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A New Adventure for 2008 - 2010
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Kismet's... Welcome Home!!! Charlevoix, Michigan - 7/1/06

We are so excited to be coming home to Charlevoix, all of our friends and family.

We got quite a reception from our boating buddies at the bridge as we approached. It was fun to see them run from there to our slip to help us dock. Our friendly harbor master, Hal radioed us to bring her in. Our slip (#5) was decorated with balloons and a welcoming sign at the end of the dock along with our friends and marina crew to help us in. The marina was having their July 4th picnic and they included a celebration for us at the same time. A very festive day for us... one we will NEVER forget. Thank you, everyone, for the big "welcome back". It is such a warm feeling to know that you are missed by those you care about.

Last Day - Mackinaw Island, Michigan USA - 6/30/06

This was, for us, two days of winding down, reflection and some private celebrating before we set off on the last leg of our trip, to Charlevoix.

We took a long hike around the upper Island and had, at our favorite lunch restaurant, bloody Mary's. Then Lisa did some shopping while Jim napped back at the boat. Then we had a "last night" dinner at the Iroquois Hotel to celebrate the end of "this" adventure. We toasted to a trip well done and to each other for making another dream come true.

Mackinaw Island, Michigan USA - 6/29-30/06

We left in somewhat rough waters but not too bad. We were surprised by how many empty slips in Mackinaw Island. They are usually full this time of year. We arrived late afternoon as one of our engines was acting up, we think from some bad gas we got a while back.

Mackinaw Island is one of our most favorite places in the world.

Presque Isle, Michigan USA - 6/28/06

We left Wednesday morning to cross Lake Huron. We got up about 5:00 and left our anchorage with a beautiful sunrise and mostly clear skies, calm waters for the most part but heavy fog a few miles out that lasted until we were almost on top of Presque Isle, MI.

A beautiful marina here. State of the art gas dock. Hardly any boats here though. We are excited now to be able to spend a few days on Mackinaw Island before we return home.

Penetanguishene / Lion's Head / Tobermory, Georgian Bay-Canada - 6/25-27/06

We spent one night at Beacon Bay Marina. Had a great dinner, at Scully's, in Midland with Rick and Mary, on the other Kismet, and left the next morning for Lion's Head Marina in Lion's Head, Ontario. Didn't do much as the weather was rather gloomy. Tuesday morning we left for Tobermory where we anchored in the larger bay. A beautiful, quiet anchorage.

Trent Severn Waterway-Canada - Big Chute Marine Railway and the LAST LOCK!!! - 6/25/06

Today we left our peaceful anchorage and headed for the Big Chute Marine Railway just a few miles up river from where we anchored.

We approached the carriage contraption that they load the boats on and they loaded a sailboat on the front side and loaded us behind them. The carriage begins moving up the hill, over a street, toward the hill that descends down to the water, even as we are still getting settled on the sling. 20% of our boat was hanging of the back end of the carriage portion of the chute. It was probably about a 5 minute ride to the other side.

When we were off the chute we headed for the LAST LOCK of our trip. We have gone through about 110 locks on this trip. It was an experience but we are glad they are behind us.

We headed through Detroit Severn Sound toward Penetanguishene and the Beacon Bay Marina.

Our New Boat?

Trent Severn Waterway-Severn Falls, Canada - 6/23-24/06

Our mission was to go off the channel today to find a remote anchorage, a few miles south of the Big Chute Marine Railway, for a couple of days. We were successful in finding the perfect spot tucked away in The Lost Channel.

It is quiet here except for the occasional fishing boat whizzing past. Last night we watched some otters working and sunning themselves. Saw the mosquitoes decend on our boat and heard the loons far away. Early this morning we had a lovely loon song just outside of our boat. This is what anchoring is all about.

Today we will take the dingy up the the Big Chute to see how it works so there are no surprises when it is our turn to go through tomorrow.

Trent Severn Waterway-Gamebridge, Canada - 6/22/06

The area after Fenelon Falls brought us through some very shallow and weedy water. Also along this patch we were in about 5 miles of canal that was similar to a small gorge with walls of rock on both sides and no room for any on coming boats to pass. It was a little tense.

We arrived at our second lift lock. Now we are old pros. The Kirkfield lift lock lowered us 49 feet. Imagine driving a boat into a lock and all you see in front of you is country side and the canal, you'll end up in, is 49 feet below you. Its like standing on the ledge of a small building. Then the tub is lowered down and only takes 2 minutes. We went through 3 more locks and tied up for the night along with our friends, Rick and Mary, on the other Kismet (Arcadia). So, in Gamebridge it was game night on our boat and that seemed appropriate.

Four more locks and 330 miles from home. We miss everyone there and are excited to be home again for awhile.

Trent Severn Waterway-Fenelon Falls, Canada - 6/21/06

We left early the next day for Fenelon Falls. This is home to some fellow Loopers we met in Ft. Myers, FL, Norm and Barb Hewton on Beta Omega. This was another long day cruising but what sights we have seen. More miles covered and less locks to travel today.

As we have made our way through Canada we have to tell you that our arms are getting really sore!!! Every boat we pass, every house, with people outside, that we gaze at, all the people visiting the locks (each one is also a park with benches and picnic tables) we have to wave. The Canadians are so friendly, helpful and lovable.

People love to fish here. We have seen more people fishing here than anywhere on our trip so far. We even saw one boy fishing with a Canadian fishing pole... a hockey stick rigged up for fishing.

We arrived in Fenelon Falls and tied up next to the lock and the great falls that the city is named after. We were able to visit the Hewtons as they are only about a block downriver, on a bluff, from where we tied up.

Trent Severn Waterway-Juniper Island, Canada - Anchorage - 6/20/06

We left Peterborough for a long day on the water. Starting with the Lift Lock. We were all very excited to experience this locking marvel. The tie up process was amazingly easy and we all had cameras in hand.

We only traveled 10 miles, but we had to lock through 8 locks. It takes about 1/2 hr. per lock and that is if it is not busy. We have not had to wait long to get in the locks since many days we travel during the week and we think the gas crisis has affected boating somewhat about here. Also it is not their busy season until closer to the end of the month.

During one of our lock throughs today we met a boater who was from the area we were in and he directed us to a very nice anchorage at Juniper Island. This particular area has a lot of rock islands similar in formation to the North Channel area of Canada. This region has been the most beautiful we've seen in Canada up to this point. Lots of little, modest cottages, (remember those?), perched on rocky shores, dot the islands in a very natural way.

We spent a very quiet night at anchor listening to the loons sing and watching fish jump and splash in the water.

Trent Severn Waterway-Peterborough, Canada – 6/18-19/06

Peterborough, Ontario is the largest city we've stayed at since New York City. We've been on the move almost everyday for awhile and decided to stay a couple of days at the City Marina to get caught up on chores. We are still traveling with Rick and Mary on the other Kismet (Arcadia).

So, besides doing 7 loads of laundry, we visited the Peterborough Lift Lock. Construction on this lock started in 1896 and was completed in 1904. It is only one of eight in the world, this being the largest one, and before our trip is over we'll have been in 2 of them. The lock has 2 large lifts shaped like a tub. They drop the gate, you drive your boat into the tub, tie up to the side and the gate goes back up and locks. As the tub you are in goes up the opposite one comes down. This lift raises 64 feet and provides an amazing view of the countryside.

After watching some boats go up and down we toured the museum next to the lock and it provided us with the history of the canal as well as the construction process of the lock.

Trent Severn Waterway-Campbellford, Canada – 6/17/06

We arrived in Cambellford and docked at a municipal wall right down down right next to a beautiful park.

We enjoyed a restful night and went into town on Saturday morning to have breakfast at a local Irish restaurant. We learned what a shalaylie was. Do you know? We ventured on to the local bakery, farmers market and the Chocolate Factory. What a way to spend a Saturday morning.

479 miles of adventure to go.

Trent Severn Waterway to Campbellford, Canada – 6/16/06

The Trent Severn Waterway is a short cut through Canada that goes from Lake Ontario-about 80 miles east of Toronto-to the Georgian Bay in Severn. It has 44 unique locking experiences and is 240 miles long. We left Trenton for a 9 hour, 31 mile, 12 lock day with our recent traveling friends, Rick and Mary on Kismet. It was a mostly uneventful day except for the cable that we were attached to in the lock broke and we had to scramble to raft off of the other Kismet. We also had a little trouble getting away from on of the walls while leaving the last lock.

Trenton, Ontario, Canada – 6/15/06

Our next destination was to head to Trenton. A 38 mile run through beautiful waters with small cottages, large farms on hills off the water's edge. At times cautious navigation was required because of shallow waters and narrow channels. Overall a very pleasant day was had to reach this active town. Trenton is the beginning of the Trent Severn Waterway. We stayed at a very small, however very well managed, Trenton Marina.

So, now that we are in Canada we have to convert gallons to liters and US dollars to Canadian. So, a liter of gas was $1.20 and if you buy 4 liters that equals $4.80 Canadian. This equals about $1.056 gallons. You then convert the Canadian dollar back to U.S. and it equals $4.08 per gallon. That hurts! It's a good thing we were full when we left New York. We had drinks with Rick and Mary on Kismet as well as our friend Todd tonight after a beautiful day of cruising.

Lake Ontario to Picton, Ontario, Canada – 6/14/06

We left Oswego with a flotilla of vessels at 7 a.m. Wednesday early morning and to our delight we had no wind and glass like water conditions for our 65 mile trek (40 of it across the open waters of Lake Ontario.

It was a wonderful crossing and we are so happy to be back in water that is clear and clean.

We spent our first dockage in Picton, Canada. Picton is a small town with a tiny marina at an end of a long cove which is well protected and therefore we had a peaceful night's rest. After dinner we played games on the other "Kismet", who docked with us tonight. They are from Arcadis, MI. We have been traveling with them a lot lately.

Oswego, NY – 6/12-13/06

Oswego, NY was our last stop in the U.S.A until we get back to Michigan. An old port town that again has a rich military history between the French, english Native Americans and ultimately what would become America. Oswego sits at the mouth of the Oswego river and Lake Ontario. We stayed an extra day because Lake Ontario had high west winds, therefore high rough seas and boating can be dangerous under these conditions. We took advantage of the time to make our final provisioning before we return home. We also visited the 226 year old Fort Oswego, an impressive original fort sitting on a bluff overlooking Lake Ontario and used to protect the entrance to the Oswego River.

