Travels of Mark and Pat: August 2019

Saturday - August 31

Oh my....the last day of August and Labor Day weekend is here!. All the summer fun is winding down!

Another pretty day here in Brewerton with fall-like temps (52 this morning). Had breakfast and then Louise (my new friend from Whitby, ON) and I took off on a little shopping spree - Marshall's, Wegman's and Maximum (liquor). Louise and Robin are leaving tomorrow and their ultimate destination is the Bahamas.....lots of planning and grocery shopping to do. Their first "BIG" trip. We had a lot of fun with a stop at the Ink Corner Cafe for lattes.

Unpacked all the stuff and the gals are preparing their "dish-to-pass" for tonight's rib fest which Ethan and Kim (owners and operators of EssKay) are putting on.

Mark helped George and Robin with boat jobs....guys are so happy doing things on their boat and helping each other solve problems!

Happy Labor Day from these NC Kiddos

Drew is visiting Anne and family this weekend....

Drew and Liam having lunch at Portillo's

Lake afternoon, Mark and I went to do a bit of organizing on Flo.

So, the ribs were absolutely excellent ---- Kim did a bang-up job using her Mother's secret recipe for the sauce. Also sweet corn, tons of salads and other sides. We brought desserts (cheesecake w/fresh blueberries, chocolate chip cookies and eclairs).

Louise and Robin

The whole gang at Ess Kay

Friday - August 30

So good to be back at EssKay and Brewerton, Cicero, etc. We had a busy morning.....breakfast here and then off to Target and Starbucks (Target's Starbucks wasn't going to open till 10) , so....next stop was Geddes Bakery in North Syracuse which Meg and Seward highly recommended - oh boy.....nothing like a beautiful bakery full of goodies! Got some apple fritters and then found another Starbucks - a really nice, new one....big, busy, lots of baristas.

Off to Winter Harbor and got Flo hooked to Big Red and out of the building and parked alongside building. So now we can easily do whatever between Catrina and Flo till the big transfer next Tuesday.

Home to Catrina, put our stuff away and time to get to work.....I washed Catrina, Mark cleaned fenders (Magic Eraser works "MAGIC"). Locks are scuzzy and nasty! We washed several lines in sudsy water, then Downy to make them soft and pliable and finally 2 good rinsings). More to do tomorrow. It was very windy today but oh-so-pretty!

Mike, our injured friend set out 2 plates of goodies around 2 - delicious grape leaves stuffed with rice, almonds, grapes, tomatoes, 2 kinds of cheese, crackers and figs. All delicious. Then at 3:00, Meg brought out awesome sweet corn they had bought at the Phoenix Farmers Market (darn....we missed that)! So, some nice snacks in the middle of the afternoon.

I was hanging out in the hammock reading this afternoon - pretty view...

Docktails and good snacks with Seward, Meg, Mike, George, Jane and new couple who came in today from Whitby, ON (Louise and Robin).

Thursday - August 29

A mixture of clouds and sun today and 73 degrees. We enjoyed a good breakfast thanks to the Boat Brats who got us yummy sandwiches from Larkin's. Disappointed that Thrive (coffee shop/cafe) was closed for vacation... - no latte today!

So, we enjoyed a nice chat with Bev (our neighbor from Nevada who helped us dock yesterday) and Collin, one of the Boat Brats - delightful 8-year old who was so much fun to talk to. Bev so reminded me of my Aunt Dee and Collin, had so many similar mannerisms as Liam!

Collin and Bev

Mark and I hope when we're 83 and 85 (God willing), we'll be as limber and healthy as

Bev and Larry.

We left Phoenix around 11 and 12 miles and 1 lock later, we were "Home" at EssKay in Brewerton. So good to see familiar faces and settle in our slip next to George and Jane.

Mark did some stats on our little cruise......we were gone 1 day shy of 3 weeks and traveled to Phoenix, Oswego, Clayton, Gananoque, ON, anchorage off Howe Island, Sackets Harbor, Kingston, ON, Rochester, Sodus Point, Phoenix, Brewerton. We cruised 432 miles and were actually moving the boat 13 days. The Captain did great and is no worse for wear improving daily!!!

