A Visit with Family near Cleveland

Cleveland is the largest city on Lake Erie with a 5-five mile long breakwater to protect the harbor but there’s no safe place to anchor. This being the home of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, reporters often did stories from there on the untimely death of Michael Jackson which occurred while we were here. We know there’s a lot to do here but we planned to go into Rocky River instead to visit family. Also I hate leaving Ginger alone on the boat. Her separation anxiety may have gotten worse in her old age; she now barks until we return to the boat.

The Cleveland Yachting Club was our home for the next two days. I enjoyed the pool as the weather was hot and muggy. The AC the previous owner of the boat installed was much appreciated; this is a luxury we’re only able to use when in a marina. We thought the finger piers were narrow in Grand River but these have them beat. They consist of two 10-in. boards so we were wary walkers! They can squeeze a lot of boats in this way and I guess you’d get to know your neighbors.

My cousin (and godmother) Audray and husband Ernie live quite close and they were very gracious to see to our every need while we were here (got errands done, groceries, laundry and catching up). This is where we had lunch at the Emerald Necklace Marina overlooking the Rocky River. It’s a very pretty area.

An unexpected pleasant surprise was seeing Audray’s brother Dan and wife Gail from Madison. They were on their way back from a trip to the Smoky Mountains.

We were so glad to be off the boat during the thunderstorm that blew through that night. I think you can see the rain on the windows on the sun porch. There was a LOT of lightening which is always a concern being on a boat with a mast. Audray’s 2-yr old grandson was pretty entertained by it though! It was great to reconnect with family and thanks again, Audray and Ernie, for taking such good care of us!

We arrived in Lorain, OH late aft. on Friday, June 26th where we stayed at Spitzer Riverside Marina (still no safe anchorages). This marina has such long docks that golf carts give rides up to the office, showers, etc. But before 9am or after 7pm you’re out of luck. We saw a lot of other Beneteaus on the docks as there’s a dealer in nearby Vermillion. Hunter sailboats are also plentiful as their dealer is in Huron. Here’s the Lorain Lighthouse at the breakwater entrance. It’s very similar to ones we’ve seen lately.

We came into the Huron Boat Basin the next day. The guidebook states Huron is the southernmost port on Lake Erie, and all of the Great Lakes actually. They were at capacity due to a large group having a rendezvous, the Greater Cleveland Boating Association. But they had a spot for us on the inside wall which worked out fine. Here’s us to the left of “the hut”.

There are concerts in the nearby amphitheater Saturday nights and we could hear 60s music by the British invasion group, “The ReBeats”. I walked over for a listen but Paul thought he could hear as much as he wanted to from the boat. Fireworks were also going off nearby so it was a busy place. We ended up staying another night as the $1.50/foot rate drops to $25/boat on weeknights.

On Sunday morning we did a new thing – went to church by boat! We found out that Zion Lutheran Church in Huron holds an 8AM service at a nearby marina. We took the dinghy the 10 min. or so down river and found about 20 people and 1 dog gathered for a brief worship service led by a lay person as the pastor was out of town. The only time Ginger made a peep was a loud “AMEN” after the Lord’s Prayer. She’d finally spotted the other dog there; the timing got a few chuckles.

On Monday we walked Ginger to the Firelands Animal Hospital for some medicine (nothing serious, Ginger lovers). This is one of the areas in the region called the Firelands for this reason: During the Revolutionary War, some Connecticut residents were given land grants to make restitution for property burned and pillaged by the British. Huron has been a destination since the French began trading with the Indians in the mid 1700s.

As of this writing, Tuesday 6/30, we’ll be spending our 4th night here. We had planned to leave today but didn’t think it was prudent to head into 15 – 25mph winds out of the direction we’re heading and battle 4 – 6 ft. seas. What’s one more day, besides we like the $25/day rate and it’s a very nice facility with shopping within walking distance.

Now you’re caught up on your favorite Loopers! Thanks for checking in.