Erie Canal/Oswego Canal - To Phoenix, NY – 6/11/06

We left Sylvan Beach today, Sunday the eleventh. We cruised across lake Oneida, 40 miles with 2 locks. Oneida Lake is a 24 mile long, shallow lake that can be as rough as Lake Michigan. It is considered the 5th most dangerous lake in the U.S. Although it was quite rough, as the winds had picked up the last few days... we survived.

In Phoenix we docked at yet another free dock. No other boaters here. Not much rain today. Still cold, in the 50s/60s but we hear better weather is coming. We had a nice walk into town and while walking in the nearby neighborhood we found a fruit and veggie stand in front of one of the little houses. We found fresh asparagus and strawberries in abundance as well as home baked cookies and a cheerful gardener/baker to chat with. And then as we walked away we chuckled to ourselves as we realize how really little we need to make us happy.

Only 20 miles left in the U.S.A before we head into Canada for the final stretch. 620 miles to go!

Erie Canal - To Sylvan Beach, NY – 6/10/06

Sylvan Beach is an old resort town. Two locks and 28 miles and more rain from our last stop. We met up with Todd Smith, on "Egress", whom we first met at Hoppie's on the Mississippi. We had not seen him since Fort Myers. Todd is from Minnesota and is doing the Loop single handed. We went out for a fantastic dinner at the Crazy Clam and had fun catching up on both of our adventures.

Sylvan Beach was our first marina stop in the last 10 days. A welcome treat after so many days on free docks with minimal or no services... we enjoyed the showers, electricity and a sorely needed pump out.

Erie Canal - To Rome, NY – 6/9/06

Rome, NY was another 2 locks and 28 miles up stream. Rome has a great deal of historical significance. In 1758 a Fort Stanwick was built and played important roles for what would become USA. Also in 1817 the Erie Canal was started near by and would play a great role in the development of commerce throughout the Great Lakes and North East U.S. At this juncture on the Erie Canal we traversed 20 locks and have risen 420 feet.

Erie Canal - To Herkimer, NY – 6/8/06

Five more locks and another 26 miles brought us to Herkimer. Herkimer was our last mail drop until we arrive in Charlevoix. We took a cab to the Herkimer Diamond Mines to hunt for gems in the 2 mines they have. We came back with 2 large rocks that look promising - more later. A few miles up river is the home of Remington Arms. although we did not tour the plant or museum we received a report back from some friends that it was an interesting stop.

Erie Canal - To Canajoharie, NY – 6/7/06

Canajoharie was a 23 mile, 2 lock move in the rain. The canal has free docks, or walls, all along the river. Most don't have power or any services, but when it is free one cannot complain. Canajoharie is the home of Beech-Nut Gum and a rather nice small town. We spent the night rafted together with some other "Loopers" we have had the pleasure of getting to know along the way. One couple from Arcadia, MI, another from Tennessee and yet another from Minnesota.

Erie Canal - To Amsterdam, NY – 6/6/06

Up until Memorial Day weekend we had only had about 5 days of rainy weather the whole trip. Since we arrived in Waterford and the start of the Erie Canal it has rained about 9 days straight, with only one afternoon of sunshine today, making it seem more like a typical northern Michigan June.

After leaving Waterford we headed west on the canal with 10 locks the first day ending up in Amsterdam, NY. Most of the towns on the canal have seen their better days however you can see how at one time they were all rather grand towns. We found a great neighborhood Italian restaurant, Bosco's, in Amsterdam with the best Calzone we've ever had. Amsterdam was the home of Mohawk Carpeting before they folded. The trains run non stop abreast of the canal and where we tied up on the, free, dock wall. Great at first, however, a little difficult when trying to sleep.

Erie Canal - Last Night at Waterford, NY – 6/5/06

Tonight really felt like a home away from home. Many Loopers, some who we have met along the way and a few new ones, organized a pot luck for tonight just to celebrate the beautiful day in an incredibly friendly town on the Erie Canal.

The volunteer harbormaster, Rob (the one who loves to kiss the women boaters hands) stayed late to make sure our evening was warm and welcome. He took the photos and passed out bookmarks with the words to the Erie Canal Song on it. He told us stories and he bid us goodnight and invited us all back to visit with him in the future. It is hard to express the warm and wonderful feeling we must all feel tonight as we turn to our boat to go to sleep while docked along the Erie Canal.

Erie Canal - Waterford, NY – 6/2-5/06

This day was somewhat exciting for us in that once we arrived at our destination, of Waterford, NY, we would not have any more tidal waters to deal with and we'd be into fresh water again. The dockage here is free for the next 150 miles. Waterford is the start of the Erie Canal with 29 locks ahead of us until we leave NY. When we arrived, about 5:00pm there was an Irish festival in progress. Everyone is so friendly and welcomed up warmly. Lisa got her hand kissed by one of the harbormasters just like in France. There are 6 Looper boats here ready to start moving west – however it rained for 3 days and there is too much water to open the locks. So, we're not sure when we'll leave here.

In the meantime all the Loopers got together for cocktail hour Saturday night on "River Quest" and then we all went to dinner at the local Irish tavern. Sunday we plan to do some cleaning, walking, exploring and catching up on correspondence.

We are on the same parallel as Grand Rapids, MI and we have only 800 miles to go.

Hudson River to Waterford, NY – 6/2/06

Friday at 7am we left for our last leg up the Hudson River for a journey of 65 miles against a 2 MPH current and slight north wind. We past the base of the Catskill Mountains, old estate ruins, and the state capital area of Albany. Mostly the trip was through a beautiful valley.

Hyde Park, NY Excursions – 5/31/06

Our day included a visit to the Vanderbilt Estate which overlooks the Hudson River which at one time sat on one mile of river frontage. The estate was donated to the Federal Government in, about, 1946 with all of its contents. A lot of the homes we visit do not have the original furniture or contents, only similar period pieces, so this was a real treat for us. Have you ever seen a Tulip tree? (see photo)

We then proceeded to the American Culinary Institute (CIA) for a wonderful lunch. The CIA also sits overlooking the Hudson River in a building that at one time was a Jesuit Seminary. The Culinary school was established in 1946 and today is considered the worlds premier culinary college. After a 2 hour lunch at the Italian restaurant and stocking up on fresh artesian bread we moved on.

Next was a stop at the river estate home of FDR. A modest estate by comparison to the Vanderbuilts however at one time was 1,200 acres in size. The first Presidential Library was established on this property and sits close to the home.

As if the day was not complete enough we topped it all off with a group shopping trip to Sam's before returning to the marina.

Hudson River to Kingston, NY – 5/31 - 6/1/06

Today we passed many old estates on the river and West Point which was very impressive.

Kingston was our next destination. It is an old town that at one time was the state capital of New York before it was moved up river to albany. We met up with some boating friends from Arcadia, MI and Minnetonka, MN. We decided to stay 2 nights and rent a car on Wednesday for an excursion to Hyde Park.

Hudson River to Haverstraw, NY – 5/30/06

We left the New York City area on our journey 150 miles up the Hudson River, considered by many as the America's Rhine. Once out of the city the landscape changed dramatically into beautiful wooded hillsides and rocky cliffs with only small towns or villages on the water occasionally. The Hudson River keeps getting more beautiful the further north one travels.

We made our way about 40 miles to an anchorage in Haverstraw Bay – one of only a handful of safe places to anchor on the Hudson. The river has a tidal reach all the way to the Erie Canal. It is up to 168 feet deep in places withy a rocky bottom. The anchorage was very peaceful after 5 days of big city life.

NYC-Captain Drake - 5/29/06

Today our friend Chris and her son, Drake joined for a night on the boat. Before Denise and family left we took everyone for cruise on the boat on the Hudson River past the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and the tip of Manhattan and back to the marina. It was a little rough on the water because of all the weekend boaters but it was excellent weather and we all had a great time. Drake got to be captain and drive the boat for a while.

Unfortunately Mark, Denise and Gavin left after our short cruise. We wanted to keep Gavin with us but Mom and Dad wouldn't think of it. We were sorry to see them go but we were glad we got a chance to connect and meet our precious new nephew.

Chris and Drake spent the balance of the day with us. We had not seen them in about 3 years. Lisa and Chris used to work together many years ago. They got to spend a lot of quality time catching up while Drake helped Jim change the fuel filter on the engines.

This is what it is all about.

1008 miles, about 5 1/2 weeks, until we're home.

Kowalski's Arrive – 5/27/06

Jim's sister Denise, her husband Mark and son Gavin joined us for a couple of days on the boat. This is the first time we have met Gavin so we were pretty excited for this visit. Gavin has to be one of the best behaved babes we've ever seen. We think it is because of all the love and attention his parents lavish on him. Meeting Gavin for the first time made for another great experience for us on this trip. It was fun for all of us just to sit around and stare at Gavin explore everything on the boat.

NYC Excursion – 5/26/06

Today we had a host of new experiences. We took a subway under the Hudson River to Ground Zero. We actually pulled right onto where the station was under the Twin Towers. Obviously a sobering experience.

We worked our way over to Wall Street to view the buildings and area that is considered the financial capital of the world. Another subway ride to Broadway and Times Square area for more touring. Lots to see, however, too many people, too much traffic, pollution and noise for our tastes but it was interesting to spend the day walking around with the crowds of people hurrying from one place to another.

We walked to Central Park. Now, this has to be considered one of man's greatest forward planning achievements. To set aside this much property to benefit all the people who live or visit this incredible hub of activity.

Next we hopped on a bus to Rockerfeller Center, home of NBC. We saw a sandcastle being sculpted here. It's amazing the things you will see like the Naked Cowboy for instance.

The highlight of the day was meeting up with our friend Tara Ziegler who works and goes to graduate school in New York. We had dinner and caught up on each other's year, a busy one for each of us. After a great dinner Tara helped us get back to our marina via the subway system.

Jersey City Marina, NJ – 5/26-29/06

We spent a 4 day Memorial weekend docked at Newport Marina on the west side of the Hudson River in Jersey City, NJ. We have the entire view of Manhattan just outside of our boat.

Ocean Run to To NYC – 5/25/06

Got up early again for a long day out on the ocean again. This time we head to NYC. Again calm water for our 45 mile run to the Hudson River and the state of New York.