Being on his boat is the best therapy!!!

Enjoyed docktails tonight with Seward and Meg, Jane and George. We are all feeling so bad for our friend, Mike who had recently bought his first boat and planned to get started on his Loop travels. A short few days (less than a week) after he left Brewerton, he fell on the dock and has a fractured rib, a broken rib and a torn meniscus! So, his travels are definitely on hold for now.

Thinking of Florida and praying Dorian skirts far away into the Atlantic...

Wednesday - August 28

Hello from Phoenix (NY)! We left Sodus Point in the rain at 9:33 with the engines having their check-up and all good! Rain today but tomorrow, winds in the wrong direction, so...."What's a little rain?" Put on our rain gear and off we went! 7 locks and 51 miles today.

This is a very long dock leaving the Sodus Point (only seeing a portion here). This entrance channel wall was chock full of ducks and geese this morning as we left. Saying good bye to us after 6 nights here! Imagine all that poop!!!

This is home to the Boat Brats but they work 7-2, so were not here when we arrived. And also where the dinner-size hibiscus are.....they have exploded in full bloom since we were here 3 weeks ago.

Gorgeous BIG blooms

Larry (83) and Bev (85) helped us tie up. They are from Nevada and have boated all over the world. Decided they probably should give up the boating, so boat is for sale and they have a "serious" looker coming from Montreal on Monday.....fingers crossed. Nice couple. Then a sailor by himself from Toronto on his sailboat tied up behind us.

Went to Duskees Sports Bar for dinner.....good margaritas (2 for 1); Yuengling for Mark and good burger and salad (Memphis chicken)!

Beautiful cloud formation when we came back from dinner....

Pretty sight in Phoenix from Catrina

12 miles tomorrow to our New York home - EssKay in Brewerton!!!

Tuesday - August 27

Cloudy and very windy today.....few little bursts of sunshine, but didn't last long. I made ham/cheese omelets, toast and blueberries and the last of the delicious zucchini/blueberry bread Bay Street (Carolyn) sent home with us! Brett came to work on the starboard engine and Mark and I went to the boaters lounge with our I-pad and kindle to read - Catrina was rockin' and rollin' and let Brett do his thing and stay out of his way!

We put on jackets (fleece for me) and went for a walk - winds are so strong out of the south and chilly, but once we switched directions, warmed up real fast out of the wind!

Saw this pretty bush along our walk, but no clue what they are?

We shared a tuna melt sub from Rubino's, ate in the lounge and then went for walk. Brett finished up around 2:30 - wind is still blowing like crazy...

We played euchre in the lounge with Mark winning 2 out of 3 games. Had a nice chat with Blair. She LOVES 1st grade and now taking dance classes (ballet, jazz and hip hop). Also some singing, theater and gymnastics - she's one busy girl and so happy!

We had planned to be on our way tomorrow but 100% chance of rain, so we shall see.

It's a rainy day in NC, but sweet Maeve is all ready for her 2nd day of pre school!

And big brother is off to 1st grade

Monday - August 26

Sure feels like fall......love these deep blue skies, 50's in the morning and evening and 70's daytime!

Mark checked at the office about Brett coming to work (500-hour check) and then we moved the boat to a dock wall where they do the work. We were happy to get off those narrow docks and Brett made lots of trips - he gets around on a golf cart and that sure wasn't going to work.

So, Brett got to work and (few issues here and there, but not getting into all that).....the good news is the port engine is finished and he will do the starboard one tomorrow. We would not have have gone anywhere tomorrow anyway as strong winds are in the forecast.

Took our top bimini into the canvas shop here to have some stitching reinforced. It was finished today so Mark and I got that back up....

Mark stayed close to the boat today answering questions, etc......Brett, the mechanic is soo young looking - when we first saw him, we both thought "A teenager"....but actually he's had 17 years experience and we were told he's 34.

