several hundred miles was, not only to accommodate the tows, but to find anchorages for the night. After Demopolis, there was only one marina (using the term loosely) at Bobby's Fish Camp. I usually don't get off the boat at fish camps, but this one was adequate. Laura, the new owner, opened the restaurant to cook her special catfish and chicken dinners. There were 9 of us rafted to the small dock.

Rafting at Bobby's Fish Camp; no one gets turned away because distances are so great.
Legend has it there have been 17 boats rafted. Of course, the "yacht" at the inner location
had to leave at 5am!
much early morning shuffling and cursing!

The Slanty Shanty (traveling from Pittsburgh to however far they can go), joined us for dinner at Bobby's.. The "boat" (see below) was built by 20 y.o. Faith who was traveling with her 28 y.o. "friend" Mike. They seem to be looking for donations along the way. Even their blog has a method for donating by credit card. (We all think they are trust fund kids, and the guy Loopers all wish they were 20 again.) Anyway, we asked if their families approved, and I guess they do. Among other things, they have two chickens on board. If given the chance, I think Skipper would have eaten them.






the Slanty Shanty

Finding anchorages while traveling to Mobile was a challenge. Since water levels are low this year, the guide information was not always accurate. That meant calling Loopers ahead and behind us for accurate water depths and space. We learned a new way to raft. At least one boat drops an anchor, facing in the opposite direction from the other boats. Then we don't have to take the dinghy to shore with a stern anchor. One night, tho, we had tornado warnings. There were three or four boats rafting with at least 8 lines out. We also set up our "escape" plans in case we had to leave the boat and get to shore, about 10 feet away.....Gene and I had life jackets, shoes and Skipper ready to go and I put a credit card in my pocket. Evelyn, our beautiful cake maker, packed the above plus TP, meds, underwear, food, flashlight, etc. She would have needed a barge to get to shore. But, she was the only smart one; we would have had to borrow stuff from her. Ah, but the warning was lifted and we continued on.



a beautiful, quiet anchorage; we didn't move an inch! Something Special, Brown
Eyed Girl and Free to B



We fnally  reached Mobile Bay, and happily said good bye to the Tenn Tom. There was finally salt water, and a wide waterway, but the barges and freighters were even bigger; sharp vigilance continued. We then traveled to Fairhope on Nov. 19 (crummy marina but a lovely town with Christmas lights, great restaurants and high end shops...what a contrast). We needed to get a bit of a schedule now, since the weather windows for the Gulf of Mexico were dwindling. Several days of windy, cold weather slowed our travels from Fairhope to Pensacola, to Panama City and finally, to Carrabelle where we would wait to cross the Gulf.. In Panama City, our docking was less than glamorous as the wind had really picked up. The marina owner was more than helpful and invited us to a marina dinner to watch the Christmas Boat Parade of Lights. It was a pleasant ending to the day.



this was the favorite!




the surf on the Gulf was pretty strong; not ready to cross yet, so we rented a car
and traveled to Appalachicola (say that 10 times) where we met other Loopers
who would be making their way to Carrabell

 On Nov. 29, we made the 90 mile ride to Carrabelle, anticipating a wait there, but in a position to cross the Gulf at a moments notice. There, at least 10 or 12 Loopers were waiting at the Moorings Marina. Docktails that evening were very serious as everyone set up traveling buddies and routes. There are boats that can travel 20 or so mph, while others travel at trawler speeds of 8-10 mph. The  boats Free To B, BrownEyed Girl and Mary Frances lV were in that fast group. If we left at 6 or 7 am we could get to Tarpon Springs or Clearwater before 5 pm while it was still light. The slower boats would have to do an overnight crossing. Anxiety was pretty high. At 6 am the next morning, there was a meeting with'Buddy" who is the Gulf Coast local guru. He recommended staying north of the Gulf Stream and curving along the coast, but still quite a distance from the shallow shore waters. The three faster boats decided to go. The slower boats would leave an hour or two later in order to arrive at Tarpon Springs or Clearwater at first light the next day so that we could see all the crab pots. To make a long story short, we left at 7, traveled 183 miles in 10 and a half hours. We burned 200 + gallons of diesel at a cost of $850.00....Mary Frances, a gas engine Sea Ray headed toward Tarpon Springs, but ended up calling Sea Tow for fuel assistance because they were running low. Their adventure ended happily. Brown Eyed Girl had to make speed adjustments toward the end of the trip due to possible turbo problems, but came into Clearwater just fine. Free To B had a frightened Skipper who shivered because of the speed, noise and waves. Wrapping him in a blanket, and petting him finally calmed him. The rolling waves were 2-4 feet with occasional six footers. We ate crackers all day, but felt we were in our comfort zone. The steering, however, was hard work; I never thought I would wish for an auto pilot to ease the effort of steering. We went through the crab pots into the Clearwater Channel and docked, tired and glad to be tied to a dock