What an experience to approach the harbor and view the skyline as we neared the city. Of course it is a busy port area and we have not seen this much water traffic in a long time. Freighters, tug boats, ferries of all sizes and colors, cruise ships, tankers and all different sizes of power and sail boats.

Tonight we are anchored out next to the Statue of Liberty with 4 other boats in a well protected area. Knowing that the statue stands for all that we cherish as citizen of the United States it was a great experience. As it got dark the view of the statue with the torch lit and the background of Battery Park in the background made this sight exceptional.

Ocean Run to To Manasquan – 5/24/06

We got lucky today with with west winds making the 90 mile run up to Manasquan on the ocean a calm cruise. We were relieved.

At Manasquan we docked at a marina where we ran into Paul Jacobs, from Traverse City, again. What a small world. It was also interesting that just on the edge of the marina, about 2 docks away, the commuter train rushed by about every 20 minutes.

Delaware Bay to Cape May – 5/23/06

Early the next morning we departed for the long day down the Delaware Bay to Cape May and the state of New Jersey. Not much to explore so we never left the marina but we ran into other Loopers on "Running Free" and "Rhumb Line".

Delaware Bay to Cape May – 5/22/06

We've been busy moving from one body of water to another. We left Annapolis, MD on the last stretch on the Chesapeake Bay. The Chesapeake is an area that deserves a couple of months to explore its natural beauty. We hope to come back soon to do just that.

We entered the C&D Canal and stayed at a free dock in Chesapeake City. Chesapeake City is an interesting, charming, city that has been well kept up.

USNA, Annapolis, MD, – 5/20/06

We spent most of the day touring the United States Naval Academy. It is graduation week and much is going on here. Formal "Ring" dances, fireworks, graduation ceremony. Lots of people in town for the festivities.

We learned about the pecking order within the Academy. Some of the traditions and ceremonies. We visited a fantastic model ship museum. One of the best in the country. It was amazing.

We took a long dingy ride around some of the many marinas in the area looking at boats.

On Sunday we had access to a van to do some errands around town. All stocked up again and ready to go.

We are looking forward to meeting Jim's sister, Denise and brother inlaw, Mark Kowalski in New Jersey middle to end of this week. Also we are excited to meeting up with our good friend Chris and Steve Dittman and their son Drake.

Annapolis, MD, – 5/19-21/06

We arrived in Annapolis this afternoon after a windy, wavy ride on the Chesapeake. Lisa was seasick and after taking the cure, Dramamine, slept most of the way to Annapolis. Captain Jim maintained a steady course and delivered Kismet safe and sound to the Annapolis Landing Marina on Back Creek a short Water Taxi ride to downtown Annapolis.

We got settled and hopped on a Water Taxi to downtown for a walk around and dinner at Pusser's.

On Saturday while on a dingy ride to downtown Annapolis we spotted a sailboat from Traverse City, Aurora. Upon closer inspection we recognized the couple on board as Paul and Nancy Jacobs. We had a nice chat catching up on both of our trips. What a coincidence since we had just been wondering where they were.

Solomon, MD, Anchorage – 5/18/06

Another great anchorage. We did lose our anchor hold for the first time on our trip. Another boat had just anchored near us and had trouble maintaining a hold and we think they may have disturbed our anchor. We repositioned and did not have anymore trouble the hold night even though it was a little stormy.

We have probably had some of the more stormy, windy weather the last month and definitely the most frequent rain we have seen the whole trip.

Reedville, VA, Anchorage– 5/17/06

Time to anchor out again. Along the Chesapeake there are a lot of opportunities to find beautiful, peaceful spots tucked away near little towns. We found such a one in Reedville today.

We set anchor near a fork in the river within sight of the town. Then we dingyed in to see the Fishing Museum and see what else we could find to explore. It is kind a sleepy little place but we learned a lot about fishing in this area, Jim found himself some ice cream and we found a seafood building where all they did was package soft shell crabs. This kind man took pity on our lack of crab knowledge and took us through the shop and explained how the crabs molt and work their way out of their shells so that their whole body is soft for a short period of time before they start to grow the new shell. That is when they pick them. So, we bought a whole box to freeze. Now just have to figure out how to cook them.

Williamsburg, VA – 5/16/06

From Deltaville we rented a car for a day to take a side trip to Williamsburg and Yorktown. What an experience to walk around a town which has so much significant history for our country. A whole era is preserved so that we can all better understand our heritage.

Deltaville, VA – 5/14-16/06

From Norfolk we traveled to Regatta Point Marina in Deltaville, VA. Got in just minutes before a big storm hit. Jack and Craig Dozier run a tight ship here. Everything is first rate. A lot of care went into making sure the boaters who visit here feel welcome. They even had all the "Loopers", who were staying there Tuesday night, over for cocktails on their boat.

Norfolk, VA – 5/11-14/06

We spent Friday in Norfolk at the Nautical Museum. A free, well done museum of naval history which shows the significance that Norfolk has played in the past. Also on site of this museum is the battleship U.S. Wisconsin, we had a tour and learned a little more of our great country's history.

Friday night we had a good-bye meal back at the boat with Skyler and once again celebrated his graduation. Saturday morning he leaves to drive back to Grand Rapids. A sad day for us, but we are so happy that he found the time to spend with us. It really meant a lot to us. It was fun to share part of what we are doing with him, and Ross when he visited, so that they have some kind of understanding of why we are doing this.

Saturday we all got up early to send Skyler off and later we both used the loaner car to visit the Chrysler Art Museum, in Norfolk. We toured the historical areas of Norfolk and Portsmouth before returning to the boat for a quiet Saturday night.

Dismal Swamp to Norfolk, VA – 5/11/06

Up early again today. Many bridges to get to by a certain time. Also a couple of locks on this route. We left Elizabeth City to approach the "Dismal Swamp". It is a swamp area that has a canal that runs though it. It is the oldest continuously operating canal in the U.S.. When it was first started George Washington was one of the owners. Skyler got to experience going up and down the 2 locks. We passed by several train draw bridges and a few swing bridges.

It was a long day but absolutely breathtaking scenery. At 8:00 pm we finally arrived at our marina in Portsmouth, just across from Norfolk, at where we will stay for 3 days.

Elizabeth City, NC – 5/10/06

We left at 7:00 am this morning for Elizabeth City, NC. This was a stop we'd heard great things about. They have a free dock right downtown and when more than 5 new boats are in port a group of local boaters host a wine and cheese party. They are basically a welcoming committee for the city. This is a great way for the city to show itself off and for us to meet other boaters with similar interests or others who are doing the loop.

Belhaven, NC – 5/09/06

We left New Bern after saying our good byes to Wade and Susie for destinations north. We traveled 75 miles to Belhaven, NC and stayed at a great family run marina called Dowery Creek. It was a very remote and well run marina. Very picturesque.

New Bern, NC – 5/07-08/06

We drove back to New Bern today with Skyler in tow. He will be spending a week with us traveling from New Bern to Norfolk, VA.
We arrived back at Wade and Susie's house very early Sunday morning. It was a long ride. We were happy to be back to the boat to continue on our trip. We woke up Monday to a big bagel breakfast with Wade, Susie and a few of their friends. We met Wade and Susie on the Illinois River back in late September. We have had the pleasure of spending many days traveling, docking or anchoring together. It was nice to meet up with them again, see their home and the lovely town they live in.

After dinner Monday night we went to the downtown marina to look up Frank and Rona on Crazy Horse and as we did a party just seemed to happen. It was a "crazy" time.

Hello Oscar – 5/06/06

We have a tradition in our family that when someone does something spectacular they receive "Oscar" (a funny looking moose) from the family member who received it previously. Today was Skyler's day to receive Oscar.

Graduation Celebration – 5/06/06

We helped our Skyler celebrate his graduation with some of his friends.

Skyler's Graduation - Kendall College of Art & Design- – 5/06/06

We helped our son Skyler celebrate his graduation from Kendall College of Art and Design today (BFA in Graphic Design).
What an excellent day for all of us... Scott, Skyler, Lisa and Jim.

Albion, MI – 5/05/06

Spent last night at Lisa's brother Ken & his wife Malinda's house where Lisa's mother, Barby, is staying. Had a short but great visit with everyone. Doesn't she have a great smile?

Sidney, OH – 5/01-5/04/06

Got to Sidney, Ohio Monday night and stayed until Thursday morning. We helped Don and Diane pack for the move to their new home. We had a fun time visiting with Cindy, Steve, Stacy, Don and Diane, shopping and helping out with the moving sale.

New Bern, NC – 4/30-5/8/06

We experienced our worst rough water since Lake Michigan going up the Neuse River on april 30th in route to our friends home on the Trent River just up from New Bern, NC.

Kismet will be sitting at dock for a week while we rent a car to drive to Ohio to visit Jim's parents and help them move out of the house they just sold, then on to Albion to visit Lisa's mother, and finally to our son Skyler's graduation from college.

We are leaving our boat at Wade and Susie Ehlen's (Miss Happ) in New Bern. They were so gracious to offer their dock for us to tie up to while we go on this trip.

Beaufort, NC – 4/28-29/06

Since we left Charleston we've traveled about another 300 miles. The waterway has been spectacular since Jacksonville, FL to just north of Beaufort, SC. 40 miles from Wilmington to Beaufort and only 120 miles to Norfolk, VA.

Beaufort's waterfront and historic downtown was a nice stop for a couple of days. They have one of the best nautical museums we have seen and it was free. We also toured a cemetary with Revolutionary and Civil War grave sties. Lots of history here.

We met up here with Frank and Rona from "Crazy Horse" and finally met Mike & Bobbi who just started their Loop on "Sybaris".

Wilmington, NC – 4/25-27/06

This stop became our 13th state we've been through on the trip. 5 more to go plus Canada. Wilmington has a lot of significant history. They are the 3rd oldest city in NC and at one time it was the largest. They built boats that were used in the Revolutionary War, Civil War and both World Wars. They also have a large shipping industry here. We spent 2 days taking a tour, walking around town seeing the sites and going out to dinner with some Looper friends, Bob & Diane and their friends Mike and Bev, to help celebrate Bog and Diane's 30th wedding anniversary.

Myrtle Beach, SC – 4/23-25/06

We moved on from Bucksport to Myrtle Beach and stayed at a marina where there was about 8 or 9 other Looper boats. The best part of this stop was the pool and a cocktail party we arranged among the 16 other Loopers.

