Pentwater, MI to Whiting, IN

Kim’s Korner:

Michigan has “Safe Harbors” every 20 miles or so down the coast of Lake Michigan where boaters can take cover if needed. Many of these are small tourist towns that include beaches, restaurants and gift shops that are a magnet for vacationers. We made an overnight stop in Pentwater, then moved on to Muskegon where we met up with Barefoot Shoes again. While there we visited the USS Silversides. From watching many WWII movies, it was interesting to actually see the inside of a WWII submarine. It has very small quarters!

We headed to Grand Haven for an overnighter to see the music, fountain and light show they put on every night during the summer. We met up with Charlie and Robin from The Lower Place there, whom we hadn’t seen in a while. We had front row seats from our boat for the show and it was not a disappointment!

It’s funny on this loop how you meet fellow loopers and then you won’t see them for a while and then run into them again down the way. We have run into friends we’ve not seen in many months. We even ran into two of the five couples we crossed the Gulf with back in December. When you travel with another boat, it is sad when you part ways for one reason or another. It’s always a nice surprise when you run into them again. It’s fun to think back on good times and memories that were shared with friends but sad because you haven’t seen them in a while and don’t really know if you ever will see them again. Anyway – I didn’t mean to get all mushy but it is an interesting aspect of this Great Loop.

We next stopped overnight in South Haven. We met up with Barefoot Shoes and managed to get the sisters in slips side by side for a photo shoot. It’s funny to see people’s reactions as they walk by and see two Manatees together. The Lower Place, Tranquility III, Tango Papa and PharmLife were also there.

At this point, let me say that I have really enjoyed Michigan, the towns we’ve visited and the people. The water in Lake Michigan is just beautiful and the beaches in each town are really nice! And as an added benefit – there is no salt! But… the weather here changes so fast and the lake can really make for a bumpy ride – I get a great core workout! Because of this weather and the impending Labor Day weekend, which tends to be very busy on the water, we decided to forego a few Michigan stops we had wanted to make and head to Michigan City which is actually in Indiana.

We stayed in Michigan City three nights due to wind and waves. I enjoyed shopping at the outlet mall - I haven’t seen one of those in a while! We enjoyed quite a large number of loopers at a pizza party thrown by boat Gemini as she had just crossed her wake. Some of us girls went to visit the Barker Mansion, a historic home of a family that was quite influential in developing the area. It was a good stop!

Even though we had planned to stay in Michigan City for the long weekend, a weather window opened up so a group of us headed to Hammond Marina in Whiting, Indiana which is 15 miles east of Chicago. We could see Chicago the entire way although it was quite small when we left. It was a nice surprise to see Tim and Anne from Ivanhoe – we haven’t seen them in almost a month! The big draw here is the Horseshoe Casino where we enjoyed a delicious (and free) buffet and did a little gambling afterward just for fun. Since we visited Chicago two years ago, David and I aren’t sure we’ll go into Chicago – we both feel we did it justice then. But since we’ll be here a few days, we may change our minds – we’ll let you know!

Pictures:
   Pentwater, MI
   Muskegon, MI
   Grand Haven, MI
   South Haven, MI
   Michigan City, IN
   Whiting, IN