I got in some good walking and made it to the beach - Point Sodus Beach Park. Lots of Moms and kiddies out there - no school for another week.

I have been getting sooo many calls (which I promptly hang up on....."Fraud Risk, Spam Risk, and then same ole again and again, sometimes 4-5 times a day!) UGH!!! They come from all over the country!

Pulled Pork sliders and salad for supper. We've had a terrible time with itty bitty teeny tiny bugs which have invaded Catrina (outside) and all the boats here.....at least it's better since we've moved, but what a mess. Had a nice clean boat yesterday and this morning.....ugh ugh ugh!!!

Here's some beauties from Sodus Point...

Shades of purple hydrangeas

Sunny sunflowers

Pretty pink petunias

I love the red/yellow mixture - marigolds and geraniums

St. Rose (photographer was a bit crooked)

And this little gem is a fuel cooler.....looks like a rolling pin!!! Ha!

Sunday - August 25

A splendid sunny Sunday......blue skies and 75. We walked a few short blocks to St. Rose Mission Church. Very small but filled to max today with a very nice young priest, Father Armato - something we don't see too much. St. Rose is part of St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish (never heard of this saint)? St. Mary's and Epiphany are also part of St. Max's and in nearby small towns.

Back to Catrina, did a pumpout and then gave her a bath! Another leisurely afternoon after I fixed tacos for lunch. Later we walked downtown and had some more yummy Giffords ice cream. Eat and walk......think the eating is winning out..................

A nap, reading, e-mails and soon it was time to walk back downtown for dinner. We had a reservation at Bay Street and another fabulous dinner with another excellent martini. The bread is sooo good here, plus they add in 2 little squares of zucchini blueberry bread. Oh my.....tonight Carolyn, our waitress, sent us home with extras! THANK YOU!!!

The owner talked to us - she and her husband bought Bay Street 5 years ago (he is the chef). They close in the winter for a few months. The hotel closed 18 years ago, but in its heyday, many fishermen stayed there for $13.50 a night. This area of Sodus Point is big for shanty fishermen - ice fishing. Pretty severe winters up here!

Back to Catrina and settling in for the night - so calm and peaceful and most of the boaters have gone on home....

Have a great week....can't believe Labor Day weekend is coming up!!! Where oh where has summer gone?

Saturday - August 24

51 years ago today Mark proposed!!! One year ago we were doing the hot air balloon ride over Ithaca, NY - what a great memory!

Very dreary and cloudy with threatening skies most of the day - we just got a few sprinkles, but around 4, the sun came out. Only in the 60's......Mark made blueberry pancakes and sausage for breakfast - yummy. Good day to catch up on e-mails and check in with friends we've met this summer and see where they are these days?

After lunch we went for a walk and meandered thru some residential streets - Sodus Point is a quaint little town of just 879 in the off season. This time of year (especially on the weekends....much more). There are some neat B 'n B's, inns and vacation rentals plus with all the boat people, makes for a big summertime crowd. No coffee shop here but 2 ice cream spots, so had some good Giffords before walking back to Catrina.

Sodus Point was formerly called Troupville and home of the battle (June 20, 1813) in the War of 1812. There is a lighthouse and maritime museum here...

More pretties on the lighthouse grounds

Pretty flowerbed along Lake Ontario

And a pumpkin patch...

Sign of fall

2 things we haven't been able to do since Mark's injury are ride bikes and go on dinghy rides....oh well, another time... oh, and must not forget lifting weights - now I could be doing that, but....?

We played some 2-handed euchre this afternoon - I won 2 games!!!! Then went for a walk and nice visit with dockmate from Baldwinsville.

Had our leftovers from last night at Bay Street - sooo good! Till tomorrow...sweet dreams!

Friday - August 23

Gorgeous day - feels like fall! We had breakfast and then set off with our wagon and a bunch of laundry - walking that narrow long stretch on the dock till finally we were off and lots of space!

