Beaver Island to Charlevoix:
We left early in the morning to get ahead of the winds that were forecasted to be on our nose for our crossing over to Charlevoix. The plan was to first motor south in the lee of the beaver island and then with a better wind angle head across the lake over to Charlevoix. It was a great idea, and one that I would certainly use again if there was actually any wind. In our case, there wasn't any, barely blowing 5 knots true - so we motored the entire way across the lake.
We had very calm crossing - barely a wave at all. The kids took some good naps and played a bit in the cockpit as well as below.
We also spotted the front runners of the Chicago-Mackinac race on the horizon off the southern tip of Beaver Island who were somehow able to fly a spinnaker and make some real headway in the light air. The super-light thoroughbred racers seemed to do ok but the big cruisers (floating Winnebago like ours) were surely struggling.
After a mad dash to make the draw bridge which opens every half an hour we made it into the very busy Round Lake. There were boats everywhere and all enjoying the warm summer weather. Fortunately we had made a reservation the day before so we knew we would be able to get a slip for the night.
Right at the end of the dock was a fun little splash park that the kids loved. It was so hot here that we all got a little wet to cool off!
Aunt Carla stopped by to visit us in Charlevoix! It was great to see her!
One thing that truly makes Michigan Michigan are all of the lighthouse and pier that so many of the lakeside towns have. On the Lake Michigan side of the state you get fantastic sunsets on the pier making for a wonderful place for an evening walk with an ice cream cone!
Elizabeth and Andrew had a blast playing on the beach at the end of the pier. They were having so much fun it was nearly impossible to get them to look at the camera at the same time. Somehow I managed to get this shot - probably my favorite photo from the trip.
Of course the sun stays up until after 10 pm in the summer in Michigan so getting the kids to bed presented a challenge. Eventually we just gave up on the clock and just went by the sun. We went to bed when it got dark and we got up when it started to get too hot inside the boat. The kids actually started sleeping in until 9:30! Unbelievable!
Andrew was having so much fun and was so laid back that he actually let me take some photos of him where he wasn't making a silly face.
After two days in Charlevoix it was time to move on. We packed up the boat, topped off the water, and moved out into round lake to wait for the bridge to open up. Once the bridge opened we were off to Grand Traverse Bay, headed towards Suttons Bay.
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