Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Day 2, Grand Haven, Michigan

Days on cruise:  144
Distance traveled:  2.2 miles
Travel time:  24 minutes
Total trip odometer: 3,090 statute miles
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Whenever we’re tied up to a town wall, residents and tourists walk by looking at all the boats. Invariably a few ask questions and engage us in conversation. Cathryn can never resist the kids!  Yesterday a couple from Grand Haven walked by with their grandkids (ages 5, 9 and 10) who were visiting from Grand Rapids, and Cathryn invited the kids tour the boat. She loves their barrage of eager questions and wide-eyed amazement at everything they see! These kids were well-behaved and excited.
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For the first time in more than 1,000 miles, we went to a West Marine store, walking a mile to get there. We’ve been to dozens of marine stores in New York, Canada and a few little towns here in Michigan, but rarely did we find the items we wanted in stock and we never stayed long enough for them to order it for us and have it delivered. We have a love-hate relationship with West Marine. They always have, or can order quickly, everything we want for the boat. But most of the time we walk away wondering how we managed to spend so much for so little. images
At 5:45 Jim and Sharon A (our Platinum Looper friends who live on their boat “Blue Angel” full-time except when they spend a month or two living on land in Grand Haven each summer) picked us up at the marina in their car. We drove downtown to The Grand, a former theater, now converted to a Sushi restaurant, where we met Gary and Christelle from “Time and Tide”, and the six of us had dinner together. Dinner was delicious and the company was even better!
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After dinner Gary and Christelle walked back to their boat on the town wall, and Jim and Sharon gave us a quick driving tour around Grand Haven and stopped to show us Sharon’s sister’s lovely Victorian home where they stay each summer. It’s a magnificent place, inside and out, with a lovely yard equipped with a Tiki Hut out back!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Save some money for a trip to Wolff's Marine in Benton Harbor (St. Joseph), MI. Your dollar will go farther and you won't want to leave. It is by far my FAVORITE marine supply store! Plus they will drive you and your purchases back to the boat.

John and Jean said...

The kids are still talking about you and your HUGE boat. Thanks so much for making their day.