Cheboygan part deux

Today we paddled the kayaks, moved to a new site here at Michigan's Cheboygan State Park, and then explored the city of Cheboygan.

When we got our boats in the water at 9:30 a.m., the sky was blue but we could see clouds to the north.  Within 15 minutes gray clouds covered the entire sky and the wind picked up.  It was the kayaking equivalent of a “swim in place” machine.  I tried to take photos, but when I momentarily quit paddling to pull my camera from my life jacket pocket, my boat turned sideways and waves started smacking it on the side.  That's not ideal for a newbie like me, or anyone if the waves are big enough -- but these were little waves and kind of fun to experience. Most of the time.

After we came back to the rig, Jim drove it a couple of hundred yards to a new campsite because we weren't able to get the same site here for two consecutive nights. Getting level on a site can be a pain, and you have to be level to prevent damage to the fridge.  But Jim just backed in and voila.  Perfect.

This afternoon we drove to downtown Cheboygan.  Today was the first day of the county fair (the Budweiser Clydesdales were here), a sidewalk sale was going on, and there was a salmon fishing contest at a nearby park, so Cheboygan was hopping. 

Another "nice Michigander" story:  About an hour ago the camp host brought over a map of Michigan on which she'd highlighted places to visit in the Upper Peninsula (our next stop). She'd also made notes on the map about good places to eat, where to look for moose, which highways were especially pretty and all sorts of tips.

I think I was stuck in weeds and no longer dealing with waves when I finally got this shot of Jim.  Lake Huron's average depth is 195 feet, but must be way deeper than that elsewhere, because where we kayaked was about knee to waist deep.   It was the perfect place to practice handling a kayak in bumpy water. 

We pushed the boats through some muck to get in and out of the lake    Here Jim drags my boat while I'm in it.  Works for me! 

An art park near downtown included this ceramic-tile fish.

A view from a downtown bridge overlooking the Cheboygan River.  With all the trees, water and boats, Cheboygan has a kind of Pacific Northwest vibe to it.   Or maybe the Pacific Northwest has a Cheboygan vibe.

We also got seats on a second floor patio of the Cheboygan Brewing Company and watched the Cheboyganites.