WEEK 25 AND 26 - Benton Harbor, Michigan to Hammond, Indiana

As you will note from the map, not a lot of forward progress for these last two weeks. Due to the lock closures on the Illinois River, we cannot head south from Chicago until October 8. At the same time, we would also like to be pretty much off Lake Michigan while we wait. Two weeks at a downtown Chicago marina would be a wallet-buster, so we compromised by getting a slip for two weeks in Hammond Indiana. Hammond is in the industrial armpit of southern Lake Michigan, all oil refineries and other heavy industry, but the marina there is quite nice and very cheap. Our only stop between Benton Harbor and Hammond was an overnight in New Buffalo, Michigan (marina).

The run to New Buffalo was calm and uneventful. The city marina there was also calm and uneventful – we were the only boat there, most everyone local having already hauled out for the season. The docks were almost underwater and choked up with duckweed. Although there were three marina staff on duty, no one ventured out to help with lines or anything, very unlike the helpful staff we found at every other municipal marina in Michigan. We had a quiet night there – the only drama was when Bella mistook the thick carpet of duckweed in the slip next to us for grass and stepped off the dock into six feet of water.

Just us and the Police Boat

The duckweed was thick in the basin

The burgers here at Redamak's (since 1946) were well worth the 2 mile round trip walk

They really have begun to roll up the sidewalks in this town

Looking out over Lake Michigan

Early morning departure from New Buffalo

The next morning we got underway for Hammond, about 45 miles across the southeastern corner of the lake in a nice small following sea. The marina at Hammond is run by the local port authority, and they are a friendly and efficient bunch. The marina shares a basin with a big casino, and we popped over there for a late lunch and to check it out. We are not gamblers, but it’s interesting to people watch at a casino. The most striking thing to me is that no one really seems to be enjoying themselves much – mostly a lot of grim-faced older folks stuffing quarters into the machines like it was a job on an assembly line.

Gary Indiana just as described above 😝😝😝

The Hammond Marina entrance

Pretty good Thai fusion restaurant in the casino

View of the Casino from the marina

Lake view at sunrise

View of the marina from a small beach to the west of it

The next two weeks were very laid back – Jayne and I each took a trip to visit family for a few days while the other stayed back to take care of Bella. We made some trips into the city on the South Shore Railway, Jayne had her friend Sandy come and visit for a couple of days, and we basically chilled out for a while. But we are starting to get restless – we are going to head to Chicago on the first of October and get a mooring for a couple of days in Monroe Harbor right in downtown, then move to a fairly pricey slip at DuSable Marina where we will meet some more guests, and then – finally- we will get underway for points south.

In heaven over Perquad's pizza

13th row center for Hamilton!

Portillo's for a Chicago dog

Three Dots and a Dash Tiki bar. 

Comment from Jayne: For the record I have enjoyed every minute of this glorious adventure. I am very close to my siblings and their families and was admittedly homesick for them terribly in the beginning. About this time in out loop I was getting antsy to hurry up a bit and get back to Florida so I could see them. Being able to break up the trip with a visit home was awesome and I no longer feel that urgency. Oh, and Jonathan disputed adding things non-loop into the blog but I say visits home are still looping activities 😘💙.

Jonathan's trip to California to visit his mom and brother

My trip home to visit my family. Love my littles 💙💚💛💜