Now, the wait was on for the slower boats to arrive. Spirit of Whitby ( a lovely couple from England) arrived at 2 am. Something Special and Kismet arrived at 9 am the next morning. They had dealt with some rougher seas and sea sickness. The distortion of night time travel was difficult. Evelyn, our dear cake maker, sobbed with relief at seeing all of us and we hugged hard. Beth and Dean on Kismet also dealt with sea sickness. They also have a bird on board who was cold. I guess his cage also fell over with a rough wave......It was now time to decompress and relive the experience. We all agreed we didn't need to cross the Gulf, again, but as time wore on, knew we had accepted a challenge and did fine! Several other Loopers traveled to Tarpon Springs; hopefully, we will meet up with them



Do we look tired, or what?

On Dec. 3d, we were revived enough to make the 62 mile trip to Sarasota. Here, Gene will head to D.C. for a meeting on the 5th, and I will stay on Free To B enjoying quiet time. We will head to the Ringling Bros. museum on Mon. On Tues., the "ladies" will have a lunch and yarn shop visit together.

Oh, yes, on Dec. 3d., in Tampa Bay, we officially "crossed our wake". This means that we have completed the entire Looper route. It called for champagne and a celebration. What a wonderful experience it has been. We will now continue our travels back to our home port in Lake Champlain. We have removed the tattered white burgee and have replaced it with the Gold Looper flag! What a great adventure with other precious Loopers...Hmm!...What's next....Stay tuned!



 the Free To B docked in Panama City



the proud Captain!

Oct.19, 2011 Green Turtle Bay Marina, Grand Rivers, Ky to Joe Wheeler State Park, Rogersville, Ala.



Site of Civil War Battle Above the Clouds; Tenn R. and Chattanooga below

 It has been a busy month. It has been a hot, and, now,a cold month. We have to ask each other, each day, what day of the week it is, and what state are we in.

We left the boat at Green Turtle Bay in Grand Rivers, Ky. on Sept. 25th. We said good bye to Jen and Mike on Nova; they were going to move at a steady pace to get to Mobile. We said good bye to Brown Eyed girl. Craig and Ginny were also going home, but for a shorter time. Skipper and I went home and Gene went to DC and Toronto for meetings. It was a busy ten days with visiting, app'ts, and tending to the house that needed a bit of TLC. Skipper and I met Gene at the airport in Nashville on the way back; we spent a couple of days touring Nashville and headed back to the boat on Oct' 6th. I was a happy camper!!

While at GTB, I did get to the Nat'l Quilt Museum, quite an experience. I was so humbled by the exquisite quilts, but the boys did not want to be bothered "looking at blankets!"



Our ride on the Tenn. R. was lovely; very few barges, beautifukl scenery, and fall foliage. After four days of travel, nice marinas, daily docktails each night with Loopers, we arrived at Grand Harbor Marina with Once Around, Moonstruck and Something Special. Here, the docks and water are in Miss.; the land is inTenn.; and, when you look toward the marina exit, it is a stone's throw to Ala.) We all loaded into a marina courtesy van, the next day, and headed to Shiloh Nat'l Park. A beautiful, but somber day. During the battle of Shiloh, 23,00 soldiers were killed, wounded, or missing. And, hating war, I wondered, for what!!

While at Shiloh, we left Skipper on the boat for the day. When we returned, the Captain gave him a much needed bath. We then left him for a couple of hours while we had dinner. Usually, Skipper lets us know he isn't happy being left by flipping all the pillows and mussing up blankets. On this day, I guess he was really miffed because he got into my yarn....and what a mess! I rewound it all since it was not cheap yarn......ready for the looney bin!

