Wrigley Field with the Kids

We ended the kids’ visit with a bang on Sunday.  Carrie and I had a limo show up to the harbor to pick us all up and take us to Chicago.  They had a flight out mid-day on Monday, but we weren’t done just yet.  Before leaving South Haven, we managed to get a slip in a little more protected spot across the river and in a cove, where the lake surge, predicted to get pretty nasty, would not beat Once Around to death while we were gone.  It proved to be a good call, as friends (Dockers Inn) docked on the main channel would tell us the next day.

Your chariot awaits...

...my Queen

The drive to downtown Chicago took us a little less than three hours.  We left Michigan, passed through Indiana, and entered Illinois, all before lunchtime.

Proof that at least Dina and Lia were in Indiana

Lunchtime was spent eating Chicago dogs and drinking a few beers at Wrigley Field.  The weather was low seventies and sunny, the crowd was 40,000 plus, and the Cubs won.  The two kids ate three large bags of peanuts…OK, maybe I helped them some.  A great time was had by all.

. 

Everybody got a Cubs hat!

We had great seats, too.

The famous Wrigley Field.

The suckers were a hit!

My gorgeous daughter, Dina.

Well, if truth be told, six innings would have been plenty for the little guys as they kind of faded near the end.

Ben faded late in the game.

As did little sister, Lia.

The grandparents had a great time!

After the game we dropped Dina, Darrin and the kids off at a hotel near O’Hare Airport so they could get a good night’s rest and catch their flight home on Monday.  The driver then took the Admiral and me all the way back to the boat in South Haven, arriving there around 9:30 PM.  By 9:35 PM Grandma and Nono were sound asleep.

Today my first mate and Judy from Moonstruck took a cab at around 2:30 to a laundromat.  Judy was surprised to see that Once Around had four large bags of laundry, mostly sandy beach towels.  Doug and I stayed on our boats to “study the river charts”.  Well, that was the plan anyway.  But, Doug called around 3:30 to tell me there was a great country band at Captain Lou’s, the local watering hole near where Moonstruck was docked.  So we sat on the deck, soaked up some sun and enjoyed a great band and a few brews.  We made up with the Admirals by taking them out to dinner tonight in town.  At least, I think we did.

The lake conditions are looking really crummy for the next several days.  Our plans are jelloing into an interesting shape.  We may drive (again) to Chicago and stay there in a hotel for a few days doing the sites and, according to the Admirals, do some serious shopping.  We’ll be watching the lake conditions and when they look good, we’ll scram back to South Haven and run across the lake to, and maybe right through Chicago. 

I’m not gonna lie, a king sized bed and room service sounds pretty darn inviting.

Spider Man and Barbie Take Over Once Around

It’s true!  One day we were just hanging around Saugatuck, when all of a sudden Spider Man and Barbie took control of the boat!  Well, not just those two, but Buddy Bear, Bun Bun, Too Many Monkeys, color crayons, board games, about 10,000 Legos and all the other paraphernalia that seemed to just come along for the ride.  Our normally neat and tidy boat looks as if hurricane Irene has passed right through the salon…and we could care less!

The good news is that Spidey and Barbie also brought our grandson, Ben, and granddaughter, Lia (and their parents) along from California with them as well.  We hadn’t seen Dina and her husband, Darrin, or the kids, since late June when we all attended Jackie’s wedding in Oregon.  Boy, did I miss them a lot.  I know, I know, it’s supposed to be the grandma’s role to miss the kids and grandkids.  Carrie does; I just whine about it more.

One of my favorite guys, Ben

Three of my favorite gals:  Carrie, Lia and Once Around

We have a lot planned for their short visit.  They arrived Wednesday afternoon after a 3-1/2 hour flight from Sacramento to Chicago and a 3 hour drive to Saugatuck.  We spent some time catching up, and then took a long dinghy ride around Lake Kalamazoo.  We had dinner at Butler’s and the kids began to fade.  They must have been running on straight adrenaline, because they made it till about 9 before crashing. 

Our view from the dinghy

I love this one!

Daddys little girl

We would have liked to stay in Saugatuck for another full day, but as usual, Lake Michigan had other ideas.  If we wanted to get to South Haven, our next port of call, it was Thursday or never.  When Once Around travels, as Judy from Moonstruck will tell you, everybody always gets moving early.  Well, almost always.  It seems in this case as if sleepy grandkids take precedence over the captain’s wishes…happily.  Besides, we only had a 20 mile stretch planned.  So, much to Judy’s surprise (they were docked next to us), we finally slipped our lines at about 11:00 AM.

Lia and Dina

The Admiral had willed good lake conditions, and I think the weather gods were just plain scared to screw with her.  We had absolutely the flattest water we’ve seen in four months on the loop.  Of course, the little guys were interested in the whole thing for about…uh…15 minutes, although they kept busy looking for pirate ships on the two hour trip to South Haven, MI.  We pulled in and were tied off and sipping Margaritas by mid-afternoon.

Ben schools me at Legos...

My grandkids are no strangers to the beach.  They have a motor home and spend a lot of time on the California shores.  I have never seen a kid enjoy digging in the sand as much as Ben.  He will work on a sand castle, mote, river or dam for hours if he can.  Since both his grandpas are underground contractors and his dad operates heavy equipment, maybe it’s genetic, I don’t know.  But, it cracks me up every time.  Lia is just quite the beach princess.  She’s even learned to pose.  Both of them swim like fish.  They wore Carrie and me out in short order.

