6/7/23 - Grand Haven day 2 - chilling

Out of town guest welcome token from 
‘The Eye Opener Group’
LOVE the anchor 

After a restful nights sleep and our morning coffee we rode back over to the AA clubhouse for a 7:30am meeting.  This one was larger, forty or so people, and was a nice way to get the day started.  There were several very talkative and friendly folks whom we hung out after with chatting.  After the meeting we headed just down the street a bit and stopped at a farmers market that we had read was every Wednesday and Saturday morning.   It was surprising how many fresh fruits and veges they had for this time of year; squash, zucchini, asparagus, snap peas, rhubarb,  carrots, tatos etc.   Our load to take home included a quart of strawberries, a pound of asparagus, a package of blueberry pancake mix, fresh maple sausage links and a chunk of delicious smoked cheese.  

 

Finding a good local farm market is always a 
Score!

Back at the boat we had some of the maple  sausage with eggs and toast for breakfast.   We cleaned and prepped the strawberries to be able to have for an evening snack.  It was a sunny but windy day and a bit chillier.  As predicted, the winds were howling at 25 mph+ much of the day.   We did a few miscellaneous chores but mostly just sat around and were generally lazy most of the remainder of the morning and early afternoon.   Around 3:30pm we did take a bike ride up along the river and out to the lighthouse and beaches.  

                   The Great Lakes Navigational app said waves this afternoon were 4-5 feet.  To lumpy for our comfort

With the cool temps and gusty wind there was almost no one in the water but many people out in the beaches enjoying the sunshine.  There were about eight guys out kite boarding which was pretty cool to watch.   The state park beach which is closest to the mouth of the river does not allow dogs so we made our way down a quarter mile or so to the city beach where we strolled along in the sand for a bit.   

                   Kite borders were out in force enjoying the 25mph winds and waves 

    The Coast Guard has a rich history here in Grand Haven

As our wheels were getting locked back into the bike rack at the marina we both realized how hungry we were so we put Riva in the boat and headed out for dinner.   Our intended dining destination  was going to be ‘The Toasted Pickle’ which got very good reviews.   However they have a very small indoor dining area and it was a bit chilly for us to sit outside to eat.  Instead we chose ‘The Copper Post’ which also had good reviews and was recommended by a couple people we had spoken with.   It turned out to be a good choice; delicious food and large servings.   We were happy with our decision to have an appetizer and split a meal.   Down from the restaurant we headed into a specialty grocery and purchased a lasagna soup mix that will make for a good dinner in the InstaPot on an upcoming cruise day.   Whipped cream and/or shortbread were on our minds to go with the fresh strawberries back in the fridge.   No luck on the shortbread and thought we’d struck out on the whipped cream also until Renee went into Kilwins (local ice cream shop) and came out with a waffle bowl full of whipped cream….another score!  

Time was spent relaxing and talking with a couple of family members and friends from home on the phone.  At 7pm a very talented high school jazz band  performed at the amphitheater just down from the boat.  Nice evening entertainment.   The strawberries,  coffee and soon after bed was calling us.   

Local high school jazz band for evening entertainment. The young trombone player was the highlight but missed getting him on video 

       Sun setting behind Happy Destiny

The plan is to stay one more day and night here in Grand Haven while the lake condition forecast continues to be pretty squirrelly until Friday.   Plenty more for us to do and see here tomorrow.