There would be three locks to get through before reaching Joe Wheeler. The Pickwick Lock and Dam, the first lock we encountered, was built by the Tennessee Valley Authority in 1934, taking ten years to complete.A total of 506 families and 407 graves had to be relocated.Entire communities disappeared.One story has it that a family resisted the move because the fire in their fireplace had been burning for three generations. So, the TVA moved the family, their possessions and the burning fire to a new location!

Pickwick Lock and  Dam, as it turned out, was a beast. The wind was howling; I had too short a line to catch the bollard, and it took several attempts before Gene could get close enough to the bollard. We then needed a stern line to keep the back of the boat from whipping us around. The lockmaster was a grouch and flew us up the 50 plus feet to the top. Since we were not the only ones with a bad experience there, we had plenty of sympathy. We came up with a better game plan for the next two locks, for sure!

On Oct. 17th, we arrived in Rogersville, Ala. Here, we would spend several days attending the Fall Rendezvous for the American Great Looper Assn. at the Joe Wheeler State Park Marina. There were 52 docked Looper boats and 200 participants. It was a blast with excellent presentations re: the Tennessee Tom Bigbee Waterway to Mobile and the ins and outs of crossing the Gulf of Mexico; both of which have their challenges. Info on the Bahamas was refreshing and the presentation on the trip down the St. John's River reminded us that we still want to do that.

While there, a large group traveled into the town of Rogersville on the one and only school bus for dimnner an an excewllent country western concert. The talent was incredible. Since it was a dry county, the treats were cigars for the men and chocolate smores.

After the rendezvous, about 15 boats decided to take the northeastern part of the Tennessee River to Chattanooga. This part of the river treated us to incredible fall foliage. The trip was 140 miles to Chattanooga, which we did in three days. The city offers a wonderful waterfront, a knock out aquarium, an incline train ride to the Civil War Battle Above the Clouds and great restaurants. We traveled with Brown Eyed Girl and Something Special, but spent pleasant evenings with other Loopers as well.

We are now back tracking to the Rogersville area and will go through the Guntrsville, Wheeler and Wilson (115 foot drop for this one) and begin our journey toward Mobile. If we can keep moving at our leisurely pace we could be in Mobile by the third week in Nov. (That is the plan at the moment.) We have many locks to traverse, and few marinas; so we will be anchoring out a fair amount.

Stay tuned...Ginny




Green Turtle Bay Marina










bollard used to tie up in a lock; a mid and stern line keeps the boat parallel to the wall.....most of the time!



leaving the rendezvous and heading to Chattanooga



flooding on the rivers means the shore home is on "stilts"



loopers at the rendezvous



Lotsa loopers and wannabes from US, England, Canada Australia and even South Africa!



the Canyon on the way to Chattanooga

 


Tenn. R. and Chattanooga waterfront



leaving Little Cedar Anchorage with Something Special and Brown Eyed Girl;heading toward the Tenn Tom





approaching the Nickajack Lock, heading southwest on the TennR.

 

        


Sept. 22, 201; From Peoria, Ill. to Green Turtle Bay Marina in Grand Rivers, Ky

Brown-eyed Girl entering small chamber  of Miss. R. lock

"See ya on the 1's....y'all!

Tow (not toe) boats, wingdams, weirdams,wickets, RDB,LDB....We have been immersed in the language of the Mississippi River!

But first, the Asian carp! An ugly, thin-skinned, bottom geeding, prolific fish that has invaded the rivers, thanks to Asian barges that brought them here. When stirred up, they jump all over, onto the swim platform, into the dinghy, etc. Because we were traveling slowly, Free To B had minimal contact. We could hear them banging on the bottom and sides of the hull, but that was it. Nova and Blond Eyed Girl scraped them off the back of their swim platforms. At one point, Brown Eyed Girl radioed that he was dealing with a lot of "carp crap". I radioed back that it was a wonderful play on words. The Coast Guard then radioed that Ch. 16 was a hailing channel, only....Oops! (They have no sense of humor!)

There is an eighth of a mile long, underwater, electrical barrier in the Sanitation Canal to keep the carp out of Lake Michigan. Since there are some claims of carp DNA in Lake Michigan, there are several lawsuits attempting to close the waterway. So far, there have been no opinions in that direction.


entering the carp electric barrier on the Ill. R.


