6/13/23 - Frankfort Anchorage to Leland

A quiet and peaceful night was had anchored just a couple hundred feet off the Frankfort Municipal Marina docks.  We awoke about 6am and did some checking of the weather and lake forecasts to find that the lake would be pretty tame (~1 ft waves) but that there would be significant rain moving into the area by about 10am.   As much as we boaters love our sunny days the rain is MUCH needed in this area; the grass is almost totally browned out aside from where it is watered.   Given that we had walked the town of Frankfort yesterday afternoon and evening and felt we would much rather be at a marina in Leland for what would likely be a wet and chilly day, we decided to get an early start.  Erik took Riva to shore and upon return got the dinghy up and secured. Meanwhile Renee did our route planning and secured the rest of the boat for departure.  By a little before 7am we had pulled the anchor and were idling our way out of harbor and back out onto Lake Michigan.  

And we’re off again!

Have we posted any lighthouse pics yet? 
😂 

The days voyage soon produced more nice views of the usual lighthouse and many beautiful lake houses.  It is interesting to look at the many homes in this area perched right on the edge atop towering sand dunes.   Quite a few of them have taken significant steps (we are certain costing WAY more than our entire house) to stabilize the shorelines below with retaining walls, giant sand bags or other structures to protect them from the Lakes waves.   Matthew 7:26 says “everyone who hears His words and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand”…. We guess many in these parts haven’t heard!  Who are we to judge though, given that our house is also built on the sandy banks of the muddy Muskingum River.  The things we do for living where we love Gods beauty and power!  

Our cruise soon had us skirting the coastline of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park to our right with South and North Manitou Islands to our left off in the distance.   There remained an interesting and fairly heavy cloud cover for the majority of todays trip.  It appeared that there was a large ship  at one point off in the distance towards the islands but upon further investigation we found that it was actually the North Manitou Shoal Light Station which was the last manned lighthouse to exist on the Great Lakes until it was automated in 1980.   

Low cloud cover with Sleeping Bear Dunes up into it

         Cruising along Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park

 As we continued on our way toward our destination the clouds continued to thicken and there was an occasional drizzle but nothing too bad or annoying, that is until we were making our approach into Leland Harbor when the rain picked up to a consistent steady pace.   Fortunately three young marina dock hands braved the weather and met us at our slip to catch and help secure lines; those instances always call for healthy tips!  By the time we were secured, power hooked up and settled in we were wet and cold which made us grateful for our heat and we took advantage of that for the remainder of the morning and into the mid afternoon by relaxing and napping.   By about 3pm the rain had slowed to an intermittent drizzle again so we ventured out on foot to explore the town.   Immediately outside of the marina is what is called “Fishtown” which is an area on the first block or so of the Leland River that maintains the historical charm of many of the buildings and fishing operations.   The water coming out of the river is as crystal clear as Lake Michigan and the small shanties and building along the river are picturesque and quaint; a very cool vibe.   The first business that greets you as you come into Fishtown is Carlson’s Fresh & Smoked Fish….yum!   It’s a tiny little shop with the typical alluring, wonderful aroma and just a couple of glass cases of deliciousness.   Along with free samples of the fares (which even Renee partook in) we left with a container of salmon pate and a healthy piece of smoked trout.  

Getting our fresh local fish fix on

The welcome center had an informative and well done series of pictures/displays outlining the history of the area and in particular the Great Lakes fishing industry.   Although once a booming industry, it is now only a very small fraction of what it once was and this port is about the only one on the lakes that remains operating as a true commercial fishing port.   We continued to stroll through town and down Main St stopping in at a few shops where we picked up an adorable onesie outfit for the still brewing bun of our newest grandchild (gender yet TBD…it’ll be a surprise! 🤩).   Of course we also scoped restaurants and more importantly where the best ice cream and coffee could be obtained for future indulgences.  

Picturesque 

These U boats are a symbol for the town 

Leland 

We grilled steak, salmon, baked potatoes and asparagus for dinner and soon after with full bellies loaded Riva into her luxurious basket on the bike to explore the area further.  The town of Leland is on the shore of Lake Michigan and also tucked between that and Lake Leelanau.   The waters of lake Leelanau are a balmy 70 degrees and we discovered that it has a dog friendly beach that we will likely be bringing Riva to tomorrow.   The lake is surrounded by many gorgeous homes all set in lush, mature trees and on very private lots.  As we rode on along the lakeshore streets we came upon an impeccably cared expansive golf course.  We stopped and since we saw no one on the course we made ourselves at home by utilizing one of the pristinely manicured fairways as the perfect spot for Riva to run and play fetch on.  She needed the exercise that this afforded.   It was a nice ride with the exception of one steep, long hill towards the end of the ride; we were at least granted a reprieve with the downhill coast that was the last third of a mile back to the marina.  

Looking up river

Nicely manicured fairways 

            Riva getting her stick action busy on the course 

We definitely enjoyed this first day in Leland and look forward to further activities and exploration tomorrow.  Fellow AGLCA member, Ben Stein, informed us recently while attending a Great Lakes presentation at the Spring Rendezvous that Leland was his favorite stop on Lake Michigan and we can certainly see why.  Thanks for the ‘must stop’ advice on this one Ben and Laura!