Bucksport, SC – 4/21-22/06

After leaving Georgetown we had a beautiful cruise to Bucksport Marina.Along the way we took a 3 mile detour off of the ICW. It was a beautiful deep side river overgrown with cypress trees. We were able to see the most alligators we have seen while traveling during the whole trip. We spotted 6 of them along the banks, some big, some small, camouflaged among the vegetation.Bucksport was one of those small, down home, places on the ICW with lots of character. They had a restaurant with great home made food and desserts. The people are so friendly we think they were all on some kind of "happy juice". Kind of like Andy Griffith's Mayberry, except on the water.

Georgetown, SC – 4/19-21/06

We anchored out in the harbor of Georgetown, SC for 2 nights while and toured the towns historic sites during the day. A very nice southern town with a great deal of restored civil war era homes.

Leaving Charleston, SC – 4/19/06

After having the pleasure of being with our son Ross for a week enjoying Beaufort, SC and Charleston, SC we had to part ways. It was both sad and happy. Happy he took the time to visit with us and share in our boating adventure and catching up on everything all of our lives. Ross lives in Portland, OR and we don't get to see him as much as we'd like.

The sad part was only that it had to end... however the good news is that Ross left us to fly to Peru and other South America destinations for an educational adventure of his own. His trip will last about a year. We'll both miss him dearly but wish him well in his adventure.

After Ross boarded a bus for the airport in Charleston we left this wonderful city ourselves and cruised 70 miles north to Georgetown, SC, inching our way ever closer to the crystal clear waters of northern Michigan.

Charleston, SC – 4/15-19/06

We spent many days walking or busing around Charleston to see all the amazing houses and parks. We visited Ft. Sumter Easter Sunday and then came back to the boat and Ross cooked up a gourmet meal for us. It was a real treat for us to have him here with us for Easter.

Toms Pt. Creek, SC – 4/14/06

On our way to Charleston we anchored out one night so that Ross could experience the quiet and solitude that we find so precious. It was a very warm night a little buggy but very quiet and calm.

AGLCA Rendezvous, Beaufort, SC – 4/9-13/06

Arrived in Beaufort on Sunday afternoon. Took a tour of town and visited with other "Loopers". The AGLCA events started on Monday and went through Thursday night. We took part in seminars on the waterways north of SC and Canada. There was a cocktail party and dinner every night and the food was very southern and delicious. We reminisced with people who shared time with on the waterway and met many other Loopers we had not met yet.

Wednesday Ross met us in Beaufort to spend some time cruising with us for a week up to Charleston, SC, before he leaves for Peru, South America to spend a couple of years teaching kids english in Peru and snowboarding in Chile.

Savannah, GA – 4/6-8/06

We've had the pleasure to be in Savannah, GA for the last 3 days and what a great town it is. From it's inception the city was laid out with a park square every few blocks, 24 in all. Around the park squares many beautiful homes were built and plenty still survive today. The town was spared during the Civil War because the south surrendered the town to Union forces.

We saw the park that was used in the "Forest Gump" movie that Tom Hanks starred in. We also saw the Home and area that was written about in the novel, and hit movie, "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil". Lisa is now reading the book.

There is so much history here that 2 days exploring was not quite enough. We'll be back.

Tomorrow, Sunday, we are off to Beaufort, N.C. for the AGLCA Rendezvous. We will be joining up with many other Loopers that we have met while doing this trip. Lots of activities and food. The fun never stops.

Anchorages, GA – 4/4-5/06

Anchored Tuesday at New Teakettle and Wednesday at Herb Creek. Pristine, natural, beauty. Marsh land, quiet, peaceful but buggy. We have encountered our first bug problem since early on the river systems... sand gnats or fleas (no-see-ums?). We had a few of these in the Abacos but not this bad. Spring is here.

Brunswick, GA – 4/2-3/06

Spent a couple of days in Brunswick. A nice southern town with lots of old houses and buildings downtown. When they say that they are closed on Sundays... they are definitely closed for business. Town was like a ghost town, restaurants, everything.

Georgia On My Mind – 4/1/06

We anchored out our first night in Georgia off the Cumberland National Park where we had some dolphin visitors. Today we travelled past one of only a few U.S. submarine stations. Unfortunately we didn't see any subs. That would have been very cool.
We arrived at Jekyll Island, GA mid day. A beautiful day here, in the mid 80s and sunny as can be. This island is the former winter residences of some of the industrial revolutions wealthy. The state of Georgia bought the island in 1948 for $675,000 and has preserved a large number of the old winter estates. Kind of like an elegant Mackinaw Island without the snow.

Goodbye Florida... Hello Georgia – 3/31/06

As they told Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz... you're not in Kansas anymore – well we're not in Florida anymore either. After a remarkably educational, nature absorbing, sun enriched, guest packed 3 months. We left Florida on March 31st to the friendly, less expensive, confines of the Georgia ICW.

As we navigated the last few miles of Florida we were escorted by dolphins quite often and spotted the largest bald eagle we've ever seen.

St. Augustine, FL – 3/29-31/06

We just spent 3 great days at Oyster Creek Marina in St. Augustine, the oldest city in the U.S.A. Founded in 1567 there is a lot of history here. We enjoyed walking all over the city trying Cuban food and getting some much needed excercise.

Just down river from the marina is a Mainship builder. Jim went for a tour today and learned a lot about how some of these boats are put together.

We're starting to experience larger tides – 6 feet from high to low tide making navigation more of a challenge.

Tomorrow, Friday we head further north to anchor at Cumberland Island. Soon we will leave Florida and enter Georgia for the next week.

New Smyrna to St. Augustine, FL – 3/28/06

The river scenery has been surprisingly beautiful. The stretch from New Smyrna to St. Augustine was a nice change from the asphalt jungle of southern Florida.

Grandpa Larry and Donna Make Their Way to Kismet in New Smyrna, FL 3/27/06

Our last guests, for a while, Jim's Grandpa and his wife Donna came over from Mt. Dora, FL. We had fun catching up with each other, telling stories and jokes. It was a treasured visit for us.

Looks like the end of company for a while as we continue to head north. We plan to be in Beaufort, SC for a "Looper" rendevous April 9th. We are looking forward to meeting up with a lot of people we have met on this incredible journey so far.


We are staying another night in New Smyrna and will head for St. Augustine, FL early tomorrow morning.

Coco to New Smryna, FL - 3/26/06

Sunday we took off from Coco for New Smyrna Beach where we heard there was a city dock, no power or water but it is free.

It was a beautiful cruise, lots of natural beauty and people out for a Sunday afternoon of fishing and fun. This part of Florida has captured our interest. It is so unlike the southern part of Florida along the ICW.

We picked up 6 weeks worth of mail that was held for us here. We look forward to mail day, as you can imagine, especially when it has been held for so long. Letters from friends, magazines etc. Mail days are fun.

John & Terri - 3/25/06

It really is a small world! As we were cruising north we phoned the Andersons, who are staying at a friends condo in Melbourne, FL on the ICW. They watched as we passed to anchor out on the Banana River at the base of Merritt Island. They joined us the next day when we docked in Coco. It was a fun filled evening of conversation and dinner out.

Teegarden's Visit Kismet - Vero Beach, FL 3/22-23/06

After much planning and scheming we were in an area close enough for Jim and Janice, during their vacation in FL., to drive from their condo in Ft. Lauderdale to where we were docked in Vero Beach. They spent the night and it was sooooo good to see them.

Surprise Visit from Jeff and Denise - Stuart, FL 3/20/06

We spent a couple of extra days in Stuart getting a fuel pump fixed and were able to connect with our friends from Charlevoix who were down visiting relatives in Sebring. Jeff and Denise drove over to the marina where we were on a mooring ball and stayed for drinks and dinner. It was just like being on the boat in Charlevoix.

Jimmy & Christina Litz – Wedding 3/18/06

Jimmy & Christina Litz

Barbara Jean Targal

Gina & Mart Targal

The Targal family

Lisa & Skyler

Jim Favors & Skyler Nelles

Jem Targal & Lisa Targal Favors

The bride was beautiful, the groom handsome. They are obviously very happy and in love. We all celebrated like crazy. The Targal family danced up a storm with, at one point, Barby doing the "Tootsie Roll" with Skyler. We were all sad that our dad, Kami Targal, could not be here with us all. We will all remember being together this weekend and helping this young couple start their new lives together.

Back to Tarpon Springs for a Wedding 3/16-19/06

We left the boat on a mooring ball in Stuart, FL and rented a car to drive across state to attend the wedding of Jimmy Litz and Christina Targal, our niece. We stayed at Lisa's brother Mart's house in Dunedin. Skyler joined us there along with brothers Ken and Malinda and Jem and his son Jay. We had not seen our son Skyler since we left on our trip back in September. We were looking forward to this reunion. Lisa's mother, Barby has been staying at Mart and Gina's since the beginning of the year and it was wonderful to see her again as well. We had 4 days of fun and laughs.

Looking Back and Forward 3/15/06

We find it hard to believe we've been away from most family and friends for 6 months now. We've traveled from the 45th parallel and as far east as 77º.

We had a grand time exploring along the way. Too much to see and not enough time. Who would have thought.

We made it back from the Abacos on Monday. We left at 7:00 am for the 55 mile trip directly west to the Lake Worth inlet. The seas were 3-5' and manageable. It took up to 3 hours. The roughest seas were coming into the inlet to the lake from the ocean. We cleared customs and spent the balance of the day cleaning ourselves, the boat inside and out and 3 weeks worth of laundry. Needless to say we did not do much work while in the islands.

The bittersweet news... we started our 3 1/2 month trip back to northern Michigan yesterday. Bitter in that we really only have 3 1/2 months to visit the entire east coast. The sweet is that we'll be seeing family and friends along the way (where were they all when we came down the river system?) which makes the trip more meaningful and the best will be when we get back to wonderful northern Michigan.

Return to Old Bahama Bay Marina, Grand Bahama Is. 3/11-13/06

We are waiting here for our return trip to the states.

Return to Green Turtle Cay, Black Sound and Great Sale Cay 3/8-11/06

Heading back to the states.

More Fun in Hope Town with Friends

... and a final wave goodbye from Jean and Gary.

Fun in Hope Town with Friends

Sharks, Stingrays & Dolphins Oh My... 3/05/06

... and we are not talking about our friends either. As we've been in the Bahamas we've seen them all, but more importantly we've had the great pleasure of spending time with friends Rick and Gary and Jean.

