DeTour State Marina to Sheboygan County Marina, Cheboygan, Michigan

 We waited an extra day for calm weather to cross from DeTour over Lake Huron to Cheboygan. The county marina is situated at the entrance to the Cheboygan River and has a nice gas and fuel docks right at then entrance making it easy to fuel up. We were assigned a nice inside slip near the pavilion and bath house. The marina is next to a park that has a beach on the lake. There is a boardwalk and sidewalks to the center of historic Cheboygan. 

Handmade wind ornament made from beer cans

Near the pedestrian bridge over the Cheboygan River

Nice walkway along the river

The downtown trail we left for another day

Welcome to downtown

Convenient slip

At the entrance to the river

Lighthouses as we crossed the lake

We followed the trawler out of the marina at DeTour

Beautiful sunrise as we began lake crossing

On Labor Day, Cheboygan has their city walk across the bridge to imitate the long bridge walk at Mackinac Island. We joined the crowd that followed the Oscar Meyer weiner wagon over to the park pavilion where the Farmer's market is held. We decided to avoid the long line and to check out the Mead and Cider Cafe we had passed earlier and enjoyed several ciders and a mead drink being the only couple in the bar.

Art in the park at the foot of the bridge

Took advantage of the photo op

The island ferry coming into the landing

The Hive North bar

Our resident bald eagle with a nest across from the marina

On Tuesday we started packing up our clothes to load into the rental car for our trip back to Burlington, Vermont to pick up our car and trailer out of storage. We watched one of the huge barges come up river to the off load limestone. There is a huge Coast Guard ice breaker and buoy tender ship docked across the marina.

Passing super tanker

On Wednesday we had a taxi pick us up and take us to the nearest airport to pick up our rental car and then we were off to Burlington and camping in Cutie. We stayed one night at a hotel, a winery, Provincial Park and two breweries on our trip to Burlington and back to Cheboygan.

On our last day before we left the marina to be hauled, we took the hiking trail along the river and also walked up to the dam and lock that is only 18 feet wide.

Picnic areas and fishing docks along the walking trail

The river is stocked so fishing is popular

This Kansas girl had to take a sunflower picture

The children's garden had playful art

Towards the lock and dam

We left the marina by boat on Tuesday September 9 for a pump out and then up the river to Walstrom Marine where we were scheduled to be hauled Wednesday at 8 am. We tied up and then found a great local restaurant for dinner after walking back to the marina and driving the trailer over to the marina after it closed for the day. We ended up parking the  trailer right by the dock and using the power pole for the trailer hookup. 

On Wednesday the guys were prompt to haul us out, power wash the boat, and move us into inside storage on blocks where we were able to wipe off the mustache using hull cleaner. We were all packed up and ready to drive back to Florida.

Dot's Way home for the winter

Drummond Island to Detour Harbour State Marina, DeTour VIllage, Michigan

 On Friday morning the wind had died down but it was still chilly as we took our last walk to Bear Track Restaurant for breakfast. This has been a real treat. We took off out of the marina to blue skies and calmer seas and there were more boats out than we had seen due to the improved weather. We followed two boats through the breakwater and stopped for a pump out before going to our slip. We had a great "anchors down" beer on the stern bench out of the wind. We walked down the main street to the Village Inn dive bar and had the best burgers and fries. We are busy planning the rest of our travels to head tin a rental car o Burlington, Vermont to pick up our car and RV and then return to have the boat hauled for winter storage and then drive home to Florida camping along the way.

The ferry to Drummond Island coming past marina

The huge laker ship coming past our slip in DeTour Marina

Blind River to Drummond Island Yacht Haven Marina, Drummond Island, Michigan

 On Thursday we walked into downtown Blind River for breakfast at the 17 Restaurant. We stopped at the book exchange in the laundry room and traded a dozen books so I should have plenty if we don't have cellular service to read my book on my phone. We headed across the open water to Drummond Island Yacht Haven and got a slip close to the far covered shed for smaller boats. We met some folks from Tallahassee that have kept their trawler here in winter storage for ten years since completing the loop. It took some time to check into US Customs on the Roam app and they wanted to do a zoom call but could not get the connection so we we were happy to take down our Canadian courtesy flag and our yellow quarantine flag.

On Friday we discovered the Bear Track Restaurant was only a twenty minute walk away so we went there for breakfast. The marina provided a car rental for $20 a day so we planned to take the car out on Saturday.

On Saturday we left the marina with the rental car and headed to four corners where the hardware store, grocery store, and Timberlake Restaurant is where we ate breakfast. The Farmer's market was setting up across the street so we browsed through and found some great local produce. We then headed towards the ferry and parked the rental car and went across to DeTour Village as pedestrians. We walked one way to the marina and then back the other way to the botanical gardens before taking the ferry back, We stopped at Esther's Mexican Restaurant for a great lunch of shared fajitas sitting their outdoor patio.

The car ferry to DeTour village

Along the waterfront heading to DeTour Marina

Nice walkway along seawall of marina

Church along the main street

A pretty home

The city maintains memory gardens along the waterfront

On Sunday we walked to Bear Track for breakfast. It was cold and windy and I did laundry while Glenn did boat work. We saw the tall ship out for a cruise

The tall ship that gives tours out of the marina

On Monday we walked to Bear Track for breakfast and then came back and took the rental car to tour the island. We had the map of the hiking trails so we found our way to the trail head for

Sandhill cranes in a front yard

Tiny red mushrooms

Snake in the parking lot

More sand hill cranes alongside the road

Four deer dashing across the road

On Tuesday and Wednesday we took the longer walk to four corners since Bear Track Restaurant was closed.  We went to the Drummond Island Historical Museum which had an amazing collection from when the sawmill and train were running, The weather has been cool and windy and we are waiting for calmer weather to stage to DeTour VIllage before cruising across Lake Huron to Cheboygan to Walstrom Marina for winter storage. We did boat work inside.

On Thursday we went back to Bear Track for breakfast and wandered around the neighbor hood. We did another round of laundry since this is the Laundromat for the island and folks come across the ferry from DeTour Village.

The log house museum