Ben the excavator...

...and Lia the beach princess

Kathy and Garth:  Our water bucket gets put to real good use!

We have not one, but two birthday boys on board.  Ben and his dad share September 2 as their special day.  We had barbequed pork loin, baked potatoes, salad, sourdough bread from the local baker, and…oh yeah, peas.  Remember, the Admiral always insists on the green stuff.  Afterwards we enjoyed a Dutch apple pie and ice cream to celebrate Ben’s 7^th and Darrin’s 38^th birthday.  The pie came courtesy of Paul, Jackie’s father-in-law, who hails from Holland, MI.  He had met us for lunch Wed. and brought it and some other delicious Dutch pastries as a gift for us. 

The birthday boys...

Fishin' from the dink 

As I write this post, the kids are at the beach.  Carrie just finished up some laundry and we now desperately need to find a supermarket.  We need about 27 loaves of bread, 14 gallons of milk, 9 dozen eggs, and some cinnamon for the hot cocoa that is grandma’s tradition for the kids before bedtime.   Oh yeah,…we’re out of vodka, too!

Still, Life is good!

Muskegon, Grand Haven, Saugatuck

Muskegon was “Get stuff done time” for several of us Loopers.  Moonstruck was hauled, checked out, repaired and back in the water over night.  Jolly Tolly had their new dinghy lift installed and Once Around got some new VHF radios…almost.  Nothing ever goes quite as planned with electronics, and this was no exception.  More about that later…

Here, Judy and Evelyn do their best Vanna White, showing off Jolly Tolly's new dinghy and lift.

Even Once Around's dinghy got some attention.

The Nina and Pinta showed up again...are they looping too?

Which made for lots of company for us on the dock.

We did have an absolutely GREAT Looper dinner in Muskegon, thanks to Jolly Tolly who had rented a car (if that roller skate qualifies to be called a car) and rounded up the crew of Something Special, Moonstruck and Once Around for a fabulous time.  It may be the last time we cross paths for quite a while with Ron and Jan from Jolly Tolly, because they are already in Chicago and are focused on getting down the rivers ASAP.  We will catch up with them on the Tennessee River (their home port) or perhaps in Florida this winter, as they plan on heading that way after a month or two at home.  One way or another we will find each other…I’m sure.

The “one day” installation of the radios did not go quite so well, although by the end of the first day I did have a working radio.  In my former life, I would have been really stressed out, ticked off, and generally nasty towards the guys doing the work.  Not this year…I’m on vacation.  With a good working radio (better than what I had before they started) I could get to our next stop, Grand Haven, MI, which we entered on Friday, 8/26.  It was a short run down the coast and conditions were near perfect.  Something Special followed us, and Moonstruck was an hour or so behind.

Grand Haven was a terrific stop.  The municipal marina there was a block from the center of town, so we had shopping, restaurants and whatever else close at hand.  As we pulled into the slips on the main channel entering the area, we noticed the large grandstand adjacent.  We found out in short order that these filled every night for the lighted musical fountain show…which was directly across the channel.  So we had a ringside seat on our fly bridge!  It was really pretty incredible.  It was another small town extravaganza that was totally a surprise.  I don’t know if the photos do it justice, but we enjoyed it and looked forward it for the next two nights as well.

The harbor entrance to Grand Haven, MI

The musical fountain...

again...

...and again.

Getting around Grand Haven was easy too...yes Heather...we got on the "Short Bus" for a ride to the grocery store and Walmart!

I started laughing the minute I saw this.  I had to explain to Carrie, the last time I saw "Myasis Dragon", it was on a sign in a certain cabinet shop...remember Uncle John?

It must be “Looper season” in this part of Michigan.  We saw (in addition to the three of us who had come in together), Dockers Inn, Glory Days, Benelle, Last Chance and Seamoore.  Our prayers go out to Becky and Carlton on Seamoore that she recovers quickly and they can be on their way soon. 

Once Around and Something Special pulled out of Grand Haven this morning (Monday, 8/29) because the weather and lake conditions were perfect for a trip to Saugatuck.  Moonstruck will join us here on Tuesday.   More importantly (no offense Moonstruck), our grandkids (and their parents) will be here Wednesday for a several day visit!

Entering the Saugatuck area.

This little place caught our eye...

Saugatuck looks like a great little town.  It is on Lake Kalamazoo (honest) and is yet another awesome Michigan boating community.  Carrie and I had lunch with Sid and Evelyn then walked the town a bit.  She found a place for a pedicure, which gave me an hour or so to get back to the boat and nap…uh, I mean do chores.  When I finally woke up I found her in the salon drying her toes…

Not napping...drying her toes!

We took a cocktail cruise of Lake Kalamazoo (I swear, I’m not making that up).  Sorry, no pictures…my photo assistant forgot the camera.  I’m sure we’ll have another chance in the next day or two.  Tonight we had dinner at a little Bistro with outside seating and terrific Walleye, among other things. 

The radio guys are due here at 9 in the morning “to finish up”.  We’ll see…