Rick, who spends a lot of time in Hope Town, rented a runabout for two days and was the perfect guide for us Abaco newbies. We zipped from island to island around the Hope Town area and covered a lot of territory in those two days. The first day the water was smooth like glass and it was like we were flying over the water. Starfish everywhere and an occasional shark. The coral reefs and the turquoise water were spectacular. The first day we visited Baker's Bay, Paradise Cay, Man-O-War Cay and Guana Cay where we had lunch at Nippers on the ocean. Day two we visited Marsh Harbor, Jean and Lisa did a little shopping and met the guys at the Moorings Marina for drinks. Then more sightseeing around Boat Harbor Marina, in the boat, with a stop for lunch at Cracker Ps in Lubber's Quarters. Then more sightseeing and stopping for drinks at the Abaco Inn. It's great spending time with friends.

Hope Town 2/28/06

Incredible, charming, warm and colorful, Hope Town is our favorite place so far.

We lucked out. We were able to secure a slip at Hope Town Marina for a week at a decent rate. It is right in the harbor across from town. Every morning at 8:15 there is a broadcast VHF radio called "Cruiser's Net." They talk about the weather and if it is safe to cross any of the passages. You hear all the local events that are going on and just about anything anyone wants to contribute.

Green Turtle Cay 2/25-28/06

We left Spanish Cay early Friday morning so that we could get a little ahead of some bad weather coming this way. We wanted to make sure we didn't get stuck too far away from Hope Town where we are meeting friends on March 1st. We stayed at, and fell in love with, Green Turtle Cay Club in White Sound. Just a short walk, over a hill on the northern side of the island, to the ocean. Excellent restaurant and everything is clean, well run and maintained. We spent the afternoon, before we left, in the small town in Black sound where we picked up some lobster and visited other Loopers who were on mooring balls there. The wind storm caught up to us on Saturday and we were glad to be tucked away in a safe, well protected, harbor. We stayed a little longer than we had hoped, waiting for a good day to cross over the Whale Cay Passage.

Whale Cay Passage is a, sometimes treacherous, cut between the Atlantic Ocean and the Sea of Abaco. In certain conditions, this pass can easily develop a "rage" of 8-10-foot seas. We had hoped to visit a few more places before Hope Town like Marsh Harbor and a few anchorages but figured we could catch those on the way back. Tuesday looked like the day to go and we had a good crossing and were glad we got to Hope Town when we did.

Spanish Cay 2/24/06

The weather has shifted toward a cold stormy spell but not much rain, pretty windy though. We found the marina on Spanish Cay charming and had a nice walk around the island which is privately owned. We had a relaxing day and decided to leave tomorrow to get further down before the storm really kicks in.

Great Sale Cay 2/23/06

Our first night anchored out brought us a cazillion stars. In the absence of artificial lights our star gazing was spectacular. Wish we could share that vision. Tomorrow we anchor at Allens/Pensecola Cay.

Grand Bahama Island 2/22/06

Old Bahama Bay Marina was a real treat. It is a very clean, well kept and managed. We enjoyed a swim in the pool and cocktails on the beach.

The waters in the Abacos are as clear as what we'd find in torch Lake or Lake Charlevoix except it is all only about 16 feet deep or less over about a 50 square mile area.

We left here late morning to go to Great Sale Cay to anchor out in paradise.

Crossing Over to the Bahamas 2/21/06

We had to wait 12 days before we were able to find an appropriate window to make our crossing to the Abacos Islands in the Bahamas and what a day it was. We had an ideal day with mostly calm waters – a great feeling after so much anticipation and sometimes anxiety. We left Fort Lauderdale at 6:30 am with S. winds of only 5 knots and waves of 2 feet or so. The ocean was calm, at times, as Lake Charlevoix during most summer days and much better than Lake Michigan's 2 footer's. It's hard to believe we are 110 miles from the U.S.A. out into the Atlantic Ocean.

We made it to the West End of Grand Bahama Island, arrived at Old Bahama Bay Marina by 2 pm and this place is the nicest overall place we've stayed during our trip. The bad news is gas is $4.05 and we are the smallest boat in the marina.

Fort Lauderdale 2/16-20/06

Staying at Cooley's Landing right downtown. A couple other "Loopers" are staying here as well. We will be waiting here for a good weather opportunity to cross over to the Abacos. Looks like tomorrow (Tuesday) is the day.

The Miami Boat Show, FL 2/17/06

We took a 2 1/2 hr bus ride (both ways) to Miami to see the boat show. Wow, a boater's dream. Saw a couple of other "Loopers" there as well as our friend, John Anderson. Jim and I lusted after a few of the boats there.

Riviera Beach to Fort Lauderdale 2/16/06

Perfect weather for a scenic cruise down the ICW.

Riviera, FL 2/9-16/06

We stayed at Riviera Beach Marina in Riviera Beach for a week. Lots of music at the restaraunt/bar and a spot close by to see the manatees.

Extreme Makeover, FL 2/14/06

We rented a car today and visited the set of The Extreme Makeover" show in a neighborhood nearby. It was amazing to witness how many people work to build an incredible house for someone in need. We had a valentine's lunch in Palm Beach and did some errands.

The Manatees Are Big!

We went back and got some Manatee pics.

The Borers Visit Kismet, FL 2/9-10/06

Our Traverse City friends Mike and Lynn Borer visited with us on Thursday – Our first overnight guests on the trip. We had great fun catching up on everything at home and what is new with them. We went on an dingy exploration ride of the area and came across a school of Manatees close to the marina. They swam all around our dingy. Believe it or not Lisa forgot the camera so we will go back and get photos before we leave here.

Cruising Through Lake Okeechobee, FL 2/6-9/06

We've all seen that large lake in the middle of Southern Florida called Lake Okeechobee – It's about 25 to 35 miles across. From Fort Myers we took the Caloosahatchee River to Lake Okeechobee. We passed some of the prettiest scenery we have seen so far. We are surprised that we had not heard about the unusual beauty of this area. When you are out of the city it is a lot of wilderness and farms on the river. We saw birds, turtles, horses, cows, flying fish and believe it or not a CAMEL.

We went through last 5 locks, for a while, during this stretch at least until we are in New York.

We came out on the east coast of Florida at Stuart spent one night on a mooring ball and then headed south, on the ICW south, to Lake Worth. We are spending a week here at the Riviera Beach Marina awaiting good weather so that we can cross over to the Abacos Islands.

Facts and Figures

We were recently asked by one of our boating friends, who follows our blog on a regular basis, about the facts and figures of our trip. Here we go...

We've been on the water for 4 1/2 months and we've traveled about 2,800 miles at an average of 622 miles per month or 155 miles per week. During this time we've put 242 hours on our engines – so, this would mean we've averaged about 12 miles an hour. We've gone through 2,700 gallons of gas at an average cost of $2.82 per gallon. The gas used would also include that which was used while we were at anchorage. We run the generator about 3 or 4 hours each day on the hook. Of the 138 days we've been on the water we've stayed at a marina 108 days at an average cost of $29.35 per day and 30 days at anchorage or a free dock. We've had 16 pumpouts, 10 of them free while the other 6 we paid an average of $6.00 each. This all averages out to $79.76 per day.

Now, this does not include food or other normal daily expenses but one would have these expenses whether at home or on the boat. So, all in all we think it a reasonable cost to be able to travel and explore this great country of ours.

Fort Myers – Edison & Ford Summer Homes

In 1885 Thomas Edison purchased 15 acres of waterfront property in the newly created Fort Myers for $2,030 – What vision. At a 5% annual growth rate this would equal $708,291 today and that, I'm afraid, would hardly buy a small waterfront in today's market. That's what I call genius. The side by side Edison and Ford winter estates are a national treasure of two of America's greatest individuals. A worthwhile stop for anyone who visits the Fort Myers area.

Ft. Myers Yacht Basin Looper Party – 01-25-06

There was a get-together of "Loopers" at the Fort Myers Yacht Basin today. Forty to fifty people showed up. Jim wrote the following to describe the experience:

At the Fort Myers Yacht Basin, "Otherwise" known as the City Marina, there was a get-together of past, current and future Loopers for drinks and appetizers. There was about 50 Loopers in attendance and the drinks were "Running Free" as we had a "Grand Start" at 4pm with a full "Diamond Sun". As things got going we all could all see that it was an absolute "Dee Light", we'd say "Almost Perfect". With all the Loopers gathered together it felt like a "Kindred Spirit". We had hors d'oeuvres by "Tanuki", "Sonsie of Meaford", "Roy El" and flowers by "Loriel". We all wanted to sing a "Starsong" because many of the Loopers felt like a "Free Bird" sunning with a "Sea Lyon". So, we watched "Mamacita" rebuild a "Windless". "Rosetta" brought a "Dreamcatcher" to catch the rays from the "Sunrise" but someone rang the "Liberty Bell" for the party to end. All in all I'd say the event was a double "Kismet"

Unless you are a Looper and know a few of these boaters none of this would make any sense. But that's okay. It was a good time.

Friends from Home Visit Kismet-January, 2006

We had several visits from friends back home this month. Last week our friends Chet and Betty Swanson drove to Fort Myers to take us out to lunch and look at boats since Chet has recently sold theirs and he is boat shopping again. It was fun to see some different kinds of boats.

Mike Gardyko visited us for lunch one day while he was in Fort Myers on business. We were pretty excited to see him and spend a short time with him.

We also made a visit to Pine Island when we had rented a car and ran into our old friends Chuck and Nancy Koucky at the home/studio on the island. We also got together on the boat after that to catch up on our lives since it has been a while since we have seen them.

Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary – Fort Myers, FL – 01-22-06

Today we visited the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. It is a fantastic boardwalk through a natural swamp area where a lot of wildlife seeks sanctuary. We didn't see a lot but we did see some birds several alligators, as well as baby alligators, and a tortoise.

Bike Night – Fort Myers – 01-21-06

Every other month Fort Myers has an event called "Bike Night". Thousands (4-5 we estimate) of bikers congregate throughout the streets of downtown to celebrate what they love.Three to four live bands added to the festivities as well as food stands and biker paraphernalia. This seemed similar to Traverse City's Friday Night Live but with a definate theme and bigger. Lots of fun.