Got 3 loads done, stopped at Rubino's for lunch - it is a little sub shop here at the marina and was founded in 1958 in Rochester. We shared a hot sub and it was delicious!

Brought back all our clean clothes and did the narrow "walk the dock" again.....got things unloaded and then went for a walk downtown. We've been here before by truck back in the spring checking the water levels and then on July 4th when it was a real happening place.

Today, Sodus Point is a sleepy little town with several marinas, 3 churches and 8 restaurants. I imagine it will be hopping this weekend! We stopped at Captain Jack's and had nice cold beverages (adult) and felt good to sit awhile - don't want the Captain to overdo, but he's walking more each day.

Lots of pretty flowers here, too....including "dinner-size" hibiscus...

Brown-eyed Susans

Mark talked to the mechanic and he said he would be working on the engines today - fuel coolers had been ordered from Annapolis and shipped overnight.

Mark got notification on his phone that the parts had been delivered, so......he went to ask Brett if he was going to be working this afternoon....."No, he didn't think so"...was not even aware that the order had been delivered. ARGHHHH.......of course, we had cleaned everything out of our room so he could get to the starboard engine. The other one is in disarray, but since we don't need to use anything, he can come and go with engine exposed. Then we have Saturday-Sunday, so maybe won't see anyone til Monday? Oh well.....it feels good to have some "down" time with nothing to do, no where to go and just chill a bit.

Mark had told them way back when what we were having done (500-hour check-up of new engines), so you would've thought they would have supplies on hand, but no, they wait and see the engines and then decide. More ARGHHHH.

This is the Bay Street Hotel back in the day but still looks like this and no longer a hotel, but now a very cool, very trendy, very delicious restaurant, called "Bay Street".

Bay Street

This is ranked #1 in Sodus Point according to Trip Advisor and others told us we "had to go there". So tonight we walked downtown (had a reservation) and it was excellent. They have a huge martini menu - SIX pages plus dessert martinis. Never saw anything like it!

I had the soup - clam/crab chowder and oh my......Mark had a pasta special with lobster, shrimp artichokes and avocado. I had the halibut with Chardonnay sauce. Drinks, soup, salad, dinner all 5*****.

Although it is nothing fancy from the outside, inside it's real old timey with tiny white lights and other quaint decorations. Julie, our server was very good, too.

A great experience!!!

A great ending to a beautiful day......(except for the engine check which didn't happen)!

Whew....Mark did over 17,000 steps today! Probably way too much, but glad he's working on getting his back, back to normal! As his Dr. said, "If it feels good, do it"!!!

Enjoy your weekend!

Thursday - August 22

Miss Maeve is starting pre school today - how can that be?

Drew is last hold out. He starts his sophomore year at Iowa next Monday!

Cloudy day and cooler....we left Shumway Marina and Rochester at 815ish and off to Sodus Point. With the ever changing forecast for wave height and wind direction, we weren't sure what to expect. All was good and at times almost like a sleigh ride as Catrina rode the waves....short trip of 30 miles (2 hours).

Katlynn Marina is a working marina (same for Shumway)....Mark went to office to talk to mechanic about Catrina's engine check (500 hours). We had appt. for Monday (3rd time to reschedule, but we are actually here and no longer depending on the weather). Fortunately Brett could start today and did come onboard to check the starboard engine and see just what needs to be done per Yanmar's directions for 500-hour check. He needs to order fuel filters, fuel coolers, elbows (sure hope not - $$$), etc. and so.....that is underway. Not sure how long this will all take but no special place to go and strong winds coming next few days.

The docks here have all had an extra dock added on top as original docks were all under water. This makes for a narrow walk-way.....here comes my Captain...

A bit precarious walking the docks

We had brunch - eggs, sausage, blueberries and marble rye toast!

I do occasionally use my culinary talents!!! Ha....

Did a load of laundry this afternoon - nice boater's lounge with showers, laundry, ship's store, etc.

Had a nice visit with lady from Minneapolis/St. Paul.

