Muskegon for Labor Weekend.

It is Labor Weekend in the USA and we decided to sit tight at the Marina for the duration. Originally we had planned to be further south, but the accommodation there was on a main waterway, and we anticipated that might not be very smart, given how people in these parts like to get out on the water while the weather permits and the summer is leaving.
Wise move!
We are tucked away, somewhat, but there have been lots of comings and goings from this marina and some are more careful with their wake than others.

Friday and Saturday...well, they all see to meld together, actually, and I have given myself some time off from writing this blog. The photos are taking a while to upload and I don't want to sit around and wait, so this blog is a bit of a mish mash, as I cant remember what we did each day:(

Friday night we went for a walk around the marina and said hello to a bunch of folks on the other side where the smaller boats are parked (it is shallower over there). We enjoyed the company and banter and were invited to join them for Saturday Night festivities that they were putting together. This is the Slip holders.  All we had to do was take some food to share.

Not knowing what to take, Waz and I went up to Meijers Supermarket (opposite Walmart) to finish our food shopping for the stay, and settled on Mouse Traps...this is a peculiar Kiwi thing to make. We bought a large Foccacia loaf and some shredded cheese for this (more later). We also found some reasonably priced NZ wine (we always need more!) among other things. This was one of the best supermarkets we have ever been in. The choices were fantastic!

I forget which day we went to Sam's Club, but we did that too, for our bulk buying. My fridge overfloweth!

The following photos are a bit out of order...not sure how that happened, given that they were in a different sequence in my photo files, but never mind.

A lovely sunset on Saturday night, for the party.

 There was more food than you could poke a stick at!

 Which brings me to the Mouse-Traps that we took...

I cut the focaccia into  3/4 inch slices and put one side down into the oven to toast.
Taking them out, I turned them over and spread (very thinly) over the now soft side, Marmite. This, along with vegemite, are staples in any kiwi diet! Then I sprinkled the grated cheese on top and popped them back in the over to melt the cheese. I also made an onion dip for them with sour cream. They seemed to go down well!

We arrived at around 6pm and the festivities were well under way...well, at least the food was. More meatballs and beans than you can poke a stick at:) and home made desserts, cup cakes etc.
Of course the fun stuff started after the tummies were full, and the light started diminishing.
First up (for set up) was the Ice Block challenge. My title!
The fellas had frozen a  block of ice which is put on a specially made table...sloped, of course. The fancy fruit flavored liquor is on one side for folks to choose from. The master of the booze is checking his inventory, here. The Tiki-Bar type thing they made to accomplish this activity was unique:)

 The Ice is then routed to make two slightly wavy channels for the booze to travel down.

 The music had started...the band being made up of fellas who are slip holders here at the marina.

 The old farts were out in force...:)

 The late evening was pretty, the cloud formations interesting...

 As this is really a Pairs thing to do, two channels were routed....

 My favorite T-shirt of the night...

 The first liquor was poured into shot glasses....and then poured into the two channels...one each side..

 and whoever pays the $2 per tipple, gets to stick their lips the the ice and drink the whole shot, if they can.

 Of course the more liquor that was poured down, the wider the channels...so the later recipients had to swallow fast!.

We did not participate, but I did take a truck load of photos which I passed on to Tracie who hopefully will give them to those depicted. Thanks Tracie and co for inviting us:)

Lots of dancing, and more food and singing and finally, Fireworks. We were home by 9pm, and we stood on the back of the boat and watched the fireworks, just across the water. The noise was fantastic:)

There are more fireworks somewhere, as I write.

 

Did I mention we also went back to the Saturday Market for more produce?? How could we not, having eaten the carrots, beans and raspberries.

 Mother Nature's colors are fab!

 Glorious sunflowers

 Birds of a feather?

 HUGE Mums.

 Stunning beans!

 Love the illustrations on the packaging!

 Fresh Pasta...we don't eat it, unfortunately:(

 I love these Hydrangeas!

 All sorts!

 Dahlias!

 These carrots look a bit scared, don't they?

 Colorful squash!

 Gladi's

 Purpose built structures!

 HUGE  Cauli...

 Heritage Carrots!

 In NZ we call these peaches FLATOHS! :)

 

Well, after spending the hour or more at the market we had to return to the Coffee Store for another Latte. Just as good as the first!. We had the car from Lin and John, so putting all our purchases into the car was a cinch.