We spent a few days at Grafton Harbor Marina in Ill. relaxing, replenishing supplies, and enjoying the company of several loopers.

On Sept. 15th, we began our trip on the Mississippi River. There would be one more marina stop for fuel, and then we would travel 220 miles relying on our own resources.We would be able to tie up to one lock wall, but would have to anchor out, often in iffy places as we made our way to the Cumberland River.

We spent the first night at Hoppies Marina in Kimmswick, MO.; one step up from a fish camp marina (and some of you know about my aversion to fish camps), but a legendary must stop for Loopers. The "marina" was made up of three barges attached somewhere, It is owned by a couple in their eighties who have lived there forever. Fern, the wife, handles your lines and tells you how to dock; and you had better listen to her. Her husband, Hoppie, looks like he has had a stroke, and handles the lines with one hand and some balance issues. He comes from generations of old time river lamp lighters, and is probably the last in the lineage. Fern then tells us we will meet with her at 4:30 for the latest info on the Mississippi...We took copious notes, getting the most local infoabout the rivers

Off we went the next day, still intimidated by the rivers. We were to have a four knot current pushing us along; the Captains were excited at the fuel we would be saving! (That euphoria would disappear on the Ohio River when a two knot current would be against us!

Lucky for us, one of our traveling buddies has an AIS, a device that can see barges, with their names, from miles away.After hailing the barges, the towboat Captain, with their deep voices and Southern drals, would tell us to pass on the ones or the twos. Knowing this passing system is much easier than figuring out port and starboard.


double chamber lock



the arch in St. Louis, Mo.

The travel on the the rivers was slow and tedious in many parts. The locks are monstrous, with two chambers; one for barges, the other for "recs" and small tows. We gratefully arrived at the huge and lovely Green Turtle Bay Marina on the Cumberland River in Grand River, Kentucky. The marina is full of Loopers: Crossroads, My Way, Salt n Sand, Godspeed, DuSchein, Harem, North Star, Happy Hours, Brown Eyed Girl, and Nova.


Green Turtle Bay Marina. Grand Rivers Ky. on the Cumberland R.


Then, there is the boat, Jumbo, probably the most photographed boat on the Loop. It is 26 feet, was built in Switzerland, and is owned by a fun loving German couple. They had the boat shipped to the US. When they notified a barge for passing instructions witheir name, Jumbo, the captain wanted to know if they were a barge. Fred radioed back, thatno, they were really like a mosquito!


Jumbo from Germany


So, enough already!We all have a van for the day and will be heading to Paducah. The ladies are going to the National Quilt Museum(one of the highlights of the trip for me). The Captains don't want to "look at blankets", so they are going "shopping".


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typical wingdam



double tow and a heavy load



I think my lines are a bit tangled

The boat will stay here; we are heading to Nashville to sightsee. I'll fly home on the 25th. Gene is going to DC and Toronto. We'll be back on Oct.6th.....Stay tuned....Ginny

Sept. 10, 2011; New Buffalo, MI to Peoria, Il.


 

 We left Lake Michigan from New Buffalo and traveled to Chicago on Aug. 31^st. The last hour or so was a bit rough, but we landed at DuSable Marina with the Chicago skyline right at the marina with some docking help from a 36 foot Monk named DuSchein from Annapolis. They would be our neighbors for the next few days. They say Lake Michigan can be really rough after Labor Day. That has proved to be the case, and we are glad we arrived in Chicago when we did. Some Loopers are just getting to Chicago today. Gene was glad to leave the challenges of Lake Michigan which meant waiting for those weather windows. I thoroughly enjoyed the Lake. Waiting meant we could do more browsing!

Approaching the Chicago skyline was awesome. Right up there and then some with the NYC skyline and perhaps better. We spent six days, along with Jen and Mike, on Nova running around like maniacs and acting like tourists. We took the architectural boat tour on the Chicago River which identified all the high rises. It also gave us a sneak preview of the river path we would be taking when we left Chicago. We went to the Science Museum and the Art Institute.  (Yes, Phyllis, I loved the Thorne miniature collection. I probably would have missed it if you hadn’t told me about it.) We went to the top of the Sears Tower (now the Willis Tower) and saw, from awesome heights, all of  the Chicago and Lake Michigan views. I even ventured onto the sky decks which are Plexiglas enclosures, top, bottom, and sides. That really plays with the ol’ visual perceptual system…….Poor Gene, who hates heights, could be seen crawling along the inside walls. He finally decided he  had enough and headed to the ground floor. (He deserves applause for even getting up to the 103d floor). It took a few hours for the green coloring on his face to fade. That’s an awful feeling!!!

