05UpAndOverToChicago

- Up and Over to Chicago - July 14, 2011 to September 11, 2011
On July 15 we will set our sights on going "up" the east side of Michigan, "over" the top and down the West side to Chicago. The trip will take us back up the Hudson River to the Erie Canal to the Oswego Canal to Lake Ontario. From there we'll we take the Welland Canal into Lake Erie, west to Lake St. Clair and North through Lake Huron to Lake Michigan and then down Lake Michigan to Chicago. Whew. Below are links to Google Maps of our location, links to marinas if applicable, and links to Kem's blog on the Houston Chronicle. Most recent event on top. Places we've been along the way and tentative plans We have no schedule and we're sticking to it.
Google Map	Marina / Anchorage Comment	Kem's Blog
9-11-11 SPOT	Joliet - On the wall	CAL SAG - WHAT A DAY! View the Post. Excerpt: "Well, this certainly has been a different kind of day! We are used to being on large bodies of water, high wind and waves. This was a beautiful blue sky day on a narrow body of water with tree-lined banks. Such a change, but that’s not all –"
9-10-11 SPOT	Hammond Marina @ Horseshoe Casino	CHICAGO CELEBRATION View the Post. Excerpt: "We are celebrating reaching Chicago for many reasons. One, it means that we successfully navigated the Erie Canal, the Welland Canal, and 4 of the 5 Great Lakes. I would be less than honest if I didn’t say we are really glad that we are getting off of Lake Michigan. This inland sea is so unpredictable this time of year – one moment smooth and glassy and in a blink of the eye, the waves can reach 5-6 feet and pound you into senselessness – all on a clear day."
9-9-2011 SPOT	Michigan City Washington Park Municipal Marina
9-1-11 SPOT	South Haven Municipal Marina (Southside Marina) Visitors Bureau	GOODBYE, SOUTH HAVEN 09-08-2011 View the post. Excerpt: "After the last month of one night stops, it’s hard to believe that we have been here in South Haven for a week long stay. It’s gone by very fast. We have met many great local folks, as well as many Loopers who are also working their way south." SOUTH HAVEN View the post. Excerpt: "We have moved on from the artist’s colony a bit further down our route to South Haven. This is a Chicago boater destination (just a couple hour hop across Lake Michigan on a good day) and we are here on Labor Day weekend – the last hurrah before folks start pulling their boats out of the water, closing up their beach houses, and heading south to warmer climates. We were fortunate to get dock space here and we are the first to arrive on the long dock – a few other large boats are expected soon."
8-31-11 SPOT	Coral Gables	TO SAUGATUCK View the post. Excerpt: "I admit it, I have lost a bit of momentum since The Chronicle redesigned their Web pages and my links went into “no man’s land” but I have it on good authority that it will be resolved soon, and the blogs will begin to go out again. So in the spirit of good faith, let me catch you up to date…"
8-29-11 SPOT	Grand Haven Municipal Marina	Fountain Videos: Opening. Next. SURREAL View the post. Excerpt: "After experiencing some butt-kicking (sorry, no other term really describes it) days on the Great Lakes, we have a very healthy respect for the wind and waves on these inland seas. Just as I was about to say, enough is enough, a higher being took charge… and we had a surrealistic run on Lake Michigan."
8-28-11 SPOT	Pentwater (Snug Harbor)	ALL THAT JAZZ View the post. Excerpt: "Pentwater was our next stop and what a great community. Due to the threat of high waves and wind yesterday, many Loopers stayed put in that marina, so we got to meet several of them after we docked."
8-27-11 SPOT	Frankfort Municipal Marina	BENZIE FISHING FRENZIE View the post. Excerpt: "We happened to stay over in Frankfort, MI, the weekend of the Salmon fishing tournament and it was a very serious thing! I have always related salmon to Alaska, but they were sure running here this weekend. The Coho and Chinook salmon are plentiful here in these waters and hopes were high for scoring big prize money.
8-26-11 SPOT	Leland Municipal Marina	FISHTOWN View the post. Excerpt: "We had a grand time in Fishtown (or Leland, MI, on the map). A block away from the marina is the historic district of quaint fishing shanties and net-drying sheds built more than a century ago. They now house shops, galleries and restaurants, but their exterior hasn’t changed in over a hundred years."