We had ribs tonight that John sent home with us last night - sooo good! Off for a walk on this beautiful evening! Going to be cooler next several days - 70's and all sunshine!

Wednesday - August 21

Rained from 5-9 AM......we left with our little wagon at 9:45 heading to get some groceries but first, a stop at Sips for coffee/latte and shared a bagel sandwich. Off to Herrema's (family-owned grocery in Market Center shopping plaza). Got 3 bags of goodies and essentials, and pulled wagon back to Catrina - whew, the sun came out and it is steamy!

BIG day for Luke......

1st day of 1st grade

Quiet afternoon on Catrina.

Our plan tonight had been for John (Mark's cousin) and Cindy to pick us up and off to Dinosaur BBQ which is highly rated here in Rochester and one of Michael's favorites. John came with Lucas (5-year old grandson) and said there was a change in plans and we were going to their house for dinner. What a nice surprise to have an awesome home-cooked meal, along with their son, Brian, Evan (2) and Lucas. Emily (Mommy) was home with 1-month old Isaac. The ribs were excellent along with corn on the cob (picked fresh this morning), watermelon, cole slaw and cornbread - all DELISH!!!!

So fun to be together again....

Evan

Lucas and Brian

Would love to be in NYC tomorrow.....at 9:30 AM, the Blue Angels, Canadian Red Arrows and Thunderbirds will be flying over the city. They are calling it a "Historical Flyover"!!!....wow! How neat that would be to see. They will fly over the Hudson River from West Point to the Statue of Liberty and back. Gee, to be on Catrina on the Hudson watching with awe.....but we are over 350 miles away!

The Blues and Arrows will be performing north of NYC at this weekend's air show. The Thunderbirds will be here in Rochester for air show!

So shocked and sad to hear that our next-door neighbor in Cypress Trail, Rita, is very ill with cancer. Thought and prayers for she and Dick.

Tuesday - August 20

Today was soooo pretty - clear sunny skies and no wind as we left at 7:54 AM. Bye bye Kingston...

Thanks for a great visit!

As crazy windy as yesterday was, soo much calmer today!

On a clear day you can see forever.....

We had a nice smooth crossing (5 hours) and now at Shumway Marina in Rochester on the

Genesee River.

We called into clear customs (sooo much easier than years ago), settled Catrina, checked in at office and walked next door to Schooners for lunch, we had heard from David at EssKay that Zweigle's hot dogs were the best! We had never heard of them, but they were on Schooners' menu so why not? They were grilled and loaded with all the good stuff - 👍👍

There's a strip mall nearby and we walked there and found a grocery store (tomorrow), Dollar Tree (Mark found the Dollar Tree in Kingston but everything in there was $1.25....Canada prices), some restaurants, and Sips!

When we were deciding which marina to stay at while visiting here, Mark saw "Sips" was nearby - a coffee shop, so chose Shumway.....what a guy! He's a keeper!!! It was spelled "Sipps" in Kingston. Sips is a really cute place with Frank Sinatra playing some nice tunes. We each got iced coffee/latte to go and hope to come back for breakfast tomorrow.

Mark walked over 7000 steps yesterday, is cutting back on the ibuprofen and has been taking the brace off more and more! Definitely noticing improvement each day!!!

Thanks for your thoughts and prayers.....he will see the orthopedic Dr. when we return to Bloomington.

Rain is coming our way...

Monday - August 19

Rained over night and in the early morning. We had breakfast (love those Chrissy Beanz pastries from Sackets Harbor) and then walked downtown - gloomy and dreary. I went to the Kingston Coffee House while Mark got a haircut. Read my kindle and enjoyed this cute coffee shop which are in abundance in the downtown area with names like "Sipps", "The Common Market", "The Grocery Basket", "Crave", "Coffee and Co.", "Pan Chancho Bakery and Cafe" "Cooke's Fine Foods and Coffee" and of course, "Starbucks" and "Tim Horton's".