Chicago should be praised for their many beautiful parks; the numerous free concerts held in a magnificent outdoor auditorium, and the general cleanliness of the whole city. It is well suited to the visitor, with trolley tours, 25 miles of waterfront biking and walking paths, and great restaurants.

At many locations along the Loop, former or current Loopers volunteer to be Harbor Hosts. In some of the small towns, Penetang in Georgian Bay, for ex., they monitor the VHF for arriving Loopers and are there to greet you when you dock. They often offer help getting supplies, etc. and are often available in emergencies. Before we even arrived in Chicago, the Harbor Hosts here had put out the word that they were hosting a dinner on Sept. 3d at their condo for any Loopers in Chicago. The menus would be Chicago pizza and Italian beef. We RSVP’d, took a cab with NOVA, and enjoyed dinner and meeting up with about 25  or so Loopers who were somewhere in Chicago. We met Loopers from other rendezvous as well several new to us. It was, again, another evening We left Lake Michigan from New Buffalo and traveled to Chicago on Aug. 31^st. The last hour or so was a bit rough, but we landed at DuSable Marina with the Chicago skyline right at the marina with some docking help from a 36 foot Monk named DuSchein from Annapolis. They would be our neighbors for the next few days. They say Lake Michigan can be really rough after Labor Day. That has proved to be the case, and we are glad we arrived in Chicago when we did. Some Loopers are just getting to Chicago today. Gene was glad to leave the challenges of Lake Michigan which meant waiting for those weather windows. I thoroughly enjoyed the Lake. Waiting meant we could do more browsing!

Approaching the Chicago skyline was awesome. Right up there and then some with the NYC skyline and perhaps better. We spent six days, along with Jen and Mike, on Nova running around like maniacs and acting like tourists. We took the architectural boat tour on the Chicago River which identified all the high rises. It also gave us a sneak preview of the river path we would be taking when we left Chicago. We went to the Science Museum and the Art Institute.  (Yes, Phyllis, I loved the Thorne miniature collection. I probably would have missed it if you hadn’t told me about it.) We went to the top of the Sears Tower (now the Willis Tower) and saw, from awesome heights, all of  the Chicago and Lake Michigan views. I even ventured onto the sky decks which are Plexiglas enclosures, top, bottom, and sides. That really plays with the ol’ visual perceptual system…….Poor Gene, who hates heights, could be seen crawling along the inside walls. He finally decided he  had enough and headed to the ground floor. (He deserves applause for even getting up to the 103d floor). It took a few hours for the green coloring on his face to fade. That’s an awful feeling!!!

Chicago should be praised for their many beautiful parks; the numerous free concerts held in a magnificent outdoor auditorium, and the general cleanliness of the whole city. It is well suited to the visitor, with trolley tours, 25 miles of waterfront biking and walking paths, and great restaurants.

At many locations along the Loop, former or current Loopers volunteer to be Harbor Hosts. In some of the small towns, Penetang in Georgian Bay, for ex., they monitor the VHF for arriving Loopers and are there to greet you when you dock. They often offer help getting supplies, etc. and are often available in emergencies. Before we even arrived in Chicago, the Harbor Hosts here had put out the word that they were hosting a dinner on Sept. 3d at their condo for any Loopers in Chicago. The menus would be Chicago pizza and Italian beef. We RSVP’d, took a cab with NOVA, and enjoyed dinner and meeting up with about 25  or so Loopers who were somewhere in Chicago. We met Loopers from other rendezvous as well several new to us. It was, again, another evening of stories, boat card swapping, and plans to meet up, again. This, for me, is one of the highlights of the trip; meeting boaters and hearing about their adventures and lifestyles.