8-22-11 SPOT	Charlevoix Municipal Marina, MI	MUSHROOM HOUSES View the post. Excerpt: "Charlevoix is known for the “mushroom” houses of the architect Earl Young. The whimsical stone chimneys, wavy cedar shake roofs and signature roof lines are his legacy." CHARLEVOIX – AWARD WINNING! View the post. Excerpt: " We are now at the official 2^nd Best Marina in the World – I’m still researching for the number 1… This place is really awesome. The marina staff and facilities are first class all the way. Judging from the wind and wave forecast, we’ll be here a few days and we couldn’t have asked for a better place to be “stuck.” MIXING IT UP ON MICHIGAN View the post. Excerpt: "It must have been a “premonition” blog about the weather, because Lake Michigan kicked our “stern” when we crossed the Straits of Mackinaw into Lake Michigan. The day started out calmly enough and we felt pretty good about getting through the infamous Straits without hazard. No such luck!" THE GRAND View the post. Excerpt: "Make no mistake – people come to this island to see The Grand. This premiere landmark has been in full operation since 1887. Our last day on the island was on-and-off rain, so a perfect day to spend leisurely touring this amazing place. Here are a few Grand Facts: ..." HORSES RULE View the post. Excerpt: "I am a horse woman, always have been. So to find myself on an island where horses rule is quite an experience for me. There are riding stables with saddle horses for rent, private livery carriages, drive yourself carriages, horse drawn taxis, freight delivery, wedding carriages and of course, your last ride, the horse drawn hearse." WEATHER, OR NOT View the post. Excerpt: "No boater’s blog would be complete without a note about the weather on the Great Lakes. After having successfully crossed (lengthwise) 3 of the 5 Great Lakes (Ontario, Erie and Huron) we have learned a lot." MACKINAC ISLAND View the post. Excerpt: "Make no mistake about the pronunciation of the island name – it is pronounced MackiNAW. We learned THAT early on – thanks David, Chuck and Bud, for setting us straight. The island is magical! We were glad to be able to spend a few days here, seeing the sights and sampling the fudge."
8-19-11 SPOT	Mackinac Island State Dock	Web-cam - Mackinaw Bridge CALM BEFORE THE STORM- View the post. Excerpt: "The Straights of Mackinaw taught us a great lesson on our cruise from Rogers City to Mackinac Island today. From the beginning…"
8-18-11 SPOT	Roger's City, MI State Park Marina	"MAX" View and comment on the post. Excerpt: " A brighter star will shine in the sky tonight. My very favorite cruising dog and best friend, Max, left his earthly place and is at this moment twinkling in heaven and shining down on all of us. Many... "
8-17-11 SPOT	Alpena - Thunder Bay Shores Marine
8-16-11 SPOT	Port Austin, MI State Park Marina	"THUMBS UP!" View and comment on the post. Excerpt: " Hey all of you Texas DeGroots, we are in Austin – Port Austin that is… We have worked our way around to the “tip of the thumb” of the Michigan mitten. Hard to explain without... "
8-13-11 SPOT	Port Sanilac State Park Marina	"Thumbfest" folk musicians entertain at marina - movie "HURON PORTS" View and comment on the post. Excerpt: " We are working our way up the Lake Huron west coast, but have been temporarily stopped by high seas and winds a bit stronger than we like. After all… this IS called “pleasure boating... "
Michigan State Harbor List: $53 per night for a boat our size. http://michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-153-10365_10884_18317---,00.html
8-12-11 SPOT	Port Huron Yacht Club	"CELEBRATION IN ORDER" View and comment on the post. Excerpt: " Well, we can certainly celebrate our accomplishments today. We have successfully traversed the Erie Canal, the Welland Canal, the loooongest distance across Lakes Ontario and Erie, the Detroit River,... "
8-11-11 SPOT	Detroit - Harbor Hill Marina	Movie "MOTOWN" View and comment on the post. Excerpt: " We hated to leave the islands, but we must move on. We had a long run to complete our crossing of Lake Erie and drive up the Detroit River. No easy task with a downstream current of over 3 knots... "
8-7-11 SPOT	Put-In-Bay City Docks (Dock B) The Boardwalk is next door.	"PIB LAST CALL" View and comment on the post. Excerpt: " We felt that it was our responsibility to make one last round of the Put-In-Bay hot spots the night before we left. We wouldn’t normally do this, but it’s for you TC and BG (you know who ... " Movie "ESTHER IS ALIVE AND WELL"View and comment on the post. Excerpt: " The last time we partied with our Looper friends Pam and Rich, aboard Adena, was a very memorable 2009 Christmas brunch in Key West. But the lasting image of Pam (aka, Esther) is diving off of our sw... " Pam swings at Mojito Bay - movie "CHAN OF PUT IN BAY" View and comment on the post. Excerpt: " Many of you emailed us from the last blog and said that you have fond memories of Put-In-Bay and that its one of your favorite destinations. If you haven’t been here in a while, let me up date ... " "PUT-IN-BAY" View and comment on the post. Excerpt: " Jimmy B, forget Margaritaville, this is the happening place! We left the scary rides in Sandusky and headed for Put-In-Bay on South Bass Island. This island is on the western side of Lake Erie and we... "