Having Fun in Fort Myers – 01-06

Road Trip – Circus Fun in Sarasota, FL - 1/14/06

Today we rented a car and drove up to Sarasota to visit the Ringling Art Museum and estate. The art museum has been open since 1930 with about 600 master's pieces from around the world. There is a beautiful estate home built in 1924 open for touring – great to see how the really wealthy lived – a rose garden that was started in 1909. The best part for us was a brand new building called the Tibbals Learning Center. This is a two story structure devoted exclusively to the history of the circus going back to Greek times. On the first floor a miniature circus display of what a circus was like 80 years ago when they came into town by train and marched thru town....does anyone remember this ??? It includes miniatures of everything a traveling circus would have from all the train cars it took to load up the animals, people, wagons, tents and supplies to all the tents used for the shows and all the backstage tents and equipment. $15 per person and worth every penny.

Marina Fire – Fort Myers, FL 1/10/06

Lots of excitement at the Ft Myers Yacht Basin Marina this morning. There was a massive explosion at the gas dock. A 36 foot power boat burned beyond recognition and only about 3 feet of the bow are visible in the water. The boat had just taken on 100 gallons of gasoline this A.M. Apparently there was a large leak within the bilge. Gas was also seen on the surface of the water around the boat. The boat exploded when they were starting it up. One person was blown off and another jumped off the boat. Many of the boats situated around the burning one made hasty exits while an 80 footer had trouble getting it's engines started and backing out of the marina. It was basically chased down the dock by a huge ball of fire as the burning boat moved with the current on the outside of the gas dock. Many minutes after the fire on the boat was contained with only smoke remaining a second flash fire started on the dock and the water.The only good news is that their were no major injuries or more boats damaged.

Bacaruda Sighting – Fort Myers, FL 1/09/06

We took a dingy ride today across the Caloosahatchee River around some of the canals along the north shore. On our way back to our marina we were checking out the boat slips to see if there was anyone we knew but hadn't seen yet. That is when we encountered "Bacaruda". This is the boat that Dale and Linda Miller, from Seattle, WA, owned. They were the people who inspired and encouraged us to do this trip. The last time we talked with them they were in Ft. Myers getting ready to have a project done on their boat then we lost touch. The boat sits here empty now but we did hear that it had just sold.

Fort Myers, FL 1/04/06

We arrived short of supplies, in need of a decent shower and laundry facilities. The boat was so dirty we could hardly stand it. We think one of us is shedding or maybe it is that new rug we bought for the salon. Hope so.

On our first walk along the waterfront we stopped at Centennial Marina to look up another boater, Marv Market on Dee Light, who we had corresponded with near the beginning of our trip. We found him and Betty on the boat and enjoyed a visit with them. They are very friendly and offered us a car for a day to go shopping and take care of a couple of appointments.

Later tonight we heard about a "Looper" get-together at Joe's Crab Shack for cocktails and dinner. When we arrived we were surprised to find about 25 "Loopers" congregated in the bar. We found a few familiar faces, "Pilgrim" and "We Be Blest" and met many more "Loopers" by the end of the night. We pulled together several tables to make one long one to accommodate all of us. It is just amazing how many people are doing this trip and how incredibly friendly everyone is.

On the Move to Fort Myers, FL 12/30/05 to 01/04/06

We left Tarpon Springs early Friday morning to meet up with Wade and Susie on "Miss Happ". We planned to cruise down the coast together, for 5 days, toward Fort Myers where we would part ways until spring when hopefully we will meet up again at some point. They are headed to the Keys and we are headed across Lake Ockeechobee hopefully toward the Abacos.

We anchored most nights except for one when a boating friend of Wades helped us secure a spot on a free dock in Venice. The dock was a nice stop so that we could get out and walk and go out for dinner. The anchorages were fun as well. The first night we anchored near Bradenton, the second at Cape Haze, the third was the free dock in Venice and our final stop was at Cape Coral. Wednesday it was a short hop into Fort Myers to stay right downtown at City of Ft. Myers Yacht Basin Marina.

Leaving Tarpon Springs – More Photos

We loved Tarpon Springs. One of our favorite stops. We spent a week here at this little city marina and loved every minute of it

Tarpon Springs 12/24-28/05

We are in Tarpon Springs. Has been warm and sunny here. What a good stop for us. Great food and friendly people. It’s like being in Greece. We can hear the Greek music from our slip. We leave here next Thursday. We had a fun visit from John and Terri Anderson for a Greek lunch on Monday. So good to see old friends from home.

Our niece, Christina, came to spend part of her day off with us. We mostly hung out on the boat and later in the afternoon she drove us to the library to get internet access. Then we went to Hella's for Greek salads and Gyros.

Christmas 12/25/05

We spent the day on the boat catching up on things and calling relatives. Lisa's brother Mart, who lives in Dunedin, picked us up this afternoon to take us to their house for Christmas dinner. We had a wonderful time and are happy that our timing brought us to this stop during the holidays so that we could be with family.

Crossing the Gulf 12/23/05

We crossed the Gulf today after waiting several days in Carrabelle. We had beautiful weather. Only 1-3 ft. waves. The hardest part was looking for the crab pots as we approached Tarpon Springs. We are staying at the Tarpon Springs Municipal Marina right on the sponge docks.

Still in Carrabelle - 12-22-05

Still here waiting to cross the gulf. Looks like early tomorrow morning (Friday) we finally leave here for Tarpon springs. There will be 4-5 boats leaving at the same time to make the trip together. Safety in numbers.

Jim is Thinking Maybe he Should Go Back to Work

Carrabelle, Florida 12/19/05

A beautiful day to drive to Carrabelle today. We arrived early afternoon. There are at least 4-5 other "Loopers" here waiting to cross the Gulf. We are all watching the weather closely for wind and wave height for the optimal crossing day. Earlier today it looked like tomorrow would be the day but this evening when a bunch of us were at dinner it started to sound like the weather for tomorrow was changing. We will check again in the morning but it doesn't sound good. We will be leaving with at least 2 other boats that are going the same direction and speed that we are. When we do go we will leave about 6:00am and arrive in Tarpon Springs before sunset.

Apalachacola, Florida 12/17-18/05

A long, gray day cruising in cold drizzling rain. We made Apalachaicola at sunset and joined our friends Wade and Suzie and some boater friends of theirs at Papa Joe's Oyster Bar. Tried fried oysters for the first time and we really liked them. The next day we walked into town did some window shopping and stocked up at the grocery store. We leave Monday morning for Carrabelle where we will wait for a weather window to cross the Gulf to Tarpon Springs, FL.

Panama City, Florida 12/14-17/05

We arrived in Panama City Wednesday afternoon. We got settled and Lisa's Cousin Norma and her husband Herb came to pick us up. They took us to their condo on Panama Beach for the night. We had an incredible dinner and evening of fun. Thursday night they came to the boat for dinner. Friday we went Christmas shopping downtown and went back to Herb and Norma's again for dinner this time with another cousin Pat and her husband Jerry. Herb and Norma were such gracious hosts to us during our stay in Panama City. They made themselves totally available to help us get around not to mention the wonderful meals Norma prepared.

Ft. Walton Free Dock, Florida 12/13/05

On our way to anchor for the night just past Destin we were just passing Ft. Walton and noticed another "Looper" tied up to a little dock. We checked it out and found out that it was a free dock with a pump out but no power. Beautiful new docks right in town. We spent the night and went downtown for dinner with a couple of other "Loopers". The park next to the dock was heavily decorated with Christmas lights.

On our way to Panama City we saw a lot of dolphins swimming along with us like they were playing with the boat. We also saw the Blue Angels flying overhead on and off during the day.

Fairhope to Ingram Bayou, Alabama 12/12/05

Today we head out on the water again to Ingram Bayou off the ICW. We enjoyed an anchorage there with a couple of other sailboats. We are headed toward Panama City to visit relatives. Enjoyed an anchorage off the ICW with a couple of other sailboats.

Fairhope, Alabama 12/08/05

We got up this morning and though the weather forecast looked grim with gale winds and thunderstorms it was quite calm so we called the marina in Fairhope to see how the water was there and they assured us that it was not windy yet. Since we were so close we decided to go before the wind kicked up. Mobile Bay is only at the most 12' deep except for the shipping channel. You do not want to cross here when it is choppy out.

We had a great crossing and arrived at the marina late morning. Our friends Wade and Susie from MissHapp were still here and a couple of other boaters we have met along the way.

We had heard about Fairhope from Mike & Carol Gordon whom we met while at Burnham Harbor in Chicago. They have been angels to us during our stay here. Many rides to and from town and a lovely evening at their cozy home and dinner downtown. They even loaded us up with a stack of books to read from their library. You sure can't beat that southern hospitality.

Anchorage - Mile 10 12/07/05

Everyone left Bobby's Fish Camp this morning and lined up at the last loc,k for us, until Lake Okeechobee, FL. Since we took our time we lost track of those ahead who went on into Dog River just past Mobile. We opted to anchor just 10 miles north of Mobile and as we were radioing to those ahead of us we got a surprise call from Kip on Aanoosh. He had heard us on the radio and told us where he was anchored. It was close to where we were so we joined him on mile 10 just east off the river from where the Amtrak accident happened years ago.

We had Kip over for dinner and had a great time getting to know him better. Kip is traveling with 3 dogs and a cat on a 30' sailboat.

Bobby's Fish Camp 12/06/05

We left Demopolis in the dark about 6:30 this morning. 28º with frost all over the boat. Jim lifted a line off the bow of the boat and it looked like a gigantic, frozen, pretzel. We left here with about 6 other boats. Family Matters, Silk Purse, Destination Unknown, Morgan and Joyuss. We followed each other down the river in a cold, cold fog.

Our destination was Bobby's Fish Camp. Just a dock on the river to tie up to and when there are this many boats we raft off each other. Most of the year this is a camp and stopping place for fisherman on the river. They have a restaurant there which boasts the best catfish on the river. This time of year they are closed during the week but when we went through the Coffeeville Lock the Lock Master radioed all of us to say that he would call Bobby's to see if they would open it up for us since there were so many of us. Not long after we arrived and got tied up we were in the restaurant ordering our catfish dinner. There was quite a crowd as a couple of other boats showed in addition to the ones we traveled with. A good time was had by all.

