FIRST FRIDAY

September 2, 2011  Dateline:  Racine, WI USA

Rich and Carol were good to me this morning. The winds on the Lake were blowing at 30 knots. The flags in the marina were whipping all around. I would have been bouncing something awful (and Carol and Skipper would have been seasick). So, we all waited till the seas calmed down.

Did I forget to mention our new companion, Skipper? Francine and Wayne aboard MY WAY are now traveling with us. Carol and Rich met them 2 years ago at a Looper rendezvous in Alabama. They’re now doing the Loop for a second time. They live near Ottawa, Canada and have now been on the water since August 1. Well, when they docked in Harbor Springs, MI, Wayne saw a man with a beautiful dog and it was love at first sight. So, Wayne inquired about the breeder and within 2 days Wayne and Francine were parents of a 9 week old Portuguese Water Dog who they named Skipper. Poor Skipper was seasick on his first trip across rough waters on Lake Michigan. But, he’s okay now and so……CUTE !!!!  Check out his picture !



Racine is an old commercial town which has now turned its sights to tourism. It has built a huge marina and beautiful apartments and condos along the Lake and the river that runs through the town. On the first Friday of each month there is a street festival. The main street of town is closed to traffic. Stores stay open late, musicians are on each block and, of course, there’s a truck selling beer. The local restaurants are also very busy. Rich, Carol, Wayne, and Francine had dinner in a wonderful Thai restaurant.

Tomorrow, we’re off to Chicago where Rich and Carol begin to plan my trip down the rivers to Mobile, Alabama. In the last 83 days I’ve been up the Atlantic Ocean and the Hudson River, through the Erie and Oswego Canals, across Lake Ontario, through the Trent Severn Canal, into Lake Huron, across the Georgian Bay and North Channel and then down the coasts of Lake Michigan. Tomorrow afternoon I begin a much needed 3 day rest.