Tragic City & Cruising Buddies

The Leelanau Peninsula protrudes north from the mainland of Michigan’s northwest coast creating Grand Traverse Bay, a 32 mile long, 10 mile wide, body of water that is divided from the south by the Old Mission Peninsula, thus making a popular, protected boating area and miles of coastland lined with year-round and summer residences. At the base of these two peninsulas sits Traverse City, a thriving community of over 142,000 residents.

Some years before Jay had attended an annual Pterodactyl Roost in Traverse City. It was during the fall and the masses of brilliantly colored leaves had impressed him so much he thought it would be a wonderful place for Chris to photograph. In addition, Ward and Christina Lewis, friends from the Coast Guard, lived in the area and their first evening in town was spent enjoying a delicious dinner at their home and catching up on the events of the last few years. The Lewis’ daughter, Karen, and her husband, Mark Lundmark, had spent their honeymoon as charter guests on Jay’s boat. They, and their two lovely children, Emily and Max, also lived in the area and, later in their stay, Chris and Jay shared an enjoyable evening with them dining on their waterfront terrace. A Golden Eagle’s visit to their yard made the occasion even more special.

The eagle landed in a tree just in front of the house.

Several days during their two-week stay Chris and Jay eagerly drove the coastal roads in anticipation of capturing some beautiful waterscape photographs but gradually became disappointed as it seemed that every linear foot of waterfront was privately owned with a house on it, a dock in front and no public access to the shoreline. Chris felt uncomfortable treading on other’s properties and so they continued to drive mile after mile with little to no nature photography opportunities due to the clutter of mankind’s domiciles. However, they did see and take pictures of dozens of homes that they liked and added them to their collection of ideas for a home they may build in the future.

Both the Leelanau and Old Mission Peninsulas are known for their vineyards and orchards, so Jay suggested they turn their attention inland to find more inviting photo ops. Chris didn’t know if her eye was just off or if there really wasn’t much that interested her but she was uncomfortable traipsing through people’s property to find the images and therefore went home almost empty handed.

One of the best finds of the area – a picturesque barn.

On a clear, warm, blustery day, they decided to head west to the Sleeping Bear Dunes. As they walked the beach a man and his young son passed them from the opposite direction and asked if they’d seen the shipwreck. Chris perked up with visions of a massive, rusting hulk and a plethora of photo ops so they quickened their pace to investigate. The reality was not exactly her vision, but a modern-day 20-something foot fiberglass sloop that had been beached. A few snapshots were all she got.

Jay peers into the abandoned vessel.

One of the more interesting places in Traverse City was a former State mental hospital turned condo and specialty shop complex. Now known as The Village at Grand Traverse Commons, its unique Victorian-Italianate style architecture and red roofed cupolas create an inviting setting for living and shopping. The massive, five-story, yellow brick structure vaults from the emerald grounds like the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Boutiques line the partially submerged “basement”, the exposed stone and brick walls conveying a rustic appeal that only century-old architecture can provide. It was truly worth the time to visit and explore.

Detail photo of a cupola and a portion of the roofline of The Village buildings.

The month of August was drawing to a close and on the 30^th Chris and Jay continued their drive south with an overnight stop at the home of Eric and Julie Davidson, former fellow cruising friends of Jay’s. Their house is nestled in thick woodland and overlooks a fresh-water lake but the property had just enough room to comfortably park Sonny for the night’s stay. Eric built their home himself on land that is father owned which Jay thought was extremely industrious. He showed his guests another, equally challenging project – a 50-plus foot plywood cabin cruiser that he was building in a large shed he’d constructed specifically for the task. Sanding the last layer of fiberglass on the upside-down hull was almost completed and he was making preparations to flip it upright before the winter weather set in. The final goal was to have it in the water in a couple of years and continue the cruising lifestyle with his wife and 12 year-old daughter, Mara.

The inverted hull with fiberglass skin.

Most of us cannot imagine the amount of time and effort that goes into a project of this size.

An unexpected surprise was the arrival of Deno Baut and Gail Tooley, mutual friends whom Jay had also known in his cruising days. Deno was a diesel mechanic and shared his pearls of dieselese wisdom with Jay when needed. Everyone contributed to and enjoyed the scrumptious dinner, which included organic vegetables and herbs from Julie’s garden, topped off with two performances from Mara; a fashion show of new school clothes and an Irish Stepdance.

The Davidsons on their deck.

The one-night stand visit was all too short but Jay and Chris saddled up the next morning eager to see what would unfold for them in Holland, their destination for the next few days until Labor Day weekend.

Icebreakers, Jails and Pies, Oh, My!

Mackinaw City seemed to be the typical tourist trap with broad streets lined with tee shirt shops and other stores of every variety. You could Build a Bear, buy a coat of armor, or buy something for your pet. Then, of course, you could gain 10 or 20 pounds by eating the variety of popcorn, candy and fudge that was offered from about every third store that you pass. The Michigan area is home to a family of fudge makers by the name of Murdick. On one street in Mackinaw City alone there were several fudge shops, most of which displayed the Murdick name. Although difficult, as Chris is a chocoholic and has been known to binge from time to time, she and Jay held fast and continued past all the enticing, delectable sweets.

