Petoskey, MI

 We departed St. Ignace at the top of Michigan, on Lake Huron for Petoskey, MI our first stop on Lake Michigan.  WE departed at 8:20AM and arrived at noon for our 55 mile run.  Seas started out 2-3 feet and settled down as we entered Little Traverse Bay to 1 foot.

 We passed under the Mackinac bridge entering Lake Michigan for the first time.  Wind was 15 knots from the west right on the bow.

 We tied up at the Municipal Marina.  Like most towns in MI the city owns and operates a large marina for locals but also provides many slips for transients like us.  This one had an adjacent park and bike path that connects to Charlevoix and Harbor Springs.  

 Petoskey is a small resort town with shops, ice cream and of course fudge.  

 You may have heard about problems with lowering lake levels on Lakes Michigan and Huron.  The level has dropped 4 feet since 1999.  You can see the effect here of a dock near Petoskey.  

We stayed for two nights due to high winds that gusted to 38 MPH on Tuesday.  I bicycled to Harbor Springs, 20 mile round trip, with much effort with the headwind.  En route I saw the U of MI solar powered vehicle.  It had an entourage of 5 vehicles including a huge SUV with trailer to haul the car.  So much for environmentally friendly.

Enlarge the picture to see the whitecaps and 5 foot waves passing the marina.  It was lumpy in the marina as well all day, finally subsiding in the evening.

Another shot showing the flags! WE enjoyed our extra time in Petoskey. We found two good restaurants, Palette Cafe and Twisted Olive.