Once more into the breach . . .

The trouble with traveling so much in a year is you kind of get used to it.  Much like divers, there are certain decompression protocols that must be strictly followed or the lack of movement will cause symptoms like the bends ;-).  Fortunately, we got a chance to slowly decompress in late August following the Alaska trip.  Harry and Nancy Radcliffe invited us to spend a few days in Leland MI at their recently remodeled home.

Saddle up N6321T once again for a flight to Traverse City by way of Ashtabula County Airport, OH (home of a great little diner right downtown).    Of course by now, travel has become so old hat we have to find other activities to while away the hours.  

Growing up in Michigan, and later as a skier while stationed in the Mid-West, we've seen a lot of the state.  Nevertheless, the Traverse City and Leland area are very different in the summer.  We fly into Traverse City Airport to find Harry and Nancy on the ramp waiving us into a parking spot not more than 30 yards from the terminal.  They've apparently been negotiating with the ramp guys while waiting for us to arrive.  We stop to get some steak, salmon and assorted other things for dinner, and after a 30 minute drive to Leland, we arrive at the house.

We're staying upstairs so the tour starts there.  When Harry found this place it was apparently somewhat of a cabin with few windows, a dark wood interior, and a tight layout.  He's taken a number of steps to open the place up -- added a lot of windows and removed a lot of walls.  Coupled with light colors and cathedral ceilings, this is now a very open and comfortable place to live. 

The whole back of the house is one large "L" shaped room bending around to the right with (you guessed it) a lot of windows.  In the pic above, the main door is on your immediate left and the stairs above are on your right.  I say main door because in this area "front" is a relative term.  The main door is actually facing a wooded area which you can see two pictures below.  You get there by walking to the left of the driveway and up a bolder-lined walkway.

Continuing into the house there is a beautiful sitting area with great view. 

Just beyond a second sitting area is the dining and kitchen area. 

The dining room opens onto a tree-covered deck which will be the location of a nice dinner tomorrow night.  For now it's a great place for a steak dinner for just the four of us.  After dinner we head out for a short walk downtown for iced cream and a stroll about the docks (see  below).  Harry says this is a safe harbor, meaning there are only a very few boats docked here permanently.  The idea is if Lake Michigan to the west is hosting a particularly nasty storm, there is supposed to be room for a lot of boats to dock while it blows over. 

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The next day starts off with blue sky and sunshine.  There is a golf course not more than 50 yards from the house.  You have to go a ways further to get to the club house and #1 just to the south of Bartholomew Park (above).  The course is quite beautiful.  The front side to the south of the Park is fairly open so you have to work at getting yourself in trouble.  The back side to the north (and east of Harry's home) has extensive woods lining virtually every hole.  You don't have to hit very far into the woods to find marshy land on many holes back here, so directional control is substantially more important than distance most of the time.  Harry and I get around in pretty good order. 

Nancy and Ann, who have been walking around town, whip up some sandwiches to go when we get back and we head for their boat.  They are docked right down by the Mercantile (The Merc), the main and only grocery store in town.  This is a beautiful setting, relatively close to the main harbor to the west.  It's on the upstream side of a dam and a short ride down a channel to Lake Leelanau to the east.  The channel was formed around 1854 when a dam and sawmill were constructed.  This raised the water level 12 feet and caused three lakes along an inland river to become one - Lake Leelanau.     

Things are pretty laid back in this area.  We're giving the duck below good odds he'll beat us down the channel.

It's not clear when this race led to such anxiety.  Nancy consoled Harry as she talked him out of throwing himself overboard ;-).  

Seriously, though, it's nice to be out on the lake and Harry is having a good time taking us out while the area has a mind to show off.

The pic to the right is Bartholomew Park from just around the bend from the channel.  Keep that view in mind as we'll be coming back in an hour or so.

Nancy is particularly happy in this
area as she grew up just to the north of the golf course in the wooded home pictured here.  It was tough to get a good view from the boat because the telephoto required a bit more stability than I was able to manage, but this one is not bad.  Harry shuts down the motor for a while as we enjoy the sandwiches.

Harry has been fussing about the amount of gas and for good reason.  Seems it is difficult to know exactly how much gas is in the tanks any time other than when full or empty.  As a precautionary measure, we stop back at Bartholomew Park and Harry calls Nancy's brother John who is preparing dinner for the evening.  

John is a talented guy.  From what I could gather, he has been a general contractor, actually supervised the remodeling on the house while Harry was still working in DC, and more recently makes his way as a chef.  In between all these activities, he has also developed logistical skills; for example, delivering gas to the dock at Bartholomew Park.  With an extra 5 gallons of gas, we make our way back to the channel, . . .

