The Leelanau Peninsula

Leelanau State Park

Saturday we took M-22 all the way up to the end of the Leelanau Peninsula to Leelanau State Park to see the Grand Traverse Lighthouse.  I think there are a total of 29 lighthouses along the Lake MI coast. 

Grand Traverse Lighthouse

This lighthouse was a bit different in that it is actually just a house with a light on top.  There was also a beautiful white hydrangea plant next to an outbuilding.

White Hydrangeas

 

We walked down a trail to Lake Michigan where I bravely stuck my foot into the very cold water.

On the drive up the peninsula, we stopped for lunch at Knot Just A Bar in Omena where I had a perch sandwich an George had cod.  Several friends told us we had to try the perch before leaving and it was very good.  We sat outside on the patio and looked out onto the water where there were people boating and enjoying various watersports. 

Leelanau Cellars Winery

Leelanau Cellars Winery was on the other side of the restaurant so we strolled through there after lunch.  I like their Pinot Grigio and Sweet Red but today I spied their Pear Wine.  My knitting friend back home, Priscilla, told me there was a winery up here that had a great pear wine but she couldn't remember the name so looks like I just stumbled upon it.  I bought a couple of bottles....one for me and one for Priscilla.

Pear Wine, Leelanau Cellars

45 North Winery

After leaving the lighthouse, we took a different route down the west side of the peninsula and stopped at 45 North.  Why the name 45 North?  Because they sit squarely on the 45th parallel. This is the winery that hosted the wine tasting on the Manitou Thursday night.  We bought a bottle of Chardonnay, two bottles of 45 White and a bottle of Peach Cremant.

45 North

Foot Golf

Sunday we played the Summit course at  Shanty Creek Resorts with Jan and Tim and found out quickly that it would be helpful to have mountain goat qualities to play the thing.  The back nine of this course also sub-ed as a "foot golf course".  This was not good for my game.  If you ever encounter one of these, go somewhere else.  Basically, its soccer on a golf course with big holes for the soccer ball....and I mean a big hole on the green as well.  Unfortunately for us, a big family with lots of kids "teed off" in front of us with their soccer balls and we all stared at each other in bewilderment.  They looked at us in somewhat the same manner then, what appeared to be the daddy, said that they would jump over to hole 3 and get out of our way. 

Okay, so we tee off and all appears to be well except that they clearly did not understand golf etiquette and were very noisy.  At some point, they must have back-tracked and ended up behind us and were "hitting into us"  with their soccer balls and continued the noise.  I realize it was their big family day out but, as any golfer knows, this is a major distraction.  Fortunately for us, once we made the turn, there was no foot golf on this nine plus we stopped for Bloody Mary's and our attitudes greatly improved.  The front nine was even more of a billy goat course than the back (we started on 10) but somehow I started playing better...perhaps the fact that there were no more soccer balls flying around.  Shot a 96 so no more complaints.

After golf, we stopped at a brew pub in town called Short 's.  The guys had a beer and Jan and I had a Soft Parade Shandy which is a beer/ale/fruit/lemonade combo and it was very refreshing.  Once home, we all sat outside by the pond at our lot and enjoyed a nice afternoon breeze.  Did I mention that the weather was perfect today???

Discovering Petosky

Friday noon we took off up 31 North to Petosky.  Along the way, we drove through the adorable town of Charlevoix.  Would love to have stopped for a visit but we were hungry and on a mission.  There are two RV resorts in Petosky. The first was Petosky Motorcoach Resort which is similar to Traverse Bay. Some have coach houses like ours but Petosky is much farther north.  The second was Hearthside Grove, a very high-end resort with lots and coach houses starting at $300,000.  So, lunch it is.... 

The Menu

The Brew

We stumbled upon Petosky Brewing Company located in a 70 foot tall, 20 foot wide brick building.  They had tons of crazy sounding beers so I asked the waitress to bring me a beer that didn't taste like beer.  She came back with 4 different beers to taste and I ended up with the Cranium Crush Raspberry Waffle Cone Cream Ale.  I'm not a beer drinker but this was pretty good.  George ordered his new favorite The Horny Monk and Pretzel Twists for an appetizer. 

As you walk out the front door, there is a cooler containing "Cold Beer To Go".  Hmmm...is that legal?

Pretzel Twists

Cold Beer To Go

After lunch, we drove through downtown Petosky where a festival was being held and no parking places to be had so we headed home.

We had such a big day that we had to lay down and take a nap....beer does that to me.

Night, night sweetie and thank you for another great adventure!

Wine Cruise on the Manitou

Thursday morning I went to Mah Jongg with Sue then off to the grocery store.  I am so impressed with our brand new Maijers Supermarket.  We are so lucky to have such a nice store less than a mile from the park.  Maijers is the first store in the new Town Center shopping center.  Can't wait til next year to see what stores are coming in next. 