8-6-11 SPOT	Cedar Point Marina Next to the amusement park with incredible rides	"SANDUSKY" View and comment on the post. Excerpt: " We were only in Cleveland long enough to have a great dinner and meet the LYC Commodore, Mike McConnell, the General Manager, Larry Orlowski, and present OUR LYC burgee in exchange for THEIR burgee. ... "
8-5-11 SPOT	Cleveland - Lakeside Yacht Club	"LYC - CLEVELAND STYLE" View and comment on the post. Excerpt: " We really enjoyed our stay-over and feel rested and ready to tackle another run of one night stops. We left Geneva-on-the-Lake at dawn and headed out on glassy waters to Cleveland. Lake Erie has rede... "
8-1-11 SPOT	Geneva State Park Marina	"IRRITATED ERIE" View and comment on the post. Excerpt: " While cooling our heels and catching our breath from 17 straight travel days, we couldn’t be in a better place. Geneva State Park Marina is well run and in a beautiful setting. Yes, we are payi... " "ASHATABULA FLY-BY" View and comment on the post. Excerpt: " Our next scheduled stop was Ashtabula, OH, and we even had marina reservations. The promotional brochures sounded so inviting… “Dark blue water kissed with white tipped waves roll toward... "
7-31-11 SPOT	Erie PA - Moorings at Wolverine Park Marina	"ERIE, PA - WHO KNEW?" View and comment on the post. Excerpt: " Preconceived ideas are seldom a good thing. Having never visited Erie, PA, before, I had in mind that this was just another “industrial city.” Who knew we would discover it to be so much ... "
7-30-11 SPOT	Dunkirk - Chadwick Bay Marina	"SHUFFLE OUTA BUFFALO" View and comment on the post. Excerpt: " Buffalo wings, Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Chips (no wait, that’s Texas…). Buffalo is a great city, but we didn’t tarry there too long. Our one lay day was spent in housekeeping chor... "
7-28-11 SPOT	Buffalo, NY Erie Basin Marina	"LAKE ERIE" View and comment on the post. Excerpt: " Being from Kansas, and getting my education in geography that far inland, I didn’t pay much attention the day we were being taught about the Great Lakes. Who knew that one day I would actually ... "
7-27-11 SPOT Canal Start SPOT Canal End	Welland Canal Trip	"THE WELLAND, STEP BY STEP"View and comment on the post. Excerpt: " 5:45 AM – Although the canal is open 24/7, we weren’t up to tackling this exciting milestone in our journey at night. The next best thing for us was to get up at first light, and travel f... " Welland Canal - movie 1, movie 2 "WELLAND CANAL"View and comment on the post. Excerpt: " The Welland Canal is one of the world's greatest man made wonders. Although not as well known as the ancient Egyptian pyramids or as famous as its neighboring natural wonder Niagara Falls, the Wellan... "
7-25/26/11 SPOT	Port Dalhousie - St. Catherine's Transient dock in the old Welland Canal - We moved to the beach side to get good electric	"WE'RE IN CANADA" View and comment on the post. Excerpt: " Yesterday found us in another round of decision making – a “go” or “no go” day? Afternoon storms were expected from the north, but we decided that if we left at f... "
7-24-11 SPOT	Point Breeze - Four C's Marina	"SHORT DAY - SHORT BLOG" View and comment on the post. Excerpt: " Winds were up this morning, so we spent a good portion of that time discussing whether to head out or not. We were comfortable in Rochester, but felt we needed to make some headway, so we stayed put ... "
7-23-11 SPOT	Rochester - Schumway Marine	LAKE ONTARIO" View and comment on the post. Excerpt: " After one night in Oswego, we were off at first light today and very excited about entering Lake Ontario, our first Great Lake. We followed out another DeFever, Hallelujah , getting an early start an... "
7-21/22-11 SPOT	Oswego Marina	"OSWEGO" View and comment on the post. Excerpt: " Feeling pretty good after having successfully traversed the Erie and Oswego Canal systems and the many low bridges, we are stopping off at Oswego – the gateway, the city that links the Great La... "
7-20-11 SPOT	Winter Harbor Brewerton, NY Electric 190 volts. Owner says it's been like that since they installed it 18 years ago.	"HALF WAY THERE" View and comment on the post. Excerpt: " We are about half way from our start on the Erie Canal to the end point of Buffalo, NY, where John will leave us to fly back to Texas. We will then forge ahead through the Great Lakes and on t... "
7-19-11 SPOT	Utica - Aqua-Vino Restaurant and Dock	"JOHN'S DAY" View and comment on the post. Excerpt: " Today was John’s Day, but not until we reached Little Falls, NY, mid-day. I will get to his story in a bit, but first know that we traveled a long 62 miles through 9 locks. The past two days, w... "
7-18-11 SPOT	Riverlink Park & Marina, Amsterdam, NY	"STORM APPROACHING" View and comment on the post. Excerpt: " With a storm and cold front approaching, we decided on a short run today. We left Schenectady Yacht Club early and headed for Canajoharie, NY. That would have been a 41 mile run with 6 locks, but we ... "
7-17-11 SPOT	Schenectady Yacht Club
7-16-11 SPOT	Albany Yacht Club	"TROY & ERIE CANAL" View and comment on the post. Excerpt: " Bob and I thought that WE were excited and up early to head for Troy and the Erie Canal, but John was way ahead of us. He was sitting in the main salon, dressed, checking out the chart books, ready t... "
7-15-11 SPOT	Kingston, NY City Docks
7-14-11 SPOT	Haverstraw Marina	"FOLLOW THOSE TRACKS" View and comment on the post. Excerpt: " John arrived Thursday morning, and although we weren’t planning on leaving NYC until Friday, all three of us looked at each other and said – let’s cast off the lines and go NOW! We ... "