. . . but not before Harry's hat attempts to drown itself.

We eventually find our way back to the channel.  There are numerous large and beautiful homes lining the channel on the way back to the dock.

These are just a few.

 John (white hat) has been busy all afternoon (aside from gas delivery ;-).  When we get back to the house he's well on the way to preparing a meal for eight with those salmon we picked up yesterday heading the menu.  Friends Ted and Tally, Nancy's mother and John join us on the deck for drinks and dinner.

John is an excellent chef, and the setting does its part to make for a very nice evening.

 

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Next up -- Mackinac Island.  Interesting place.  It sits between the upper and lower peninsulas, just to the east of the Mackinac Bridge.
We amble over to the Mackinac Island airport from Traverse City in just about an hour.  Harry is doing the flying because he has been twitching ever since we landed -- plus he wants to show us all the points of interest in the region.  The island is much like Tangier Island on the Chesapeake, or Ocracoke Island NC, in that you can only get there by air or boat (or an ice road in winter).  The airport is very modern and in good shape.  Notwithstanding, we made this trip just in time because they are about to close the airport for a few weeks to resurface. 

Most of the economy is dedicated to tourism.  Although there are a lot of historical points of interest, the most noteworthy facility on the island is the Grand Hotel (below) just outside the town on the southern end of the island.  You can see it in the foreground of the shot above -- the large white building this side and left of the harbor.  That's it below as well. 

The island is reminiscent of the late 1800s in some ways, and very modern in others.  On the one hand, other than the aircraft and boats that visit, and a few other exceptions, motorized vehicles have been prohibited since 1898.  Instead, everyone gets around by horse and carriage, bicycle, or by walking.  Snowmobiles are an winter exception.   

We hail a taxi and head for town.

 This is the Grand Hotel from ground level . . . 

 . . . and from just inside.  Then there is the local neighborhood.


The view of the bridge from upstairs is spectacular.

Heading into town, it is apparent folks here make a special effort to keep the place beautiful.

It is amazing how quickly you get used to the idea of seeing horse drawn carts and carriages making deliveries and hauling people.  It's pretty relaxing knowing no one is going to be doing more than about 10 mph on a bike anywhere on the island.

Folks just wander in and out of shops all up and down the streets, easily avoiding the slow moving traffic. 

It's only down at the waterfront that you see powered transportation.  The harbor is very nice and very photogenic. 

There is a rumor Al Capone spent some time vacationing on the island.  Whether that's true or not, it has not stopped local businesses from using the rumor to lure tourists.  Some are more susceptible than others ;-).

It's been a long day, so we call for another taxi.  This one turns out to be the rush hour milk run from downtown to the airport.  The added benefit is we get to see a lot of full time residents headed for their apartments and homes after a long day in town, some with groceries that just arrived by boat.  A lot of the residents in the summer will depart, much like cities in Alaska, when the tourist season is over and snow is near.

Back at the airport Harry gets us fired up and headed back to Traverse City.  The area continues to show off for us all the way home.  The pic below is from above of a harbor on a small island northwest of Leland.

That evening is a lot of fun.  Nancy calls ahead to find out what time one of their favorite restaurants closes for the evening.  Fortunately, we have just enough time to get there.  Good choice.  We're seated on a waterside wing of the restaurant and enjoy some great wine with some of the best perch we've ever had.

After dinner, Harry is fired up.  What appears to be aimless driving in the dark turns out to be a visit to a sliver of land they own which provides access to a dock.  Ann and I have always been especially pleased with how brightly the stars shine at our home in Waynesboro compared to virtually any developed area (including Waynesboro itself).  Well, we all make our way through some woods in pitch black darkness with flashlights until we get to the dock.  This is well worth the walk.  What a sight.  The sky is sparkling with billions of stars.  It almost glows.   

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We've been talking about the flight home for a few days now and watching the weather.  There is a front accompanied by a series of storms that has been slowly moving across the midwest.  On what turns out to be our last day in Leland, we're still not sure whether we're going to get blocked or not.  Harry and Nancy need to be back for some specific events, so getting caught on the wrong side of large storms is not an option.

The forecasts are somewhat unclear about what to expect.  There is only one thing to do!!

Head back out to the golf course for another 18 holes.  Nancy and Ann join Harry and I this time, with Nancy playing and Ann providing color commentary.  Nancy hits the ball well, and we make our way around in good time.  Now we have another decision to make.

