Grand Haven/ Frankfort/ Ludington?

Escapade

Escapade

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Jan 10, 2007
1,253
Lake Michigan
Boat Info
44 Sundancer
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QSC500
We have a group of Searays headed from Milwaukee to Michigan July 20th. Please advise on Best Marinas, places of intrest, Restaurants, and if a car or other transportation recommended.
Kid friendly places too. We hope to visit Grand Haven, Frankfort, and Ludington. We will greatly appreciate your input!

Thank You!

Mike
 
Gathering

Mike
Have you checked out the Lake Michigan Gathering Thread here?
Traverse Bay at Elk Rapids the same weekend.
Sounds like +20 Boats going.

That said I have been to all of the harbors numerous times over the past 15-20 years and all are great destinations.

If you get to Grand Haven make sure you get slips at Municipal Docks. Across the river from them on the hills they put on a great light/waterspout/music show on the weekends

Frankfort is a great town and marinas are great too. Jacobsons Marina very user friendly. Great restaurants.

Ludington is fun also. Good restaurants and great Municipal Marina.

Good reference book with all phone number, etc is Dozier's Waterway Guide. Probably the most comprehensive book on Lake Michigan.
www.waterwayguide.com
About $40.00

My edition is Great Lakes 2007
Plus the Great Loop Route

Dan
 
Frankfort! Go to Jacobson's Marina. Buzz and Bill run the show. Nice BarBQ set up. Get resers. You are right downtown. Great marina has fuel , laundry, etc. Rent a car from Terry (they have his #) go see Big Bear, etc. Lots of places to eat- good ice cream joints. The bakery is so-so. We go there from Racine.

Grand Haven. Been years. A 30 minute must is The Dancing Waters- corny but something to do do.

Ludington. Harborside Marina The Badger. Great to watch the B drop her anchor do a 180 and back in. If it burps and the wind is from the south you will be doing a hose down. Not a big deal. Downtown is not up to F-fort. The marina doesn't advertise it but there is $2 jitney service that will take you anywhere in L. Very nice. Example: The drug store is miles east Take the $2 ride and when done shopping the cashier calls the driver and back you go. Very sensible those Ludingtonians!!

PS In 18 years we have not once gone north to Milwaukee. The sense is that McKinley is not particulary nice and that you need a car to get anywhere.
If you can, would you please give me some info that might help counter the above so that I can try to persuade the 3 to 5 other couples that we should plan a night or weekend in Milwaukee . We have boats in the 33'to 40' range.
Good luck! Jim in Reefpoint
 
Jim-

Milwaukee is getting better. Mckinley marina is very nice and has all new floating docks. The management is through the county and does little to help transients. In fact just a 5 - 10 minute walk up the hill from the marina is Brady Street with restaurants and nightlife galore. One of our favorites is an Irsh bar named County Clare. Summer fest is 10 minute walk to the South. This year two new feature will appear. One bieng the Discovery World at pier Wisconsin. This is just North of summerfest and has a nice floating dock w/ power/ water. The Summerfest Island is now State Park.
" Lake Shre state park", It will have overnight docks and a bridge over to the summer fest grounds. In the next years they plan on building a pavilion with showers on it. The Milwaukee river has been in a revitalization plan and has a river walk with restaurants, bars and parks. They put in a good number of public dock too. They just dont mark this well for the visitor. Between the Lake and the river is the Third Ward area. This has all been redone and has a great market type center for foor either un- cooked or cooked. The bars, restaurants, and theaters in this area are fantastic and just a walk from the river docks. I take our 320 up the river on Sunday monings to get bakery. Any one can drive a car! Our local boating organization is trying to get a book out with all the amenities. Its a shame the city does not advertise this to boaters.

If you head up this way i would be glad to point a few places out for you. Thanks for your info.

Mike
 
eLK RAPIDS GATHERING

Mike, I think you should bring all your Boats to Elk Rapids, for the gatering on the 20th of July.... It's going to be a great place to be, the town is walking distance, they have great food at Pearls and the Marina will take you there. and Yes about 20 other boats may be going there, it's turning out to be the Biggest Sea Ray gathering of the summer for sure... I've already talked with the Harbor Mistress and she's excited about the party as well.
They have grills, a huge Pavillion and the beach is right next door off the Marina.....give it some though Mike.
 