The Manitou

Before we left Florida, we bought tickets to a Wine Cruise on the Tall Ship, Manitou.  The weather has cooled off a bit today so the cruise should be perfect.  The Manitou is a replica of an 1800's cargo schooner.  She is 114 feet long with a 21 foot beam and holds 59 passengers.   The cruise was full but still plenty of room to move about. 

Once aboard, the crew asked for volunteers to help raise the sails and, of course, George gladly volunteered.  Now that we are under sail, the ride was a smooth and rhythmic motion.

The crew was introduced along with the wine steward, Tom from Forty-Five North.  We chose to sit on the portside at the front of the ship and, lo and behold, the wine cooler was right in front of us so we got to experience the first pours.  It was a fluke...honest!  Okay, this makes up for all the other "ship bloopers" I've experienced so far.  Much to my amazement, George decided to participate in the wine tasting.  In the 12 years we've been together, this is only the second time I've known him to drink wine. 

The first pour was an unwooded chardonnay which means it was harvested in stainless steel containers - not wooden barrels.  We didn't particularly like this one.  The next was 45 White, a nice white table wine which ended up being our favorite.  A hard cider was next and a bit tart.  I liked the Peach Cremant, a sparkling, peach tasting, sweet wine which was bubbly like a champagne.  Lastly was the Rose of Cabernet Franc which we both disliked. 

The food was catered by Silver Swan and they served a Mediterranean Cuisine made up of Stuffed Grape Leaves, baba Ganosh, Baked Brie with raspberry sauce and melba toast, and, for desert, pistachio baklava, chocolate brownies and other sweets I can't begin to name. The cruise lasted two hours and it was just fabulous, I would do it again in a heartbeat. 

On the drive home, we stopped in Moomers for ice cream to top off the evening.  Moomers is reported to be the best ice cream in the area so it was time we tried it.  We sat outside, across the street from the water, ate our ice cream and watched the sunset.

Another Rainy Sunday

Lucy

Woke up to rain today....that's two Sunday's in a row guys, and George's day off as well.  Good news is that Isa ate good this morning and has quickly resumed her morning routine:  Eat, drink, poop then stare out the front windshield.  Which reminds me....as you turn the corner to come to our lot, a "wise crack" lives there with his lovely wife and he put a mannequin in the drivers seat of his car, which is facing the street.  The first time I saw "Lucy", I waved and wondered why she didn't wave back.  Turns out, like many others, I'm the dummy!  We met them at the Thursday night social and he is a hoot-ass and she looks like what you would think Marilyn Monroe would look like if she were around today.  I love this place!

Karen's Wine Bag

Since we missed going on the Leelanau Peninsula wine tour today, Jan brought me back this adorable wine bag.  You place your bottle horizontally inside the insulated bag and there's a little pocket for your wine opener.  Now I am just the cat's meow...

El Galeon

Ironically, the El Galeon was in Traverse City this past weekend; however, since we were taking care of the sick kittie, we didn't get down there but George found out that it is still in port Monday so, when he got off work, we dashed down there thinking surely we could get to go aboard.  NOT!  We arrived right at 5:00 and they had just stopped the tour...wouldn't you know.  I'm just going to have to wait a little longer (or plan a little better) to get on this ship.  Anyway, it was good to get to see it again.  It looks even more enormous without other ships around.  It's leaving port at 7:00 headed to Chicago then on to other ports in the Great Lakes area.  Hope to see you next year! 

Since we were already downtown, we decided to try the Grand Traverse Pie Company.  It is renound for it's pot pies and fruit pies.  Since "somebody" back home told me to please not post any more pictures of food, I will spare her the details.  All I can say is "yum, yum, yum" and here's all that's left....the empty bag and a menu for future use.

We played at Elk Rapids GC again Tuesday with Jan and Tim, Marti and Joe, and Dar (Sheila was away).  I'm getting down the fairway fine but my short game has gone to pot.  George, however, is playing very well and almost drove the green on a couple of Par 4's.  This, of course, has gone to his head and he now thinks he's the big-time golfer and can't wait to get back out there.

We decided to try Pearl's after golf.  It's a Louisiana-style Cajun restaurant almost right across the street from the golf course.  George was the only one brave enough to order something spicy.  He had Crawfish etouffee and I had the non-spicy version of Jambalaya.  The theme inside the restaurant was New Orleans, of course, with pictures, beads and sauces everywhere.  Here is a portion of the wall inside the Ladies' room.