We take another look at the weather.  We check the radar.  You can see a front moving in from the west.  Time to make another decision!!!  Wine tasting.

This time Harry unveils his restored, red VW bug convertible.  This just tickles the gals no end as they are going to do the driving while Harry and I sit in the back.

Apparently this is payback for all the times they've taken the back seats while Harry and I are either driving or flying us somewhere. 

Everyone else gets to do some tasting as I am our designated pilot for the afternoon, preserving our departure if we choose to do so.  

After picking up a few more bottles of wine, we finally make a departure decision.  The front has already passed us and it looks like a few drops are about to fall.  We head back to the house, grab our stuff, and head for the airport.  On the way we stop by a Mexican place Harry knows and we pick up an assortment of meals to go.  Departure is pretty easy.  We file for 9K direct MRB direct FDK.  Up here it is a pretty good bet we'll get what we ask for,  and that is what happens. 

We finally catch up to the front as we are reaching 9K.  Once past and in clear air, the gals (once again in the back ;-) break out dinner.  We have a small tail wind that shortens the flight.  The sun is beginning to set as we cross Lake Erie.  That's Cleveland just below off the right wing.

The rest of the flight is uneventful.  We are able to return a small part of the Radcliffes' hospitality when they spend the night with us in greater metropolitan Waynesboro before they depart back to Traverse City the next morning. 

This has been a great way to finish traveling this summer.  Harry and Nancy are great hosts, their Leland home is outstanding, and there is a lot more to do up there that we've had a chance to do in our short time.  Good thing its only a few short flights to get there.

Disembarkation and The Long Ride Home

Well, we finally come to the end of our cruise.  Its 26 June 2011 and we're headed for Vancouver CA.  Although Ann and I talked about an 0600 wakeup, I'm up at 0420 for some reason and head for the verandah of our stateroom to see the sunrise and to start up the computer without waking her.  

It seems the ship has been dragging it's heels all night.  Before we went to bed we were cruising at about 11 kts and at one point actually went into what I'd call a holding pattern, doubling back on our course to kill time.  I suppose we may have been getting in the right sequence for arrival and berthing in Vancouver.  On a few occasions while taking pics on the forward observation deck you can look up to the bridge and see the people chatting on a radio.  While we are in a hold, there are two other ships within a half-mile passing in opposite directions.  This is way more shipping activity we're seeing than anywhere other than a port on this trip, and all pretty close by, so it is noteworthy. 

This morning we're still doing just over 11 kts and are 10 nm from Vancouver at 0544.  Ann got up briefly a few minutes ago and fed us both some sudafed before climbing back under the covers for a few more winks. 

As one might expect, there's a lot more activity in the vicinity of Vancouver.  A steady stream of boats is headed north as we head for the dock. 

There is a fort guarding the entrance to the harbor at Vancouver.  

 

You can see the docks where we'll be departing just to the left of the trees.  It's the white pointy structures.

Disembarkation from a ship is a lot like getting off an airliner at an international terminal, except with a lot more people and bags.  There are long lines followed by a brief visit to customs, then long waits in the vicinity of our bags.  

This was the one place where the excellent logistical planning we'd seen throughout the trip fell down just a bit.  We had made reservations to stay an extra day in Vancouver to decompress before the final flight home.  We put purple tags on our bags the night before to help the baggage handlers get everyone's stuff in the right areas ashore, and there is in fact a purple section.  Apparently "purple people" were those who were not making immediate connections, so there is less rush to get our bags ashore.  So we waited a bit.

That would not have been a big deal if the company Holland had contracted with to take us to the airport hotel had not recently changed hands and names.  The long and the longer of it was someone forgot or lost the reserved van to take us to the airport.  So we waited, . . . . . . . . . . . . about an hour before one of the Holland expediters finally arranged cabs to take us.  Except for the long wait, this turned out alright as we got a particularly talkative cabby.  

Seems there has been an influx of Asians who have bid up property prices in the region so much that buying a home has become prohibitively expensive for native Canadians in the area.  Seems Stanley Park is the place to go as it is exquisitely beautiful.  Seems there are great places to eat right downtown.  Seems the subway system is pretty good and largely subsidized by the local government since the Olympics because it's really not economically viable but every time someone suggests it should pay for itself it becomes a big deal and the issue is dropped.  Seems this guy (French Canadian by his accent) who used to be a sailor has found a home he truly loves.   

