Jun
22
2012
Harbor Springs: A Class Act
Mom and Dad suggested that since I am the Cruise Director aboard our boat, it was high time for me to write in our log. For those who haven’t met me, I am a 14 year old Jack Russell Terrier.
For this leg of our trip, I suggested we head to the resort town of Harbor Springs. This is a new port of call for Idyll Time and it was a relatively short trip from Charlevoix. I had a hunch that Mom and Dad would enjoy it here and I was dead on. Sometimes you know as soon as you set foot ashore what a place will be like. As we pulled up to the dinghy dock, I knew immediately that Harbor Springs was a classy place. Just ashore there was a great park with neatly manicured grass and beautiful gardens.
Harbor Springs has been the summer home of the Midwestern aristocracy for over 100 years. Walking through the downtown, Mom said that Main Street could be straight out of a Disney Film. She was thrilled to find one shop called RFrogs. They have one of the largest collections of Tim the Frogman Frogs. Mom has been a collector of these cast bronze frogs for over 20 years. We have them all over our house and boat. Dad was not too happy with me finding this shop for mom. He was a good sport and just handed her the credit card while we waited outside. She came out beaming. It turns out that Tim the Frogman is going to be here on Saturday to sign his artwork. Needless to say, we weren’t leaving before them. We were back at the gallery on Saturday to meet him and Mom purchased a new frog named Hugs. Mom was very happy that I had picked Harbor Springs for our cruise. Dad was relieved that Mom only selected one small frog. She does have her eye on several others but we won’t tell Dad.
My favorite shop however has turned out to be Yummies Ice Cream. Not only do they serve great people portions but they also have a special doggie sundae. This dish is vanilla ice cream, my favorite flavor, with dog kibble sprinkled around the base and a big dog biscuit on top. It is a great deal at only $1 and the proceeds go to the local Humane Society.
I encourage Mom and Dad to make a trip ashore each afternoon for one of these. This makes Harbor Springs my favorite stop this summer.
Talk about class! We are anchored in a beautiful spot just off the Little Harbor Club. This prestigious club is part of the Harbor Point Community, a collection of summer cottages lining the Harbor and Lake Michigan shoreline. From our anchorage we admire the stately old homes with their neatly manicured lawns and beaches. Several evenings we have watched as a beautiful 1950 Trumpy 80 foot Motor Yacht with captain and crew pull up to the yacht club wharf.
Several couples dressed in their finest depart for dinner while the yacht anchors out in the harbor next to us. Idyll Time is proud to be alongside such a classy yacht.
Although most of our time here at anchor was very enjoyable, there are times when Mom and I wished we were tied to the dock. Several evenings we experienced severe thunderstorms with wind gusts of 35 mph. The lightning bolts are what really scared me. I chose to hide in the shower while Mom and Dad kept watch to make sure our anchor did not drag. Dad had done a good job at anchoring and IT never budged. We were all relieved once these storms passed. Unfortunately, dad discovered several days later that our KVH satellite TV was not working. Evidently stray current from the lightning traveled through the water and zapped one of the circuit boards. Dad had to take apart the satellite dome and mail them off for repair. He wasn’t too happy about that.
After some research on the computer, I found a really great bike ride for Mom and Dad. Highway M119 goes north from Harbor Springs along the bluffs of Lake Michigan. This narrow road is now a designated state heritage road and is know by locals as the Tunnel of Trees. It is one of the top bike rides in the Midwest. Mom and Dad rode 20 miles of this and really enjoyed the scenery of the lake and the many nice cottages along the roadside.
We ended up staying in Harbor Springs for almost a week. It has been a great stop. Well, I better go now. Mom and Dad are taking me to Yummies for one final doggie sundae. Since I have done such a good job as cruise director, maybe now would be a good time to hit Mom and Dad up for a raise. I think my abilities are worth two doggie sundaes.
Yours Truly,
Sebastian, Cruise Director aboard M/V Idyll Time
Total Miles Traveled Charlevoix to Harbor Springs: 14
Total Miles Traveled Year to Date: 353
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