Our social committee bought a block of tickets to the Traverse City Beach Bums for Thursday night so we got home from golf, showered and took off for the ball field.  The "Bums" are part of the Frontier League, which I know nothing about at this point except that there are 12 teams in the league from KY, IL, IN, MI, MO and DC and that this league is not affiliated with any major league baseball team.  The league runs from May through September.

Their mascot(s) are two bears, Suntan and Sunburn.  Can you tell which is which?

Suntan and Sunburn

There are lots of childrens programs and events at Wuerful Park and we had a blast!  Can't wait to get back to another game and CONGRATULATIONS on your win last night you BUMS!

George's Ball Cap

Sick Kittie...

Sick Isa

Saturday:  I woke up at 2:30 am to the sound of Isa getting sick so I got up, cleaned it up and held her for a while.  3:00 am...repeat.  Fact is, she gets motion sickness which usually lasts a few days after being on the road.  This trip, she has been getting sick every 4 days or so, so yesterday I made an appointment for her to be seen at Banfield on Sunday.  Banfield is the pet hospital located inside Pet Smart which is where we take her back home and where all of her records are kept.  Also where our daughter-in-law is a Medical Director for the State of New York (so proud of her).   Needless to say, I didn't get much sleep last night as I was getting up every half hour to check on her.  She is clearly lethargic, not wanting to eat or drink.   I called Banfield ASAP this morning to see if they could work her in today so we are waiting for the phone to ring.  Also cancelled plans to go to a winery today. 

Meantime, I took the opportunity to vacuum and clean while George hung some pictures.  Been wanting to do this for some time so, before the trip, I printed out some photos of past trips then framed them.  The motorhome now feels more like home than ever and  I feel a rush of memories come over me when I look at them.

We got the call at 2:30 to bring Isa to the hospital.  We dropped her off and killed time by doing some shopping at Sam's, Staples and took a stroll through an outdoor furniture store.  Also had time to grab dinner at Red Lobster before picking her up.

Her bloodwork was out of control and her kidney disease is worse so they gave her fluids and a shot for nausea.  They wanted to hospitalize her for 2 days but, since I am skilled at administering IV fluids, they let me bring her home.  I am to give her 100 ml every day this week, then back to the hospital Friday for repeat bloodwork.  She perked up a bit once home and dove into the food bowl so I am optimistic she will be ok.  Anna welcomed her home by giving her a nice bath.  We stayed home the remainder of the evening to monitor her and get some rest.

Week Three....

Henrik Stenson clinches The Open

We were going to go for a ride up to Petosky Sunday but it started to rain and just kept on raining so we stayed home and watched the last day of The Open which turned into a "match play" between Michelson and Stenson.  Was really pulling for Phil, and he played great, but not quite great enough.  So, congratulations to the Swede on his first major win.

The rain stopped around 4:00 just before the party at the South Clubhouse.  Once again, we had a great time and visited with some of our new friends at their lot.  Most everyone here either has an outdoor fire pit or fireplace...that's how cool it gets in the evenings.  And, just in case you've heard the myth about super-sized mesquitos in Michigan, I haven't seen one yet.

Elk Rapids GC

Town Club Tavern

We played golf at Elk Rapids Golf Club Tuesday with Jan and Tim and two other couples, Shelia and Dar Day and Marti and Joe Norway and it was a perfect golf day.  We only played 9 holes but it's a start.  Not a lot of golfers here at the park.  Afterward, we went to eat at the Town Club Tavern, a local bar in the quaint little town of Elk Rapids.
The West Bay of Lake Michigan is at the end of the street with a large sandy beach.

Old Mission Tavern

There was a ladies luncheon Wednesday at Old Mission Tavern on the peninsula. There were 14 of us and the food and companionship was the best. 

Ladies Luncheon

Hollyhocks at Old Mission Tavern

Harbor View Lavender Farm

Lavender

Afterward, we went to a Lavender Farm just up the road.  He had everything lavender...lavender infused honey, lavender hand soap, lavender spice, etc.  Next stop was to a fruit stand alongside the road where we bought cherries.

Mr. C's Pub and Grill

Thursday was Mah Jongg at the Main Clubhouse, however, a big storm interrupted play and everyone headed for home.  It was a hard rainstorm that lasted about an hour and a half but enough to have the Thursday night social cancelled.  So, we went to dinner at Mr C's with Jan and Tim and Carol and Frank.  Another nice restaurant very close to our park with entertainment by Terry Anderson.  Jan talked to Terry about a performance at our park at some future date.  After dinner, we went to Jan and Tim's and sat outside at their fire pit til well after dark.

Friday I had some shopping to do so I went to Macy's at Grand Traverse Mall then a much needed pedicure.  Carol invited us over to christen their new patio.  They added pavers and bought  new patio furniture and it looks fabulous.  We ended up going down to McGee's for appetizers then home.