We left Chicago on Tues., Sept. 6^th even though to get to the first lock, we would have 20 minutes or so on rolling Lake Michigan. It seemed unavoidable. We are now back to locks and bridges and will travel through 40 more locks before reaching Mobile Ala. The first Lock, at the entrance to the Chicago River, is known as the Sanitation and Ship Lock and Channel. Years ago, pollutants, sewage, etc. flowed freely into Lake Michigan. The powers that be decided this was not good, and had the lock built so that the river and current would reverse direction and send the stuff to the Mississippi and eventually to the Gulf of Mexico. (Have you noticed we don’t solve problems; we just move them around?) The Lock, therefore, is only a one foot drop. Now, we would travel the Chicago River and travel under forty bridges in five miles to get through the City. After merging with the Calumet Canal and Des Plaines River, we are presently traveling the Illinois River; a different kind of boating. The Locks are huge, the barges are humongous with Catcher, Brown Eyed Girl, and NOVA are here. We will leave tomorrow. Not sure where we will end up. Many of the marinas (some primitive) are too shallow to get into. We will likely find an anchorage. Flexibility is the name of the game.

It continues to be the adventure of a life time….Stay tuned!!!....The Admiral, Captain, and Skipper.




Chicago skyline

 

Mike at the Bean in Millenium Park




Gene at the Bean





Trump Tower

 


Thru Chicago on the Chicago River





Chicago Skyline and Lake Michigan from the Sears Tower

  

Aug.21, 2011: From Leland to Grand Haven, MI.

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Aug.21, 2011: From Leland to Grand Haven, MI.

We have had such beautiful weather that the rain yesterday was barely noticed. We are at a marina in the channel at Green Haven just at the mouth of the Grand River. I understand this river is the longest in Michigan and goes to Grand Rapids. It is a rough day on the Lake today, so boaters are seeking refuge here. There is a steady stream of boat traffic. The entertainment right off our stern is watching the Coast Guard board everyone…not us!..

The night before leaving Leland, we had a gathering with the Loopers Jolly Tolly, from Ga.,  Carrie Rose, from Chicago, Tropical Breeze from Fla., and Nova from the Vineyard. We swapped stories and gathered information about Chicago. That will be a major visit at the end of this month. Jan, on Jolly Tolly, is known as the “pump out Queen” forevermore. (If you really want to know why, let me know!)

We then traveled to Manistee, Pentwater, White Lake, and then Grand Haven. We followed along the coast of the Sleeping Bear Dunes State Park, which, according to ABC’s Good Morning America, has been voted the most scenic area in the U.S. It was beautiful, but so are a lot of other places.

Grand Haven is a lovely city and a good stopover for a few days on land. There has been a Farmers’s Market, Arts and Crafts Fair, church suppers and an ice cream social; quite a busy place. Each night, on the opposite shore, there is a 45 minute production of music, colored lights, and fountains. The intensity of the fountains and the lights are synchronized with the music. The first night the music was from the Phantom of the Opera; quite a phenomenon. They have been doing this since 1962.

Skipper is having a wonderful time on the boat. He loves to walk and gets whiney if we leave him. He knows what ice cream is and would probably eat a gallon if we let him. Mike, on NOVA, stopped at a pet store and bought him some pigs’ ears to chew on. When Gene told me, he failed to mention they were for the dog. I thought it was going to be one of those crazy dinner appetizers Gene often experiments with. Well, Skipper loves them. He is, as they say, happy as a pig chawing on one. Thanks Mike!

We are about 100 miles from Chicago. We plan to be there by the 30^th and stay for a week through Labor Day. There is a bit to do (we have never been), and the waterfront is supposed to be spectacular.

There are now a bunch of Loopers docked here: Jeremiah, Seamore, Dream Catcher, Rock Chalk, NOVA and us. There will be a gathering at 5 o’clock; that’s always fun!

The winds will be calm, so we will head to Saugatuck tomorrow for a couple of days. It is supposed to be a town with much music and artwork…..The locals think summer is just about over….I think we are just beginning! Stay tuned…Ginny

St.James Harbor litehse, Beaver Is.



Pt. Betsie litehse, Frankfort, MI
the last to be decommissioned



Manistee North Pierhead litehse


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Fog house at Grand Haven, MI

 

Skipper heading to the groomer



a pillow would be nice!!!!



1941 renovated train in Grand Haven, MI



NOVA and Free To B in White Lake; just us!



White Lake Lighthouse