 

Sunday

 

Being a beautiful day, we went out and about again in the car. Rising late isn't really that good for us, and eating brunch isn't that good for us either...well, maybe:)

I made a wholesome omelet which we ate at 9am. By noon we were outta here and on the road. First up was lunch. The omelet wasn't huge! so we went looking for a restaurant we thought might be open on a Sunday and on a holiday weekend in particular. The one we sought was closed, so we went further up the main drag to finds the Pigs Belly Bar and Grill was open. Yay! And true to it's name, everything was pork oriented...well, almost everything. I have to admit the idea of candied bacon crème brulee is a bit much for even me!

 

We both ordered a Pulled Pork sandwich which was great. Waz had fries with his and I opted for the home made crisps. Very good! all of it.

 

We were on our way to the Silversides Submarine Museum and on the way we passed the beach. Hmmmm...if you could see it! First the fog rolled in, and there were people everywhere sunbathing in the fog! yep! these Michigan folks are weird:)

 

 Can you see the water yet?

 Ohhhh...there it is!! Can you see it?

 Amazing :)

 

The Lake was not having a good day!

 

We paid the $15 each to enter the Museum and see all of the exhibits. We were a bit pissed (off)by the typos in the text on the walls...printed large, too! We were also pissed (off), this being a Naval Museum, that they got Knots wrong. The chart (large and front and center) showed 'Knots/hour'.

Knots are a measure of speed. It is Nautical Miles Per Hour. The ' /hour' is therefore redundant. They should know this!

 

All that aside, the exhibits were excellent and we were happy to add to their coffers. We cannot imagine being one of the 8 officers or 75 enlisted seamen on the submarine, however. talk about sleeping with the enemy! Those torpedoes as pillows, almost.

 The mattress covers are green leather. Too bad if you are a bit taller than most! It must have been very hot down here.

 Torpedo tubes..Brass! six of them in the bunk room. The bunks slide out of the way for loading.

 Officer's pantry

 Officer's Mess.

 Japanese Kills!

 Enlisted men's latrines and showers.

What a beauty!

 

The Coast Guard cutter is under renovation, but we got to look around her also.

Out of the fog came a behemoth! This is the Fast Ferry that goes between Michigan, or Muskegon and Wisconsin. What we couldn't get over was the HUGE number of boats going up and down the channel....in the fog!

 

 It is a Car Ferry!

 ...and fog one end of the channel, and blue sky at the other end! The weather here defies description!

 Craft of every kind.

 The view of the Lake from one of the few high points, on the way home.

We had invited John and lin to have dinner with us around 5.30pm, Sunday evening.  I had prepared all the veg and the meat (NZ LAMB!!!!) before leaving the boat around 1pm, so it was just a matter of putting the roast on to roast (of course) and getting everything else ready. Even the sweet potatoes were steamed ready to bake crispy.

 

We all sat on the fly deck and enjoyed some NZ wine with our NZ Lamb roast with market fresh carrots and beans...gravy and fresh made Mint Sauce. It was excellent! All of it...the company...so easy and fun, and the meal too. We finished off with market fresh blueberries, strawberries and Raspberries...with sloppy whipped cream...of course:)

 

Lin and John left just after 10pm. So good to have kiwis around us, and such nice easy company!

 

 

Monday...Today.

 

Up late again...after 8am. Coffee, check mail, make breakfast and phone rings....Lin says they will pick us up and take us Tiki-touring around Muskegon. We had planned to go back to the beach today, but we wouldn't have gone anywhere else, we don't think. Where would you go?

 

10.30am John and Lin appear in their other car. We all pile into the Jeep and off to the beach. It is very rough out there today but there is a stand up board paddler, and lots of kite surfers. There was also a grooming tractor on the beach.

 

 

You can see how rough Lake Michigan is out there. Good thing we decided today was not a good day. Yesterday would have been better, but the number of boats out on the lake made for bedlam.

 

We toured the Historic District...some of the homes were stunning!

 and being renovated, thank goodness.

 Being painted! which one is the new? the right hand...blue!

 ...and some of the larger properties in North Muskegon.

 This property is positively Baronial.

Well, we eventually went all the way to White Lake. It was good to see the parts of the Lake we didn't see on the boat...almost all of it. Ended up having lunch at Arby's on the main drag, and the restaurant was raising money for a Food Truck...on sale (second hand goods) was something Lin liked and bought....almost a whole dinner set for $10. It was Make and Offer.

 

We came home, saw them off and said our goodbyes. We are off in the morning, all weather behaving itself.

 

Our laundry is all done, the spiders mostly deceased...but there are always more, it seems. We will clean up shortly and go to bed. Off around 8am, tomorrow. Ciao for a while. We wont be on blog for a bit...We need to be in Chicago by the weekend, and going through the CalSag Canal on Sunday morning. ....all going well.

Ciao for now.