Tall Ship Celebration

Today I realized one of my longtime dreams....climbing aboard an ancient tall ship (or at least a replica thereof).  I know that sounds a bit out of character for me but I've had a fascination with tall ships for over a decade and have never been near one until today.  We drove the 2.5 hour trek down to Bay City this morning where the Tall Ship Celebration was in full swing on the Saginaw River.  The line to purchase tickets was incredibly long so, thanks to some quick thinking, we ordered e-tickets on my phone and were in within minutes.   We were given an armband and an Official Passport listing each ship along with her statistics and her story.  Once aboard the ship, your passport gets stamped by the official.

So, we were naturally drawn to the most magnificent ship in the harbor, the El Galeon which is a  Spanish galleon hailing from, well, Spain, of course.  She is a replica of a 16th century galleon and the only one in the world still sailing.  When the ships approached the harbor on Thursday, their sails were drawn down so the pictures do not reflect their pure beauty.  The line to board her was a 3 to 4 hour wait...what a disappointment.  This was our first rodeo so we didn't know that you needed to get there when the gates opened, then have a foot race with hundreds of others to get in line to board her.  Oh well, lesson learned.

El Galeon

So, we chose to get in a more reasonable line to see the Pride of Baltimore II which is a reproduction of an 1812 era Baltimore Clipper.  Her famous captain was Thomas Boyle, a notorious pirate who sailed to the British Isles, harassed the British merchant fleet and sank or captured 17 British vessels.  She was a beauty and we finally got our passport stamped.

Pride of Baltimore

Pride of Baltimore

While walking along the river to see the next ship, we noticed a couple of charter boats on the river, the Islander and Princess Wenonah where the passengers were getting a close-up view of the ships.  Hmm....what a capital idea!  So, we set out to the charter boat dock and bought tickets for the 3:00 cruise.  Not bad, the 2:00 cruise had just left, so on only an hour wait.  We found a place to sit by the water, wait and rest our weary bones.

 

When and If

On the way to the charter boat, we passed the When and If, an Alden schooner out of New York, NY commissioned by General George S. Patton in 1939.  Her name is attributed to Patton's quote "when the war is over, and if I live through it, my wife, Bea, and I are going to sail her around the world".  Patton died in 1945 and, unfortunately, did not fulfill his dream.

The Islander

Veterans Memorial Bridge

We boarded the Islander at 3:30 as it was running a bit late but we were 7th and 8th in line so we got a front row seat on the starboard side of the upper deck....best seats on the boat.  The Veterans Memorial Bridge opens up each time the Islander and Princess Wenonah passed through and a wave to the (female) bridge operator gets you a wave back.  What a difference this made, we could almost reach out and touch the ships.

Denis Sullivan

The Denis Sullivan's homeport is Milwaukee, WI and is an classified as a 3-Masted Schooner.  She serves as an educational sailing vessel in the Great Lakes region teaching learners of all ages and she summers in South FL.

Draken Harald Harfagre

The Draken Harald is a Single-masted Viking Longship hailing from Norway and is a spectacular site with 25 pairs of oars and recognizable dragon head.  Don't mistake the red and white canopy in the background for a sail, it's a refreshment tent...makes for a pretty picture though.

Draken Harald

She also has an interesting dinghy which was being launched just as we were passing.

Draken Harald Dinghy

Madeline

The Madeline hails from right here in Traverse City and is a Gaff Topsail Schooner.  She is a reconstruction of a 19th century Great Lakes schooner and an official tall ship of MI.

Pathfinder

The Pathfinder is a Brigantine from Toronto, Canada.  She was the original vessel of a charitable organization founded in 1962 to develop leadership, discipline and citizenship in a maritime environment.

Playfair

The Playfair joined the Toronto Brigantine in 1974.  She was christened in 1973 by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II and is the only Canadian ship to be commissioned by a reining monarch.

Appledore IV and V

The celebration was on both sides of the river with a total of 13 ships plus, for $50 pp, you could sail on the Appledore IV or Applendore V. 

These two  schooners are owned and operated by  a non-profit organization in Bay City and their mission is to "foster environmental stewardship of the Saginaw Bay watershed and the Great Lakes ecosystem and to provide personal development opportunities for learners of all ages through shipboard and land-based educational experiences".

The Islander made two passes around all of the ships and this was the delight of the day.  Good close-up views, good pictures, good weather, etc and all for a $15 ride.  Here is a view of the crowd crossing the Veterans Memorial Bridge and of the celebration.

Crowd crossing the Bridge

Tall Ship Celebration

Got home around 8:00 after a long, tiring day but what a delightful day for me, not so sure about George. I want to thank him for being the patient, wonderful  husband and traveling companion that he his, and for sharing this adventure with me and making my dream come true....love you to the moon and back!