Day 27 of 30 | Port Austin

Wednesday, August 7, 2024: We woke up today with the intention of leaving for our next destination. We ate breakfast and then started securing things in the cabin, and clearing the cockpit to make room for pulling up the dinghy. Not long before this moment, a new boat pulled into the slip next to us. They had come in from East Tawas. Larry asked the man, "Was it a little sporty out there?" He replied, "Sporty. That's a good way of putting it." ;-) Even though he, his wife, and daughter, all seemed calm and comfortable, he admitted it wasn't a pleasant experience. That was all I needed to hear and we decided to stay another day.

We knew the winds were a little challenging in the morning and were expected to get worse later in the day. There was no reason to put ourselves in an uncomfortable situation. It was confirmed that we made the right decision a few hours later. We saw a boat quite a distance out into the lake, clearly making their way into the harbor. It took them a long time before they arrived. It took them a few attempts to reach the gas dock and then get secured in their boat slip. The woman was clearly exasperated by their experience and then grateful to be tied up in a slip.

Along the shore, the winds weren't noticeable so we went for a brief dinghy ride and relaxed on the beach before dinner. Later, we went for a long walk through town and the surrounding neighborhood. I love looking at cottages and homes in these small towns, wondering how it feels to live here. As much as I love the water and would love to be close to a beach that we could walk along regularly, there's truly no place else I'd rather live than where we are. We're both content with a strong desire to keep traveling and returning home to the place we love most. 

Isn't she beautiful?! We both had a bit of boat envy when we saw this one.