We came on back to Catrina, opened all the windows - the sun is shining brightly and it is very breezy. Had a nice afternoon of reading and computer stuff.

Crazy winds kept increasing -18 mph winds and gusts of 22 mph. We walked downtown on this pretty afternoon (80) and lots of people out and about (schools haven't started yet). Had drinks and delicious nachos at Jack Astor's Rooftop Bar. Great spot to see the city, eat, drink and be merry!
We learned from our waitress that there are 3 colleges in Kingston and one is a military academy.

Love the red Adirondack chairs at the old train station

Fountains outside City Hall in Confederate Park

Mark at the Lighthouse entrance to Confederate Basin Marina

Chili beef nachos - sooo good!

The Shoal Tower built in the 1840's to protect Kingston Harbor and entrance to the Rideau Canal

Workers tending to the beautiful flowers which are everywhere - they do an outstanding job!!!

I've talked off and on about all the sandbags on Lake Ontario from the terrible flooding this spring and early summer. We read in the news that Sackets Harbor had the Army in town Saturday removing 100,000 sand bags as they feel the threat is now over. Unbelievable.....we've seen so many around town, but 100,000???? PLUS, the soldiers were there one week ago and removed 60,000 more. Hard to imagine...

Mark has been studying this weather forecast for the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario - wind direction, wave height, rain prediction, etc......for the next few days and when is best day to travel? Sure missed it yesterday, so......we'll see what tomorrow brings!

WOW....by 7:30, the wind had totally died down!!!

These kiddos are so excited to start school. Today they met their teachers and saw their classrooms - they are ready!

Luke starts Wednesday and Maeve on Thursday!

Maeve is wearing her Dr. Seuss dress which the principal and teachers commented on!

Sunday - August 18

We were up EARLY this morning and left our slip at Sackets Harbor at 6 AM headed to Sodus Point. Mark had checked the forecast (rain later and waves, 1' or less), so let's get outta here.

But the waves were in the wrong direction (not west like they said - waves were 1-2' and banging us - pounding, pounding....NOT good for his back or my tummy. After 13 miles, enough is enough....we turned around and came into Clayton for diesel and a pump out and then, off to Kingston. So, we are back in Canada and staying here a few days till this weather settles and we can have a "smooth" crossing to Sodus Point. Tomorrow we were to have Catrina's engines checked for 500 hours, but we will reschedule.

This is where we had originally wanted to come this weekend, but all the "go-fast", noisy" boats were here for the poker run, so "no, thank you". There were still several here when we arrived, but they have cleared out. We walked downtown and had a nice brunch at Aqua Terra overlooking the water. Mark had the Canadian breakfast - eggs, sausage, bacon, potatoes, toast. I had delicious Monkey Bread French Toast....

DEE-licious!

We both took a nap in the afternoon - turned out to be a nice day with sunshine and 78.

Tonight we walked downtown and had gelato at Mio - beautiful evening Walked around and checked out this nice area full of flowers, outdoor cafes and several hotels all around us. We were last here July 31, 2011. We are 1/2 way between Montreal and Toronto.

Our nephew and Godson, Tommy and his sweet little Riley wearing a new outfit from her

Great Aunt Pat

Have a great week ahead!

Saturday - August 17

Cloudy morning....I took off for Chrissy's Beanz and picked up some yummy pastries to enjoy the next few days....cinnamon roll, strawberry-lemon scone, raspberry, white chocolate muffin, blackberry/lemonade muffin, 2 cinnamon twists. The first sampling was a huge success!!!

Mark met our neighbor Don from Pittsford, NY (sailor out of Sackets Harbor). He is a Power Squadron boat inspector and noticed we didn't have a sticker showing Catrina had been thru the drill. So, he came aboard and got us all certified, Catrina passed with flying colors and sticker is in place.

Quiet afternoon of reading as the rain came down for about 2 hours. Luckily it stopped before we left for church - 4:00 Mass at St. Andrews. Really nice Franciscan priest from Oswego who was filling in for pastor. We met him going into church together - very vibrant, great homily and just a wonderful experience here in Sackets Harbor.

