We're sitting in a marina in downtown Detroit, hearing music from all directions and from various vehicles...cars, boats, motorcycles, bicycles, scooters...a constant musical parade going by! Plus the sounds of a live concert nearby. This city sure loves its music. (I guess that's why it's also called MoTown?) There's a prominent but friendly police presence … Continue reading Back in Michigan! (Motor City)
They call it "Key West of the North." Put-In Bay is a summer playground on South Bass Island, one of four significant islands (and several smaller ones) in western Lake Erie, in the State of Ohio, just a few miles from the Canadian border. Yes, I know there's a lot of geographic pointers in that … Continue reading Lake Erie – The Islands
As we enter a 2nd summer on the Great Loop, Mainship Many Moons has passed three more milestones: 5,500 miles under way, 19th state, and longest one-day run ever. Travel on a boat is sometimes measured by such milestones. We are now 235 miles into our carefully-planned westward progress across troublesome Lake Erie - troublesome … Continue reading Three Milestones for Many Moons
What to do when the waves on the lake are as high as 7'? Put the bikes on our little dinghy and row them to shore! Easier said than done, but we figure it out. It's our 4th night in Erie, Pa. and our 2nd night at anchor at Presque Isle State Park but we … Continue reading Lake Erie Pounds On
Did you know that Pennsylvania touches Lake Erie? I didn't. (It borders the lake for 45 miles, at its northwestern tip.) Did you know that the U.S. tried to conquer Canada? I forgot. (It was the main objective of the War of 1812, when the U.S. declared war on Great Britain. Canada was a British … Continue reading State #18 & The War of 1812
From the Erie Canal, to Lake Erie, to the City of Erie. Three Eries in two days. Tonight, we sit in a marina - our first marina in almost two weeks -- in steamy Erie, Pa. We left the Erie Canal behind yesterday and entered Lake Erie this morning after spending the night at a … Continue reading The Three Eries
Wow. You know you're going to get close and you're going to get wet, but you don't realize how close or how wet. It's so fun, it deserves three exclamation points! (And its own blog post.) Definitely the top side-trip of The Great Loop so far. I heard about Niagara Falls as a place for … Continue reading Niagara Falls!!!
Today was all about the lift bridges on the Erie Canal that had to open for us. (Well, mostly about that.) We left Brockport at 0700, as soon as the lift bridge in front of our nighttime berth began operating, headed for Gasport or Lockport or Tanawanda. Our destination depended on how long it would … Continue reading 12 Bridges & A Boarding
Day 7 on the Erie Canal, from one "port" to another. As we cruise the western segment, the canal gets more narrow and the bike path that follows it is visible almost constantly. Our speed slows as we encounter lift bridges that must open before we can pass through. Today, we passed through two more … Continue reading Fairport to Brockport
Fourteen bucks to stay in the most charming canal town ever? I call that a deal! Fairport N.Y., our sixth stop on the Erie Canal at Mile Marker 246, was the best yet. This town is built around the canal and makes the best of its waterfront. This is also where we met our first … Continue reading A Fair Deal!
For Many Moons 