June 27, 2013
Light rain started to fall around 11:45. It only took an hour or so before we had to add 2 layers of clothes on the bottom and 4 layers on top, as well as shoes on our cold feet. The sky was hazy with occasional showers and there were bugs everywhere. Mystic was dotted with the remains of those that were not quick enough to avoid the swatter. A major cleaning will be needed once we reach Knife River.
There is a lot of time to think while we are cruising; with moments of total focus on some issue at hand; a boat coming our way or a channel marker we should be passing. There is never a dull moment. Dave and I enjoy each other's company and spend our day chatting. We wish we had more time at each stop. We would have loved to stay longer on Rock Island and St. Ignace.
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| Cargo ship off our port side |
Our next stop is Lime Island, a State owned park with a dock which was once used as a fuel dock for cargo ships. It looks interesting and will put us another 50 miles or so closer to home. The dock is a long pier with a tern nesting site alongside it. It is said to be the largest colony of terns on the Great Lakes and is protected by an electrical fence. As we came into port, we motored right next to the birds. I wanted to take photos but had to pay attention to docking. Later we spent time photographing these beautiful little creatures.
We met the island caretaker, Dave, who told us he didn't know anything about the island. It was his first week as host. He found the opportunity in the back of a fishing magazine. It seems that anyone who wishes to do so can spend time on these state parks as hosts. It is something we would definitely consider one day.
Dockage on Lime Island is $15 per night. There is a drop box for submitting payment. Dave, the host, told us, " Pay or don't pay, I don't really care; however, the DNR will be looking for you if you don't pay." He explained that his job was to get our registration number and document that we stayed, nothing more.
After making sure our payment was in the drop box, we set off to explore the island. The former dock master's quarters is now a historic museum. It is called "the big house". Eight small houses which were once inhabited by families are now rented out at $65/per night. A boardwalk leads to six campsites set on wooden platforms with views of the St. Mary's River. In addition, there is a 1916 schoolhouse on the Island. It was not open for us to tour so Dave took a photo through the window. The island is inhabited by a lot of mosquitos.
We walked down the boardwalk to visit the campsites then followed the path to the river. There was a substantial amount of coal all around, most likely it dropped from the ships that came to the Island to refuel. On our way back to the dock, we met a woman who told us she was visiting with 20 family members for a week-long family reunion. Her grandmother grew up on the Island and her Grandfather worked the docks. We were fascinated to hear her story and wished we had the opportunity to stay the week and sit around the campfire with this group in order to learn more.
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| Tern nesting area on Lime Island |
We walked down the boardwalk to visit the campsites then followed the path to the river. There was a substantial amount of coal all around, most likely it dropped from the ships that came to the Island to refuel. On our way back to the dock, we met a woman who told us she was visiting with 20 family members for a week-long family reunion. Her grandmother grew up on the Island and her Grandfather worked the docks. We were fascinated to hear her story and wished we had the opportunity to stay the week and sit around the campfire with this group in order to learn more.
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| 1916 Schoolhouse |
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| Interior of Schoolhouse |
We made our way back to the docks as thunderstorms moved in. They lurked around us all night but it was the warmest part of the day and we hoped it would stay that way. The sun peeked through the clouds just enough to color the sky. Dave hung a mosquito net over the hatch before turning down the lights.
Musings:
Note to self, Lime Island has a very high wall where boats tie up. We figured out as we left that moving forward on the pier to the point that has a low spot and a ladder makes boarding and leaving the boat less treacherous.
Rocket Club's new song 'Now . Here. This', fits our day perfectly. The lyrics remind us to 'be in the moment' whenever we can! This could be "the best damn ever 27th of June!"
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| Peaceful Place - Lime Island |
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| View of the Island as we departed |
Musings:
Note to self, Lime Island has a very high wall where boats tie up. We figured out as we left that moving forward on the pier to the point that has a low spot and a ladder makes boarding and leaving the boat less treacherous.
Rocket Club's new song 'Now . Here. This', fits our day perfectly. The lyrics remind us to 'be in the moment' whenever we can! This could be "the best damn ever 27th of June!"
