The Lady J: Across we go to Mackinaw City

Now Mike and I have been to Mackinaw City and Island a couple of times, and St. Ignace for that matter, but this morning we headed over to Mackinaw City. Why you ask when it is literally right over the bridge from St. Ignace. Well because Shepler's was the only place that had the charts we needed for Lake Michigan. We can not go anywhere without them. So we decided the best thing to do would be to leave St. Ignace in the morning, cruising over to Mackinaw City pickup the charts and spend the day there, working on boat chores and doing a little site seeing. Besides we were hoping to run into our friends from Sea Bear who would be arriving that day.

So off we went on a 45 minute cruise. It was a fun little morning cruise. Best part was I was able to take a photo of the Mackinac Bridge from our boat. Check that off the bucket/looper list. The water was busy with a freighter, ferry traffic, and other boat traffic.

Leaving St. Ignace

Beautiful

There was the big Mac peeking out around the corner

Must watch out for ferry boats

I seriously took over 100 photos

Checkout the tail

More freighters

The Captain gives these guys all the room they need.

At the marina

Our new boat flags, see if you can figure out what they represent.

This was the view from our boat.

After arriving at Mackinaw City Marina we checked in and went immediately over the Shepler's to purchase the charts for Lake Michigan. Boy was that a ship's store. We looked around a bit, but in the end only purchased the charts. Now it was on to boat chores. Mike changed the oil in both engines and the fuel filters. Again so thankful this man is a mechanic. While he was tackling that job I was in the galley tackling what is better know as our freezer. In all actuality it is the cold plate for the fridge. Two ice cube trays is really all that can fit in there and when it needs defrosting those barely fit. While I was defrosting the freezer it made me think of my daughter Amanda, when she and I were on our own (before the marriage to Mike) we lived in an old apartment that you had to defrost the freezer. In the summer time she would put on her swimming suit and play with the ice that came from the freezer. Cheap fun!

The Captain changing the oil and fuel filters.

I know there is a freezer in there somewhere

I really need to do this more often.

After our chores were completed we cleaned up, ate a little lunch and headed out across the street to some of the shops. We stopped and got the first mate a sweatshirt and picked up some fudge at Murdick's. YUM! And then stopped at a bakery and ordered one pastie with gravy of course to share.

Some of the flowers around.

I loved this statue

This was just cooky

Murdick's

YUM!

Who knew popcorn came in so many colors.

This guy stops for all pups.

Look they have Pasties

Pasties with gravy.

After a little site seeing we returned back to the marina, first checked in to see if our friends from Sea Bear had arrived, the staff said they expected them around 5:00 p.m. so we took a walk down the docks and paid a visit to our other friends Wayne and Donadee from Always Home. We had a great visit with them and Donadee even let me sit the whole time in her recliner. "Bless her heart" She knows my seating on the boat is not the best. We had a delightful time just chatting. These two in my book are great!

Yes they are going to kill me for putting this in here but this is Wayne and Donadee. AWESOME Loopers and friends.

We returned back to the boat to relax for a while and plan our cruising for Saturday. While we were planning I stuck my head out of the boat to see what was going on and low and behold there was Mark and Pam from Sea Bear pulling into the slip next to us. We were so happy to see that they had made it and were able to miss the storms. We have traveled off and on with these folks.

Mark and Pam from Sea Bear, again great looper friends.

We enjoyed some great conversation with these folks and with the crew from Always Home. And as always there was a beautiful sunset to enjoy. Tomorrow we are off to Beaver Island, weather permitting.