Home sweet home! After eight incredible weeks in Canada, we finally crossed back to the United States up in Northern Michigan. Of course it was not without one small hurdle of needing to wait out some weather for a few days while on anchor. 

Our final stop in Canada was in Beardrop Harbour — an extremely protected anchorage from all wind angles, which was necessary for a full three days. With winds over 20 miles per hour, we tucked ourselves away and got ahead on work while we waited for a calm weather window to finish out the rest of the North Channel. Come Wednesday morning, we lifted anchor at a bright and early 5am and crossed over 60 miles to Drummond Island, Michigan.

Upon crossing the border, all we had to do was pay a $35 fee and report our arrival on the CBP Roam app from our phones. We had a quick video call with one of the border patrol agents to show our faces and that was it! It was simple and efficient.

Looking ahead at the weather, we noticed we’d only have two more good days of weather before the wind picked up for at least a week. We made the most of those two days by stopping one night in the Les Cheneaux Islands before officially making it to mainland Michigan. Even with all the beauty we came across in the previous eight weeks, we were amazed to see how clear Michigan waters are. While anchored in Les Cheneaux, we could see the full rudder under the keel from our swim platform for the first time on the entire loop. It was hard to believe!

We wish we could have taken our own boat directly to Mackinac Island, but knowing the weather would pick up, we couldn’t risk getting stuck there for too long. We opted for the marina in Mackinaw City and took the ferry over to the island. Because we couldn’t take our own boat, we made the decision to splurge on a hotel and stay the night at Mission Point Resort — a dog-friendly hotel so Ripley could join us too! This was well-worth it when 9pm rolled around and no more day tourists were on the island. The streets cleared, the restaurants had space at their bars, and it felt as if we had the island to ourselves.

I can already tell you that Mackinac Island will be a top memory from our time on the loop. I remember learning about this midwest island in school, and knew I’d make a visit someday. It was everything I imagined it would be, and maybe even better! The charm of the historic architecture in each building, the old-school horse and carriages, and the stunning blue waters were just a few things that made you think you traveled back in time. A place untouched by modern technology and polluted waters. 

We are happy to be tucked away in Mackinaw City as the weather turned up just as predicted. We will be docked here for over a week as we are heading to my sister’s wedding this upcoming weekend! A weekend away from the boat is always nerve-wracking, but it will be great to see family that we haven’t seen since departing on this journey.

Cheers to continuing the adventure!