Just as much of a chocoholic as Chris is, Jay is a Coastieholic and touring the Icebreaker Mackinaw was an absolute must. Jay was very impressed with the crew-comfort layout of the vessel. The ship was built to operate solely in the Lake Michigan/Huron area and was too large to fit through the locks leading from them to the ocean. Having lived in fresh water its entire life resulted in minimal rust and the ship looked as if it had just been launched. Throughout the vessel were knowledgeable staff and videos which explained the duties of the ship and crew. To Jay’s surprise Chris was most interested in the engine room and the length and breadth of a single piston which seemed comparable to the size of her leg! She was in awe that there were 10 of them in each of six diesel engines that propelled the 290 foot long 5,000 plus ton ship. Funny that she could go from appreciating the beauty of flowers to the engineering of a ship with such ease.

This piston was nearly 3 feet long!!

The Mackinaw in bristol fashion.

There were other attractions in Mackinaw City such as a fort, golfing and a lighthouse, but the call of other areas beckoned and they submitted by embarking on several day trips. Cheboygan, located just to the east, was one destination. As Chris and Jay were preparing to leave for the day, there was an unexpected knock on the door. To their surprise, an old Coast Guard friend of Jay’s, Bill Karcagi, who served with him in isolated duty at Port Clarence, AK, in 1964, and his wife, Carol, were at the door. Jay had not seen him since their duty time together and certainly didn’t expect him to show up at his doorstep, but they had kept in touch via e-mail and he and his wife were visiting relatives in the area. They had called repeatedly but with the lack of adequate cell phone signals Jay never received the messages. So, they decided to take a chance and find us at the State Park where we were staying. The rest of the morning was spent catching up and making arrangements to meet again later in the week.

Bill and Carol with Jay.

Jay had always heard about Cheboygan as being a loyal Coast Guard town and home to the Icebreaker Mackinaw. The most interesting feature they found was the old Cheboygan County Sheriff’s residence and jail which dated from the 1880s and the Historical Museum in an adjacent building. A surprisingly knowledgeable, for his age, young high school boy guided them through the museum which housed a wide assortment of items from the past in segregated sections. He explained about the area’s logging industry and Indian culture. Jay marveled at a display containing an old movie projector and film splicer, which took him back to his high school days when he operated a similar one at the theatre his Dad managed. Other displays contained a plastic form machine, a complete old-time Doctor’s office, and a section with an assortment of old kitchen utensils and appliances – some of which were familiar to Chris.

The tour continued into the Sheriff’s residence and adjoining jail by the Director of the facility. The building contained items that Chris and Jay had never seen before, except maybe in a movie, and all were in remarkably good condition. In the kitchen was a round, top-loading ice-box that had been locally made. The dining room displayed a chime (kind of a mini xylophone) that was used to call the family to dinner and on the floor in the parlor was a black box holding Whist (or Hwist) card trays, the game that preceded the more popular modern day card game of Bridge. The jail cells contained an even greater variety of items from the County’s past but the one they got the biggest kick out of was the Permanent Wave Machine which looked like something out of a Jekyll and Hyde movie.

Chris was glad she never had to use one of these!

A guide book mentioned the twenty mile long section of Rt. 119 dubbed the Tunnel of Trees that literally enclosed the road in a dense canopy of trunks and foliage. Narrow driveways branched off periodically and disappeared in the shadowy depths beyond; the predictably marvelous homes at their terminus out of view. The road snaked along the western coastline of the mainland toward the quaint, seaside towns of Petoskey and Charlevoix, Chris and Jay’s destination for the next day. They were to meet Bill and Carol Karcagi at an art festival in Charlevoix but got side-tracked along the way.

Their first detour was in a tiny cross-roads town aptly named Cross Village. An unusual, stone building caught their eye and they had to stop to investigate. It was the Legs Inn – named for the stove legs that trim the roofline of the building. It was built, on a high bluff overlooking Lake Michigan, by a Polish immigrant in the 1930s with local stones and timber and is accented with furniture and decorative objects he fashioned from tree roots and driftwood which he carved, sanded and finished into works of art. The immaculately maintained gardens overlooking the Lake brimmed with colorful flower beds and greenery making it a very inviting location for dining or maybe even wedding!

This door was just a sampling of the unique items inside.

Their second detour was to a pie shop near Petoskey that Bill and Carol had raved about. For Jay and Chris pie had become a near staple of their diet and they eagerly stopped at these tiny, small-town shops as the creations were usually the most delectable delights their taste buds had ever experienced. The House of Pies in Oden, MI was no exception. Carol had recommended the peach-blueberry pie but Chris and Jay had difficulty passing up anything containing raspberries – so they bought both and decided to have pie for lunch! Although scrumptious, they were not expecting the richness of these majestic pastries and had difficulty finishing the modest portions they had planned to consume. They continued their journey to Charlevoix contentedly full and rode the sugar high for the rest of the day.

By the time they arrived in Charlevoix Bill and Carol had already eaten and toured the art festival but they took some time to chat on a street corner while Carol shared samples of sweets she had acquired at a nearby shop. Just what Jay and Chris needed – more sugar! But they burned it off while perusing the various crafts at the festival and decided to try the fare at the Legs Inn on their way home. Unfortunately they were disappointed in the food and didn’t know if it was because they were not accustomed to the Polish palate or if it was just done poorly. Despite this experience, overall they were completely satisfied with their stay in the area and in mid-August were ready to move south to Traverse City.