St. Ignace, Michigan

August 29 - After waiting a couple of days at Drummond Island for good cruising weather, we were finally on our way to St. Ignace, Michigan.  We departed at 7:20 a.m.  It was a very cloudy and dismal day, but we had 1-2 foot following seas which meant the waves were on our stern.  A much more comfortable ride than if the waves are on the bow or the beam.  We made good time and arrived at St. Ignace 6 hours later (52 statute miles).  The highlight of the trip was seeing a large bald eagle perched in a tree shortly after we left Drummond Island.  We had not seen bald eagles for a while.

We passed by Mackinac Island on our way to St. Ignace and that was a treat.  Many Loopers stop at the Mackinac Island Marina.  But we have been to Mackinac Island many times so decided to head to St. Ignace.  We just had to watch out for ferries from the mainland to Mackinac Island.  One thing we did see that was interesting was a slow boat that was following about a half dozen people who were swimming from the mainland to the island.  The swimmers had wet suits on, but I'll bet the water was cold!

 We have been to St. Ignace before so we knew the town well.  Being the end of the season and in the middle of the week, the marina and the town were not crowded at all.  We did enjoy walking down the main street and seeing the changes since our last visit.  There are still many restaurants and bars - and, of course, Carey found ice cream! 

Interestingly, there was a Ranger Tug named Independence that we "met" in the North Channel.  We never really met them in person but we did see them at several anchorages and while cruising.   Independence was already anchored in our "horrible" anchorage in the Benjamin's the night we rocked and rolled (literally!) all night long.  After we arrived in St. Ignace, Independence pulled in and docked nearby.  We finally got to meet the crew of Independence; we had dinner together at a local restaurant and shared many stories.  It was nice to finally meet them in person!

 Tug LeeLoo In The Distance At St. Ignace Marina

 Beautiful Flowers In St. Ignace