Had supper at Goodfellas, Italian fare with wood-fired pizza. I had pizza and Mark enjoyed his chicken parm and we both have leftovers! Good stuff with chianti.

Movin' on tomorrow to Sodus Point....

Thursday-Friday, August 15-16

We had no internet last night, so here's what's been going on past 2 days!

Thursday -

A beautiful day in Canada and it’s the Feast Day of the Assumption of Mary. I walked to St. John’s for 8:30 Mass. Decided Mark should not walk that far, plus there were some hills too. After mass I went to Panache (where I got the butter tarts yesterday); got a skinny vanilla latte and some pastries. Took some more pics along the way to church of some lovely homes and gardens.

Mark met me at the marina office – that;s a trek in itself! We walked back to Catrina and got things ready to head on out to anchor this gorgeous day! We chose Brakey Bay off Wolfe Island – there was just one other boat there – a tall ship but they left after a few hours so we had the anchorage to ourselves.

Black Jack

The sun was shining, nice breeze and 75 degrees – doesn’t get much better than this – peaceful and quiet. Mark even got in the water a little bit and did some cleaning of the water line – water is sooo clear! Didn’t want to overdo, so just did one side – that can definitely wait!

Then around 4, Mark checked the forecast and gee…..what was supposed to be a nice evening was now showing winds were going to be out of the north and pick up as the night went on, plus some rain. Rain is no biggie, but did not want to be rockin’ and rollin’ at 2 AM. So at 4:45 we picked up the anchor and went a short 20-minute jaunt to Cassidys Bay off Howe Island. Another lovely spot, but sharing it with 6 sailboats. Oh well…there’s plenty of room for all and again, pretty and peaceful.

Mark grilled burgers for supper and we settled in for the night! Had some rain late evening and overnight!

Back to school today for Liam and Connor...

Freshman and 8th grade

And here's Drew ready to head out of Bloomington towards Iowa City and his sophomore year

Friday - sunny skies after the rain and after breakfast, we brought up the anchor (remote control) and holy moly, never saw so much grass and mud attached - took awhile to get it free (wish I had taken a pic). We were on our way and it was a great ride (42 miles) to Sackets Harbor. The plan had been to go just a few miles away from Cassidys Bay to Kingston, but there was a big poker run this weekend and no slips available. So, change of plans and back to the USA.....easy check-in by phone app for customs - just answer a few questions and we were welcomed back!

We arrived at Navy Point Marina and settled into our slip. We were here 2 weeks ago today after the Clayton Antique Boat show (Big Red) and so surprised how many docks (under cover) were still submerged...........2 weeks later, same story. Really sad and can't imagine what it's done to their business this summer.

Our home tonight

We had lunch and walked to town - nice little hike, but Mark did it and came upon the horrific devastation of fire at The Anchor, restaurant that burned late Monday evening. When Mark checked into marina, the gal had told him about fire. Wow....remember this place from 2 weeks ago.....how sad.

Nothing left...

We went to "Chrissy's Beanz" - another cute coffee shop and bakery. Sat outside with our iced coffee/latte and then I browsed thru a few shops and Mark walked back to boat.

Captain update - taking 6 Ibuprofen a day and off the brace for short intervals....this healing is a SLOW process.

It is really humid today - rain is coming...

Some good restaurants here in Sackets Harbor - we went to Tin Pan Galley tonight - as you know, we LOVE to eat (especially "go out to eat".) But once in a while there's that memorable meal and tonight was it......we sat in the courtyard - beautiful and had a wonderful meal, good service, and entertained by Andy (owner) who could play the trombone, trumpet, guitar, fiddle, harmonica, and flute + sang all kinds of music. A couple was dancing and Andy mentioned they have been married 68 years!!!! Whoaaaa.....that's 18 more than us and this guy was sure moving better than Mark!!! (But then Mark has a good excuse)!