We finally get to the airport around 1100.  This works out well as our rooms are ready by the time we arrive.  We move right in.  These are interesting rooms.  They have a great view of the runways and the surrounding terrain.  To add to the experience, many rooms (ours included) have a high powered telescope in the room so you can focus in on activity on the airport, surrounding bay, and so on. 

 

By this time we're all pretty hungry so we head for the hotel restaurant for lunch.  This is also a great move because not only is the food outstanding, but our waitress is very helpful and nearly as chatty as the cabby.  We ask her about our trip and plans for the day, looking for her suggestions.  Among other things, she runs back to her manager and grabs a handful coupons for the subway, brings maps and highlights places to see and routes to take.  She's great.  The view of the city as the subway takes us downtown is pretty good, as subways go.  Eventually the track will head underground and deposit us right back in the vicinity of the dock and the Zaandam.    

It's a little peculiar seeing her getting ready to launch for the next leg of her voyages.  She had been our home just hours ago, and now we're standing on the outside watching the crew load up for the next batch of passengers.  Interesting how quickly one can develop an affinity for things.  The fact that it was a thoroughly pleasant experience (with the exception of waiting on the docks this morning) certainly didn't hurt.

The folks in Vancouver have themselves a beautiful city, and they obviously take pains to keep it that way.  This fountain has water running down over the steps and the wall. 

Continuing the saga of floatplanes in the region, there is a tremendous amount of activity in the harbor all day long. 

This twin engined float is merely one of the larger examples.  There are an even greater number of single engine piston and turbine planes taking off and landing.  There was even one that seemed privately owned that slowly taxied out of a narrow channel lined with what appeared to be private homes, checked for a clear takeoff path, and took off.  Nice way to commute.  Can't imagine what Washington DC would make of such informality.  They'd probably want TSA to check the pilots credentials, a US Marshall aboard, the Coast Guard standing by to direct traffic, and anti-aircraft guns tracking the departure just in case . . . but I digress.

There are many interesting works of art and artifacts of the Olympics on the docks.  The tubular structure above is the Olympic torch from the games.  Each of the four segments has a torch.  They were supposed to be lit at ground level, then be raised to the pictured position.  I heard the story of how one of these failed to rise during the lighting ceremony for the actual games, leading to some quick improvisation. 

No, that is not a faulty picture above.  It just has a pixelated look because its made of what looks like oversized Leggos.  It's actually a sculpture of a whale leaping from the dock.  

We finally tire of looking at the art work and architecture and start thinking about the more important things in life -- for example, cold beer and appetizers.  And what to our wondering eyes should appear but . . .

 . . . the Steamworks.  This is an interesting place that had the added attraction of drawing huge numbers of people.
The place was jammed as we were led to the basement and a table for four.  We're seated near the food preparation area, and also near a very old bar.  Interesting art work down at the base of the bar and the kitchen.  I'd guess one could trace the evolution of local taste in artwork with this as one of the points of origin.  Or not.  Either way, there certainly was a lot of this in the basement.   

After an hour or so of relaxing and chatting, we finally make our way back out of the Steamboat and start heading to the airport.  This turns out to be more exciting than one might expect as the directions on the route map are not immediately clear.  Fortunately, we happen across a fella who detects the sure signs of tourists lost in the subway.  He's going in more or less the direction of the airport and offers to guide us where we need to go.  It's an interesting path, but eventually we do get to our train and make it back to the airport.

Everyone is tired from a long day of bag drags and walking, so everyone but Ann and I make their way back to their rooms.  Ann and I start scouting for more sudafed as our colds (bronchitis, but we don't know it yet) are getting worse.  For dinner we each eventually make our way back to the hotel restaurant.  A good meal and an after dinner drink are just the thing to get sleep in a hurry . . . but not before we watch a few late flights departing, as we will in the morning. 

The flight the next day is pretty straight forward.  An easy walk downstairs to the Delta counter.  A connection through Salt Lake City.  Our van is there at BWI when we arrive.  It was well worth the money to have someone else drive us home late in the evening.

A trip of surprises.  This was mainly Ann's trip.  She has always wanted to take a cruise to Alaska.  Me, not so much.  However, I enjoyed this trip immensely.  After growing up in Detroit, I can't see moving to Alaska's winter cold permanently as even a remote possibility.  I also don't know if coming back to "fly floats as my summer job" will ever happen though I am definitely moving float training up on my to do list.  I liked the area, liked the people, and liked the activity all around us.  Lot of good people all around.  I especially enjoyed going with Ann -- she's such a good traveler.  I can't imagine having as much fun without her.

Now I need to figure out where else she wants to go . . .