Grand Haven has lots of places to visit. The "musical fountain" runs every night at sundown. You should also putz up the river about 2 miles and turn into Spring Lake. This is a residential lake about 7 miles long with deep water the entire way. Frankfort is nice. Jacobson is more modern but much more expensive than the city marina which is next door. The city has wireless in some of the slips by the library which offers free Internet in nice airconditioned facilities. The city's management is more laid back than Jacobson's which will occassionally refuse you a slip next to a friend because that slip is reserved but empty. We've watched this go on for years. The slip just sits there empty along with many others instead of going to the first customer to arrive. Expect to pay about 25 cents more per gallon at Jacobson's vs. the city. Ludington does have a nice marina, and yes the Badger can dump a bunch of coal dust on your boat that is hard to get off if the dew drys before you clean it. The private marina is newer. Both are nice.
 
The Admiral has asked to learn of any shopping destinations in these ports as well. So long as the boys stay behind and monitor the evaporation and melting rate of a small but usefull quantity of ice cubes we will be fine. Seriously if you know of any little shops to send them in search of it makes our lives easier.

Mike
 
Mike
Look in Traverse Bay
27 miles North of Traverese City
East of Northport and Leland
South of Charlevoix

Dan
 
The comments about Jacobson's were interesting. I can not help but add that when J promises me slips many weeks in advance and we get several boat owners to commit to parting with hundreds, no, usually thousands of dollars; Buzz and Bill ,in return commit to giving us what we ask for. I can not think of an occasion when we were disappointed. There are many marinas that will not commit until they can see you. I have enjoyed them as well. However, the gentleman that started this thread would, in all likelyhood, be spending the better part of the day crossing the lake- burning dollars as he goes.

For the extra $25.-$50. it would cost to go to Js-----------------
Further if it is to expensive move to the public marina on day two.
 
bliss
I agree, have been at Jacobsons at least 6 times.
Never a problem.
Always get requested slip and next boats we have been traveling with.
Dan
 
Elk Rapids Is..

Mike, Look in the East Grand Traverse Bay.... It's a small town in the south end of the East Grand Traverse Bay... The town is so qauint, They have a lot of areas to Raft up, like on the west side of the East Bay, if weather is windy, it's never windy of there, and the beach is great. You can Cruise over to Suttons Bay and enjoy their calm waters and beautiful sites as well.

You can find Elk Rapids on any Lake Michigan Marina Map Sir... East Grand Traverse Bay, south end.
 
Shopping locations

Mike, Well where to begin.... Let's start with grand Haven, they will have without a doubt the best/most shopping area closest to the marina. The town is right off the water, with many Mom and POP shops in a downtown atmoshere.
Luding , will be a short walk for the admiral, and shopping is good in Ludington, they have a Christmas Store that OH YES...we MUST visit everytime we go to Ludington.....OMG shopppin yuck.....
I do not know about Frankfort though, I've been there only in the winter, I know that the town is on the water and it seems so cool, I can't wait to visit there with the boat.
 
Robert-

Thanks for the info. We found it on our charts once home. It looks great. We originaly planned on cossing back from Ludington and up to Door County. I found a site with great photos of Elk Rapids and will bring this up in out trip meeting next weekend. I'm almost thinking a good trip would be to head up to the Door first then cross to Michigan. I'll let you know after our meeting. Again, thanks for the great info. How long do you plan to spend in Elk Rapids. Is this a one day adventure or will people be there for a while?

Mike
 
A great side trip when in Elk Rapids is to take your 'launch'/dinghy or rent a 'toon and go into the chain of nearby lakes.

Most picturesque is Torch Lake. At the south end is a sandbar that drops off dramatically. It goes from 2-3 inches to 50 to 80 feet in a short distance. The water is sparkling clear. Looks like the Caribbean.

There are 'fun' restaurants to tie up next to and eat, too.

I envy you guys the July rendevous. Just can't make it this year.

"Have a good one".
 
what is the findings

Mike, What did your group ever decide about your July 20th trip, did you like what you found out about Elk Rapids? I'm just trying to get an estimate of how many boats, and how many great people will be showing up......I'm hoping your group can make it Sir.....
 
Robert-

Folks had already scheduled off starting the 20th. We did not think it was feasable with weather variable. We went with the original plan, Grand Haven on the 20th two nights then up the coast Sunday. By Tuesday we hope to hit Frankfort then cross to Door County - Fish Creek. We hope to meet up with several more from Milwaukee in Door County.

If your headed back South in that time line it would be great to meet up.

The Elk Rapids area was received well and will bocome a destination for another trip. The best part is we have met up with fantastic people who have same intrests to travel as a group. We always felt a bit limited for years with " Baby on Board".

I look forward to meeting people from CSR on our journeys. Thanks again for the info.

Mike
 
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