PHOTOS COMING SOON - CHECK BACK

Columbus to Demopolis, AL 12/01-06/05

Arrived in Columbus, AL Thursday night and stayed until Saturday morning. Headed for Demopolis, AL we spent one night anchored out. The weather suddenly warmed up and we had a summerlike night including a warm day to travel down the river to the marina. This whole area is very remote. Lots of fishing camps and fishing boats along the way. Again this portion of the river has a personality all its own.

We met several boats already docked at Demopolis that we had met in Tennessee, Family Matters, Wings and Silk Purse. Some of us got together to play a boat game, have dessert and discuss future route plans.

This morning we went into town early to pick up our mail and visit the library to get and send emails. We will be headed down the Tombigbee River towards Bobby's Fish Camp tomorrow early morning.

Tennessee Tombigbee Waterway - Columbus, MS 12/02/05

Arrived in Columbus, MS yesterday afternoon. We decided to stay an extra day to grocery shop and relax a little. It is exciting to be cruising but after 3 full days it is nice to sit an absorb our surroundings. We ran into the Brown's on "Act II" whom we met at Grand Harbor. We enjoyed an incredible dinner at a local restaurant and appreciated each other's company. Jim cleaned the boat today while Lisa brought the website and blog up to date.

We leave tomorrow morning for Demopolis, Alabama. We will probably anchor out one or two nights. Depends on the temperature and weather. We don't like to leave the generator on while we sleep and it has gotten pretty cold at night here. In the 30s a lot lately. Wednesday we woke up to frost on our windows.

Tennessee Tombigbee Waterway - Smithville, MS - 11/30/05

Went through 3 locks today. The biggest one yet going down 84 feet. Spending the night at a little, tiny marina in Smithville near Wilkin Lock. We passed an eagle preserve today and had a close up view of one as we went by. We hope to get to Columbus, MS tomorrow.

Tennessee Tombigbee Waterway - Bay Springs, MS - 11/29/05

Today we only passed two boats on the water. The first was a paddle boat who was stuck near the shore. The captain radioed us to see if we would pass him fast to give a big wake to lift him off the bank he was stuck on. We did this about 3 times without success. Later in the day when turning a bend in the divide portion of the river we spotted a strange looking black object ahead. Upon further investigation we realized that it was a totally black schooner sailboat, very much like a pirate boat. All charcoal black except for the sails and flag. We docked for the night off Bay Springs lake at Bay Springs Marina.

Aqua Harbor, Iuka, MS & Back on the River - 11/29/05

We arrived yesterday in the middle of a downpour of rain. Had the boat hauled out and both props were damaged, one a little more than the other. They put us back in the water, at the transient dock, for the night. We are just waiting this morning for them to pull us back out again and put them back on. Then we will be on our way back down the Tennessee Tombigbee Waterway on a glorious morning.

Grand Harbor, Oxford, MS 11/26/05

We used the marina car today to take a side trip to Oxford, Ms. Home of "Ole Miss". A charming college town. We had a great lunch downtown and spent time in a few bookstores. We bought some sprigs of berries to put on our christmas tree. Visited Rowan Oak, William Faulkner's home.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING from Kismet in Pickwick Dam, Counce, TN 11/24/05

Pickwick Dam, Counce, TN 11/22/05

STILL HERE! We were to leave Grand Harbor last Sunday but we decided to extend our stay another 12 days or so.
Wishing everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.

Grand Harbor Marine, Pickwick Dam, Counce, TN 11/11/05

We drove to Tupelo, Mississippi today. It is the birthplace of Elvis Presley. The highlight of this excursion was the Tupelo Automotive Museum. A private collection of over 135 cars from an 1888 Benz to a 1994 Viper. It was one of the finest all around displays we've ever seen. They had almost 10 vehicles from each decade. Everything from a Sears, Hupmobile, Pierce Arrow, Cord, Ford, Chevy, Tucker, Masserati and more. We've included a picture of a car we've never heard of before... a 1905 Delauney Belleville, a Lagonda and a shot that gives a broader feel to the museum if you ever get to Tupelo this is a must stop.

Grand Harbor Marine, Pickwick Dam, Counce, TN 11/08/05

Yes, we are still here. We have watched the leaves turn color here and watched them fall. We had a cold spell for about a week and now it is in the 70s or 80s and warm nights again.

We just got back from a 3 day trip to Nashville where we stayed at a wonderful Bed and Breakfast "Daisy Hill" in a charming Tudor house situated close to everything. We visited the Hermitage and the Ryman Theatre. We went to some great restaurants. We really enjoyed Nashville and a small town south of there called Franklin.

More Photos

Shiloh and Grand Harbor Marina

More Photos

Memphis & Graceland

Grand Harbor Marine, Counce, TN 10/21/05

Kismet is at Grand Harbor Marina - on the borders of Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama - for an extended stay. The price is right. Great place to take side trips from. It is more like a resort than a marina. Very professionally managed with condo units adjacent, pool (closed), excercise room, and boater's lounge. Again, like Burnham Harbor in Chicago, Reefport Marina in Peoria, Alton Marina in Alton, IL this marina is absolutely overflowing with boats but in the week we have been here we hardly see anyone. It is like we have the whole marina to ourselves and a few other "Loopers". No one on our dock but one couple last weekend. We never see anyone in the showers and lounge and there are always plenty of courtesy cars available since... no one is here!

We rented a car to take some extended day trips. We ventured into Memphis on the first day where we drove up to Graceland, just for a photo opportunit. Lisa had never been there before. Not what she had expected. We tried to go to the Civil Rights Museum, but it was closed. We did see the site where Martin Luther King was assassinated. We visited a place called Slave Haven. This was a place used as an underground railroad during the 1800s to help slaves find freedom. We were the only people there at the time and got a one-on-one tour with the guide. Needles to say we learned a great deal about the misdeeds of generations past. Memphis is a nice city. the next day we went to Shiloh Civil War Park. This was the site of one of the bloodiest battles during the war... The battles lasted 2 days and there were 10,000 deaths and a total of 24,000 casualties. A battle fought on 40,000 acres just beside the Tennessee River. Again we learned a great deal about our country's history.

Tennessee Anchorages - 10/18-19-20/05

Ginger Bay, Denson and Diamond Islands. All great, secluded, spots. We love to anchor out. It is so peaceful and quiet. We have heard what sounds like prehistoric bird sounds and a coyote howling to a full moon. The sun risings and settings have been awesome. All three of these mornings, in the most remote of spots, we woke up to fishermen right outside the back door of our boat. They are everywhere on the rivers. Not clustered together but spread out evenly all up and down the rivers. They all have their special spots. The morning we were at Diamond Island, what a surprise to wake up to a drop in the river of about 4-5 feet. Good thing it was plenty deep there for our boat.

Mosquitoes, Spiders & Flies... Oh My!!!

They have bugs here that look like large mosquitoes but they don't seem to bite or make a noise. There are zillions of them though.

Spiders are everywhere for boaters. Don't look up at night or walk under dirty marina roofs. Shake out the towels or anything else left outside before it comes back in the boat.

Hurry in and out the door, don't let the flies in. The flies...they are sneaky, they hitch a ride on your back as you dart in and out, so do it quickly and shut the door fast. Then get out the fly swatter and go to work.

Green Turtle Bay Marina-Barkley Lake, Kentucky 10/15/05

We decided to spend a week at the Green Turtle Bay Marina, on Barkley Lake, Kentucky. A nice full service marina. We arrived on Tuesday. The boat needed to be cleaned in the worst way and we needed to get out and stretch our legs. The marina is in a beautiful park like setting, nice for taking long walks. There are some huge houseboats here. They are like 2 story houses. Real party boats.
A charming small town, Grand Rivers, is nearby, about a one-mile walk.

And yes... there are green turtles here... Lots of them in a small pond just next to the marina.

This is the first time we have seen more than a handful of "Loopers" in one spot. Must be 10-20 boats in all. We all came together, on the very nice gas dock/patio, for cocktails and exchange of boat cards and many stories about the rivers and many boat problems. That night we went to dinner with Todd on "Egress" and Wade and Suzi, on "Miss Happ", we had shared some some tie up and anchorage spots with them. It was Wade and Suzi's anniversary, they asked us all to join them at the restaurant, in town, called "Patti's" to celebrate. Their specialty was a 2" pork chop and it was tasty. Also Jim says that the peach pie was the best he has EVER had.

We are enjoying this stop immensely.

Mississippi - Ohio - Cumberland Rivers 10/09-11/05

We've seen the water raise about 6 feet since we've been on the Mississippi. Since our last posting we've anchored out two nights. Our last night on the Mississippi we spent just north of the mouth of the Ohio River near Cairo. As we anchored at the entrance of the inlet the river current was zipping by at about 4-5 miles and hour. The next night we anchored on the Ohio River at the mouth of the Cumberland River at Toehead Island. The next day we saw another flood wall in Cairo similar to Cape Girardeau. After our stay at Towhead we both felt a bit ragged having been by ourselves on the boat for so long. We were wondering if our water and holding tank were going to last until we made the next marina. They did.

Mississippi River - Cape Girardeau - 10/08/05

From Hoppies to Barkley Lake there are no marinas. So you have to be somewhat creative about finding spots to tie up or anchor. We mostly rely on other boaters for this information and of course Fern gave us a lot of suggestions. From Hoppies we went to Cape Girardeau. We had heard that a guy named Neal had moved an old barge right to the downtown shoreline for boats to tie up to. We called him ahead of time and made arrangements to spend the night there. It was different. Very rocky and noisy with the water splashing all around our boat and pretty big waves when a tow and barge would go through. Floating logs would often hit our boat as they raced down the river. Nice town, nice people. A major, 20 ft. high, flood wall, with huge doors, protects the city when the river rises in the spring. The town has beautifully painted murals depicting much of this town's history on both side of the walls. Before we left the next morning Lisa was able to get a wifi signal just on the other side of the wall so that we could send and receive email and update this blog. All was good.

Mississippi River - 10/06/05

Today we're tied up to a barge, on the Missouri side, in the Mississippi River called "Hoppies". We missed the famous "Pie Lady" in the North Channel when she retired but we were able to visit "Hoppies" before Hoppie and Fern give it up. It is a down home, "glad to meet you" kind of place. We walked into the small town of Kimmswick. It has the feel of an old west town. It has an old metal bridge that was built in 1856, lots of gift stores and many friendly people.

