As amazing as boat life is, time away from the boat is always good for the soul, especially when that time away includes seeing family. The last week was spent working through several logistics in order to travel back to the Midwest for my sister’s wedding, and let me tell you…there are many logistics!
After our weekend on Mackinac Island, we were hoping to make one more move on the boat, but Mother Nature had other plans. Strong winds are nothing to mess with on Lake Michigan, so instead we stayed put in Mackinaw City. Find a place to keep the boat for over a week — check!
The wedding was in St. Paul, Minnesota, and since we were in Northern Michigan with no major airports nearby, we opted for a rental car, which ended up working well for two reasons. With a car, we’d be able to bring Ripley with us (no dog sitter necessary), and we’d save money compared to purchasing flights. The only catch was that the nearest rental car site was 45 minutes away. Luckily a Mackinaw City local who subscribes to our YouTube channel offered to drive us, which was extremely kind and a major weight off our shoulders! Rental car — check!
Come Wednesday morning, we loaded up the car bright and early and drove nine hours to the Twin Cities area. Prior to the wedding, we soaked in as much time as possible with friends and family we haven’t seen in months or some in over a year. Being back in the Midwest brought on nostalgic feelings that made us a little homesick for the first time, making it a bit difficult to pack everything up and head back to the boat. We weren’t sent back without pieces of home, however, as Evan’s parents loaded us up with several goodies from their garden. Drive there and back safely — check!
As sad as we were to say goodbye to family, it did feel great getting back “home” to the boat Monday night. As we walked down the dock, Ripley knew exactly where to turn without being prompted. We gave ourselves little turnaround time though, because Tuesday morning was the last good weather window for about a week, so we wanted to make headway instead of being stuck even longer in Mackinaw City. Alarms were set bright and early for a pre-sunrise departure. We passed under the iconic 5-mile Mackinac Bridge right as the sun was rising and traveled 50 nautical miles south to Charlevoix…our first time heading south on this journey!
Entering Round Lake Channel into Charlevoix was a beautiful site. You could see the charm of the town from the water, which we’re excited to explore over the next few days while we wait out strong winds. It wasn’t long after we set the anchor that a Charlevoix local and Platinum Looper brought his boat over to ours and offered us his backyard for Ripley. We were welcomed to this town by a kind face who shared just a sliver of stories from his time on the water. It’s looking like Charlevoix will be the perfect place to wait for our next good weather window!
Cheers to continuing the adventure!
(Main image) Spending time with our nephew
Docktails with Mackinaw City locals
Karly’s sister’s wedding
Handsome Hog in St. Paul, MN
We celebrated Evan’s 27th birthday!
Chatting with a Charlevoix local
