The best and worst thing about a trip like this is that we’re always new in town. When we approach the day with clear eyes and an open heart, we’re rewarded with endless discoveries and occasional revelations. When we’re tired and cranky, it’s like starting a new school in eighth grade (trust me, you do not want to do this): we don’t know where to go or what to wear and the cool kids probably don’t want to talk to us.
In these circumstances, first impressions make a huge difference in the stories we tell ourselves (and you) about each spot. Take Port Sanilac MI, where we spent last night. We anchored inside the breakwater, because anchoring is easier than docking and also it's free. There wasn’t much space for anchoring, and we weren’t sure we were in the right area, but the depth was good and we picked a spot that seemed as out of the way of other boats as possible. As soon as we got ourselves set, a guy on a sailboat at the marina started waving us down. He yelled that he wanted to talk to us on VHF channel 68.
So we got the radio out, bracing ourselves for a lecture on how we entered the harbor too fast, or anchored too close to the channel, or who knows, maybe he just doesn’t like our boat. But he instead welcomed us to town, said he had seen from our burgee that we are doing the Great Loop, and offered to take us shopping if we needed provisions.
Needless to say, we LOVE Port Sanilac.
(Port Sanilac is totally loveable, anyway: they were having an antique boat and RV show while we were there, pizza at the Blue Water Grill came with a tasty crust and absurd amount of cheese, there was a free concert in the park, and there were waffle cones and donuts. Plus a lighthouse, and deer and bunnies and birds and butterflies, and fields glowing golden in the morning sunlight.)
Contrast that with Algonac, where we spent the two previous nights. We stayed at the Algonac Harbor Club, a marina that has a pool, which Felix has been begging for. The staff there was perfectly nice, but just after we arrived a boat pulled up flying a huge Trump 2020 flag, passengers and crew disembarked and soon there was a conservative baby boomer lovefest going on at the tiki bar. We later learned (because they stopped by our boat) that Jeff, owner of the flag-flying boat, was celebrating his 67th birthday by boating from bar to bar. (In case you’re wondering, this is not a good idea.) Jeff asked Matt, “Where are you from, anyway?” And Matt replied, “I am from Brooklyn New York.”
Can’t be sure why, but Jeff took down his flag before he left.
Before Algonac, there was Detroit. Detroit has a state-run harbor downtown, about a mile from the RenCen (weird GE headquarters death star-looking building that inside is basically a shopping mall with cars for sale, plus a truck made out of Legos, comfortable seats, and random conference tables. As an aside Detroit is the best city I’ve ever seen for working remotely – there’s tons of public space with infinite seating.)
The staff at the harbor was positively jubilant to tell us they had space for us at the dock, and when they accidentally made our reservation for the wrong day, they gave us a free night. So, obviously, we LOVE Detroit.
Also in Detroit, we got to connect with family who we haven’t seen in too long, enjoyed a personal audience with Tyree Guyton of the Heidelberg Project, ate really well, got lots of tips from friendly mariners, and met a troubled waitress who may or not have been biracial (? Her story was confusing) as well as a young 3rd-generation Detroiter who shared very lucid insights on gentrification and the role of Dan Gilbert.
First impressions of Michigan after a week or so: Fantastic. Only question for all those NYC-based Michiganders who’ve been giving us recommendations: Why did you leave???