The Upper Penninsular of Michigan
We’re still at Drummond Island Yacht Haven. Decided to stay an extra day ‘cause a rain front came thru yesterday afternoon. We’ll leave here this afternoon & anchor at
Harbor Island for the night; then head to de Tour Village on Friday. It’s cool this morning so we’re in long pants and jackets once again. Amazingly (or maybe not so amazing), boaters up here are already starting to pull their boats for the season. The couple on the sailboat next to us said they had about 2 months of sailing this summer & even with that the weather didn’t cooperate very much. It’s such a beautiful area for boating that I guess it’s worth the effort. Once winter arrives, the focus of Drummond Island changes over to snowmobiling. Once winter comes, the islanders mark trails on the frozen lakes with Christmas trees. Does that mean they can’t snowmobile before Christmas???
There are 2 customs officers that work here — commuting from Sault Ste. Marie (in a department of homeland security truck). They are here from noon till 7 pm, 7 days a week. Once boating season ends; (they go on vacation) & then they’re back in the winter for the snowmobilers. It seems a waste of time & money (our tax dollars) to me – no “bad guys” are going to bother to check in with customs. There’s got to be a better way.
Yesterday we walked to the Drummond Island Museum. The curator is a 5th generation islander & is very proud of her heritage & her island. The museum has a little bit of everything – a fun way to spend a few hours. While walking to the museum we saw 3 large (to me) snakes curled up beside the road – they were still there on our way back. I was assured that they were probably water snakes. There are no poisonous snakes on the island — & no skunks either. The island has a dolomite “mine” &, other than boating, that’s about all that’s here for commerce.
Today is our 11 month anniversary of leaving Dubuque last September & starting our Loop Adventure. Wow! We’ve done over 5,400 miles & figure it’ll be about 7,000 by the time we complete the loop when we arrive where the Illinois River meets the Mississippi River – sometime around the first week in October.
Good to hear from you. we’ve wondered how ya’ll are doing!!!! We’re still having a great time — 5,500 miles so far. Going back down the Mississippi this fall and then to Key West for a couple of months this winter & after that to the Bahamas for a month or so. Plan to go up the coast again next spring & “do” New England.
Ann & Hank