At 4:30 every day Fern has all the boaters, who are headed further down the river, grab their chart books, paper and pens to sit down with her while she passes along pertinent information about conditions on the river going south down the Mississippi, Ohio and Tennessee Rivers. She told us of the rough spots, the hidden dangers, the places to anchor and not. We learned about how the river can rise 3-4 ft overnight and about wing dams and why certain spots are so turbulent. There were 5 boats represented and everyone was busy jotting down every word she said. All this for the price of one night's dockage. I think many of us became more conscience of the dangers that, until now, we blissfully ignored. It was a restless night's sleep for us and a little anxiety began to surface as we digested Fern's warnings and instructions. the next morning we heard that other boater's were affected the same way.

I think at this most unusual place we became aware of how incredible circumstances had brought all of these people, from all walks of life, to venture out on their boats, of many shapes and sizes, to travel on these rivers and grab a bit of adventure and see a small part of the world. Here, we all converged to share in this unique experience along side a barge, on the banks of a very small town, as the guests of Hoppie and Fern.

Mississippi River - 10/05/05

As we make our way down the Mississippi we head to Alton. A charming town on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River. We had a refreshing dip in the pool at the city marina then headed for town for burgers and on to check out the library for WiFi possibilities. None available there but we were directed to a coffee house closer to the marina.

St. Louis - Dorothy & Benjamin

No, these are not "little Jim & Lisa's" they are figures of Dorothy and Benjamin Croissant, our dear neighbors at our old Wenonah St house. They were created by Dorothy and Benjamin as a going away present to us so that we could take "them" on the trip with us.

Illinois River - 10/03/05

We picked up our mail in Grafton, IL this morning and headed up the Mississippi to a Marina that is able to do mechanical work on boats. We have been experiencing a noise in our transmission which has gotten worse. They diagnosed the problem today and ordered parts. Did not have to have the boat hauled out.

We are going to use their van to go into St. Louis tomorrow for some sight seeing, grocery shopping and visit a library to access email etc. We should be back on the water by Wednesday or Thursday hopefully.

Illinois River - 10/02/05

Today marks our last day of adventure on the Illinois River. We've seen great American Industry, tug boat/barge traffic, navigated 8 locks and about 40 bridges. We've seen wonderful nature in the interior of Illinois. We've even seen a deer swimming across the river in front of us today. We've met people from all walks of life including a fellow from R.I. who is single handedly doing the loop on his sailboat - well almost single handedly... he has help from his 3 small collies and one cat. It is interesting how easy it is to make new friends.

The last two nights we anchored near islands right off the Illinois River and have usually had the company of fellow boaters who are also on the loop. Today we tied up early to a dock in the small town of Hardin, IL. This dock is outside of a popular restaurant we have heard about from other "Loopers". The brisket is to die for we hear. Well, we will find out tonight. While we were having lunch on back of the boat, just after we tied up, a big helicopter flew right over our boat and landed about 100 feet from our boat. They had landed there to have lunch at this restaurant. We found out later that Mr. Busch (Beer) was the passenger.

As we sit here in Hardin it is 89º and humid.

Monday we pick up our first mail drop in Grafton, Illinois and onto the great Mississippi for the next leg of our journey – about 210 miles south until we head east on the Ohio River.

Illinois River - 9/30/05

We left Peoria yesterday. We are headed down the Illinois with a couple of sailboats, "Indigo Lady" and "Aanoosh" and a tug boat, "We Be Blest". We all anchored at the same spot, Snicarte Island, just off a bend in the river. Not too much time to visit with each other after getting anchored and fed for the night. It gets dark so early now. This is the first night we encountered lots of mosquitoes. Had to close everything up to protect ourselves.

This spot was so quiet and so peaceful and then quite a bit after dark we started to see big spot lights out on the shore of the river. This went on for quite a while and we started to hear the drone of tug engines. Finally, maybe 1/2 an hour or so 2 big barges rounded the bend in the river. This was our entertainment for the evening believe it or not. There just isn't anything quite like anchoring out somewhere unknown. It may not be everyones thing to do but we are loving it.

I Know I Put That In Here Somewhere@

Illinois River - 9/27/05

We reached Peoria today after waiting out a dense fog in the morning. We are staying at a very nice marina, Eastport Marina, where we can do laundry and clean the boat etc. They had a courtesy car that we used to go into Peoria. We did some sightseeing and grocery shopping. We are going to stay here a few days to take a break from the river.

Illinois River - 9/26/05

We had only one lock to go through today. Still no barges with us in the locks. Only two other pleasure craft boats. The scenery is incredible. Lots of wildlife, cranes, egrets and white pelicans surrounding us all the way. It is our anniversary today. We settled in tonight at a little harbor, Hamm's Holiday Marina, just north of Peoria. We celebrated our 13 years together with a special dinner on the boat in this little harbor.

Calumet / Illinois Rivers - 9/24-25/05

We headed into the Calumet River this morning and had a full day of new boating experiences. The Calumet is an industrial area with lots of railroad bridges, tug boats with barges, locks and many factories. A great perpective when viewed from the river.

We hailed the bridges to have the low bridges raised. We went under about 20 or so that had only 4 feet of clearance and one with only 10 inches. Our first locking experience caught us by surprise. We did not know it was there and we were not prepared. We were both a little frazzled. We made it okay. Luckily we were the only boat going through. By the time we went through the lock outside Joliet we felt like old pros. The second lock had a drop of 48 feet and we were the only vessel in the lock. It is nice to practice with no no one else around to see us panic and hustle. We were also fortunate that since we started the river system on the weekend we have not run into a barge, or many other boats, while in the locks.

Saturday we stayed at a free dock in downtown Joliet. Very quiet and peaceful along the wall that is in front of a well kept park. Sunday we anchored out for the first time by Sheehan Island, (southwest side). Very calm night serenaded by frogs and other nature sounds.

Chicago To Hammond IN. - 9/23/05

We wanted to leave Chicago on Friday to head south to the Calumet River and start our river portion of the trip, however, weather intervened with high winds and 6-8 ft. waves. We waited until about 1:00 pm to let things die calm down a little which it did but not much. So we made the decision to go for it and make the 12 mile trip to Hammond, Indiana (at the mouth of the Calumet). The waves were larger than we would have liked but we made it okay. The Hammond Marina has 1,100 boat slips - quite impressive.

Chicago - 9/22/05

Today Lisa steered Jim to the Art Institute. It is always an inspiration for us. Then we took a bus to "Carmine's" for a 13th anniversary dinner celebration.

Tonight we were guests on a boat we met in the harbor, the "Evelyn J." Mike and Carol Gordon were our hosts, they are also doing the loop from Alabama. We had a tour of their beautiful Nordhaven 47.

We leave tomorrow, weather permitting, for the river system. There is a very windy storm coming through here right now. The temperature dropped quite a bit, but still pleasant.

Miss you all!!!

Chicago - 9/20-21/05

Wow!!! What fun. Tuesday after we tied up at the dock, in Burnham Harbor, we took about a 10 mile walk. Wednesday we packed lunch and took the dingy through the Chicago River downtown. What a perspective of the city. Got some great photos. We will not be able to travel this way when we continue because of our height, so we decided to do it in the dingy so that we would not miss anything.

Wednesday night we met with our friend, Khaki Pixley, who is attending Roosevelt University. She gave us a tour of her dorm and we brought her back to the boat to be our first dinner guest on the boat since we started the trip.

Racine - 9/18-19/05

Nice town. However they have a real seaweed problem at this marina. It looks like moss. Ugggh! However they did have a pool and we had a nice swim to cool off. We are waiting for the weather to clear up from a storm last night to head to Chicago tomorrow (9/20/05)

Milwaukee - 9/17/05

Again we were blessed with calm water and a beautiful sunny day coming down from Sheboygan. We had a great stay in Milwaukee. Nice harbor area with a vibrant downtown. A great deal of harbor activity. Jim took Lisa on a 4 mile walk to what he thought was an historic homes area. The first mile or so were great - however the second part was a less than desirable area. Jim has temporarily lost his walking destination choices.

When we were leaving this harbor (Sun 9/18/05) it looked like about 2,000 people gathered for a walk along the harbor area for fund raising walk - most likely for Katrina. We only moved 25 miles south to Racine - another nice harbor city for a 2 day stay before we head another 65 miles to Chicago for a few days.

The Crossing - 9/16/05

We crossed Lake Michigan today from Frankfort to Sheboygan, Wisconsin. The water was calm for about half way, then it got a little rocky. It is an odd feeling to be out in the middle of a body of water and not see land anywhere for a period of time. Lisa got a little seasick.

We stayed at Harbor Centre Marina, beautiful, clean with pool and hot tub.We were amazed at the town, bigger than what we had thought. All the old buildings downtown have been restored and alive with businesses and activity. Lots of little restaurants and a beautiful river and harbor walk.

Lisa finally made a decent loaf of sourdough bread for dinner. Part of the "Bread Project" for the trip. We knew that we were going to miss the great bread available in northern Michigan so we thought we would see what we could manage to make. Lisa brought 3 bread books with us and I am sure we will have many more experiments.

The moon is nearly full and it provided a nice moonlight walk around town after dinner. Dark already... too early.

Down Lake Michigan We Go - 9/15/05 PM

Today was our shake down-day. We caught the 11:30 bridge opening in Charlevoix and away we went. After all the planning, preparing and stocking up the boat it is hard to believe we are finally on our way. If Thursday was any indication of how our journey will unfold we will be thrilled. We had blue sky, calm water and warm temperature.

Frankfort Municipal Marina was our home tonight. We were surprised to see our new friends Gary & Ginny on "Putzin", from Hilton head, NC, already docked here. We met them on their way through Charlevoix this summer. We settled down with a bottle of champagne we had saved for this occasion, the first night of our trip, to view a spectacular sunset over Lake Michigan.

Goodbye!

Leaving Mid September

We sold our house end of July. We had only 2 1/2 weeks to pack up almost everything we owned. Most went into storage for a year and some found its way onto the boat. We are still stuffing things in little cubby holes so that we can have room to move around.

Lisa has spent a few days non stop shopping in T.C. to stock up. Jim is working on daily maintenance chores to prepare the boat for the trip. We are busy scheduling appointments needed before we leave and time to say goodbye to friends and loved ones.

Early summer we moved the boat to Charlevoix as our name came up unexpectedly for a permanent slip. We love our new summer home... Slip #5. We haven't been traveling at all this summer but figure we will get enough cruising time on the trip south.