Crossing Lake Michigan to Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin and then to Manitowoc

On Sunday, August 16 we left Frankfort, Michigan at 8:00 to cross Lake Michigan to Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. The winds were to pick up later so we went across on plane at about 20 mph and arrived in about 3 hours. On the way we saw many fishing boats as well as a huge transport "laker" ship.  After that we encountered about an hour of fog but didn't encounter any boats. We hadn't realized how deep Lake Michigan is and saw 910 feet on the chart. It is the second deepest of the Great Lakes, second only to Lake Superior. We arrived by 10:30 since we crossed a timeline and were now back in the central time zone. We picked Center Point Marina because it was before the 2 low bridges we would have had to wait for, but it turned out to be a beautiful place and location. It has one of the nicer boater lounge we have seen and several nice showers and a laundry room. It also has a pool and hot tub, a fireplace, and grills. We used the pool and then walked to dinner at nearby Brygga Plates and Pours in the Stone Harbor hotel. On the way there we walked through town and saw many sail boat art pieces created by different artists called "Set Sail in Sturgeon Bay" in celebration of 25 years of public art.  After dinner we walked along the riverfront back to the marina and saw a lovely park and public dock. Later we enjoyed a great sunset from the back of our boat. 

On Monday, August 17 we got to see our friends from home, Tom and Carol, who were on the way home from Door County. We had breakfast at Morning Glory, a popular breakfast place near the marina. After that we did some planning and we decided to stay here an extra day due to the next day's winds. We did some provisioning through Walmart delivery. We took advantage of the pool again in the afternoon and then walked across the bridge to Kitty O'Reilly's Irish Pub. We had Irish stew and Shepherd's pie, but the best part was the decor of the pub both inside and outside. We also stopped at an old and popular bar called Greystone Castle. Inside are mounted fish and wild game caught by the owner and family members. 

We decided to stay one more day in Sturgeon Bay due to the marine forecast. On Tuesday we mostly did chores including laundry. We appreciated meeting Dave and Jackie (boat Adonis) who have their boat at Center Pointe Marina all summer. They were very welcoming when we got here and gave us great restaurant recommendations. We went to Happy Hour at Door County Fire Co., named because it is located in an old fire station. We had sushi at Crate. We walked farther down Third Street and saw a couple old houses that have been converted to bed and  breakfast places.  We also saw a submarine and another large ship being worked on in the shipyard before heading back to the boat. 

On Wednesday, August 19 we left around 8 for Manitowoc, Wisconsin. We left around 8:00 and went fast for awhile due to some choppiness of the waves. As we got closer, we sped up again to beat the noon arrival of the car ferry so we arrived a few minutes before the S.S. Badger Lake Michigan Car Ferry that goes from Ludington, Michigan to Manitowoc, Wisconsin. Once settled we were excited to visit the Wisconsin Maritime Museum which features the USS Cobia, a WWII diesel submarine, the kind of submarine Tim's Dad served on. We enjoyed exploring that and all of the other exhibits inside the museum. They even have a display about the Great American Loop! We then went to the Waterfront Wine Bar, The Courthouse Pub, and The Wharf.  Manitowoc has a lot to offer and we enjoyed our brief time there. Tomorrow we head to Sheboygan, Wisconsin for a couple days and then will go to Milwaukee after that!