Making Smart Choices

This is why we're putting the Gammel Dansk in heated storage 

for the winter...

Gale Warnings are issued for Lake Michigan, Huron and Superior, with waves up to 26 feet forecast.  Thus we did what our parents taught us to do: made a smart choice to avoid the nasty sea conditions on Lake Michigan!

To read more about the wild weather the Great Lakes are experiencing,

link here.

Stranded in Cheboygan - Pie Not?

When stranded in Cheboygan, MI... 

Go to the House Of Pies, of course!

More Cool Things to Look At While Waiting To Sail

Fort Gratiot Lighthouse seen from Lake Huron

Thomas Edison and the Grand Trunk Railroad. 

Port Huron, Michigan

Historic Port Huron Michigan Hotel

Harry and Bess Truman spent their honeymoon at this hotel near the St. Clair River.  Margaret Truman, President Truman’s daughter, remarked that if President Truman wanted to get his wife Bess to smile, he would say two words -- "Port Huron" -- and Bess would break into a smile. 
They must have had a great honeymoon in Port Huron. 

We are touring the town, learning unimportant historical facts, because Lake Huron is blowing at 20-35 mph and waves 5-7 ft. with occasional 10 ft. waves.  Too much for the Gammel Dansk and way too much for the crew. 

Thomas Edison lived in Port Huron from age 7-15. Thomas Edison’s brother started a horse-drawn trolley in Port Huron.  We rode the trolley (No Horses) on a tour of the town. The fare on the trolley was 10 cents -- the same amount as when Edison owned the trolley.  They never have
increased the fare of 10 cents.  Fun ride and a fun way to
learn about the town of Port Huron. 

This spot marks Thomas Edison's childhood playground,
near the St. Clair Riverfront.

Detroit

General Motors Corporation headquarters...

 ...along the waterfront on the Detroit River in Downtown Detroit.

If you ever owned a Chevrolet, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Cadillac or GMC pickup, car or van, it was in all probability dreamed up and designed in these buildings. Lots of those car brands like Pontiac and Olds are no longer produced by GM. Like the car industry, the city of Detroit has fallen on hard times. Bad administration of city resources caused the city of Detroit to file for bankruptcy. It is an impressive city when viewed from the Detroit River.

The Canadian City of Windsor, Ontario is on the south bank of the Detroit River. The Ambassador Bridge connects the cities --
and Canada and the United States. 

Perry Victory and International Peace Memorial

Memorial to Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry and his sailors,
who defeated the British Royal Navy in the Battle of Lake Erie. 

This memorial is on Put In Bay, in Ohio.  Perry defeated the British against all odds that were stacked against the Americans. The British had more ships, more cannons and more experienced sailors, but Commodore Perry and his lesser ships and more-determined sailors were able to destroy the British ships, causing them to surrender. Perry said to "Put the

Captured Navy ships in Put in Bay." 

Perry is famous for two sayings still used today:  "Don’t Give Up the Ship," and for writing “We have met the enemy and he is ours.” 

It was a lesser known -- but very important -- battle that allowed the United States to control the Great Lakes and weaken the British Navy overall.

The Perry Victory and International Peace Memorial commemorates not only the Perry victory, but also more than a hundred years of peace between the U.S. and Canada.  At 352 feet tall, it is also the U.S.'s third tallest monument -- behind only the St. Louis Arch and the Washington Memorial.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - NOT

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio
-- which we refused to visit. 

Why?  No exhibit and not even one photograph of Minnesota’s 2nd Nobel Laureate in Literature. Mary’s Minnesota Uncle Sinclair Lewis was the 1st.

In fact, he was the first American to receive the Nobel in Literature. 

We wanted to see and possibly hear Bob Dylan’s work.
Nothing. Nada. 

We refused to pay the $25 entrance fee.

I asked if they had ever heard Like a Rolling Stone, one of Bob Dylan’s and Rock and Roll’s quintessential rock songs.
The answer is still blowing in the wind.
So long, Rock and Roll place. It is not a hall of fame without recognizing Minnesota’s Robert Zimmerman, aka Bob Dylan.
So long, Cleveland. We will be back when you erect a shrine to Bob Dylan. 

The Irish in Erie

Oh Danny Boy, can you hear the bells a-ringing?

They come from Saint Patrick (Catholic) Church in Erie, PA --
on this spot since 1903.  

And two years later (in 1905), St. Patrick's neighbor arrived:

Church pew not in St. Patrick’s church, but rather repurposed as seating in Sullivan’s Irish Pub.  I could not find the fold-down kneeler.  Instead I offered a prayer of thanks for our safe travel then tipped a pint of Guinness beer. 

Great interior decor in Sullivan’s Irish Pub.

I attended high school with Michael Shay. This was close enough to have another pint. Here’s to you, Mike Shay or Shea.

Pictures from Pennsylvania

This is sweet Sara, the Fuel Dockmaster at Presque Isle Marina fuel dock. 

Notice the fixed docks are underwater.  Sara is also the Queen of Goose poop cleaning.  The geese and ducks rest on the un-submerged docks,

leaving a remembrance of their visit.

And the Gammel Dansk odometer since starting in Red Wing Minnesota on the Mississippi River.   We're on Lake Erie, near the relatively small portion of shore that is Pennsylvania.

Ladies of the Lake

Tori looking out starboard door, contemplating... 

...before heading out onto Lake Erie, should I jump, or should I stay?

And the other Lady of the Lake... 

Captain Mary with steady hand on the wheel while out on Lake Erie. 

Captain Dan on the Erie Canal

Captain Dan with his hands on the wheel on the Erie Canal.

Captain Dan can’t see for nothin'. But he looks as if he could be the Captain of a working tugboat or an Oceangoing Vessel. 

Pittsford, NY

And here's the Gammel Dansk tied up at the Canal below the Main Street Bridge, across the canal from a European-style
Canal boat in Pittsford, New York. 

Lyons or Lyon? And more Erie Canal Chatter

The Gammel Dansk cruises the Erie Canal near Lyons, New York.  

No, not Lyon, France.  Perhaps next year we will make Lyon, France when the Gammel Dansk travels to Europe.  Stay Tuned. 

Homeless man living under the Geneva Street Bridge in Lyons, NY.   
Isn’t that person called a Troll?

He was eating green beans sautéed in butter and garlic.  He rambled on about how he traveled everywhere he could in a little green tugboat, but would not talk about how he came to living under the bridge.  He said he had a dirt home but had not been there in almost a year.  I would think that would qualify him as a homeless person.  He appeared healthy and kempt -- except for his beard.   

The Gammel Dansk on the Erie Canal headed west
to Buffalo and the Great Lakes.  

Destination:  Cleveland, Ohio -- to see the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Erie Canal Lock 19

Utica, NY

Erie Canal Lock 12

Just passed this historical marker...