As we left Charlevoix, we heard reports of fog out on Lake Michigan.  We were happy to see it lifting as we left the channel.  The waters were flat.  Our goal for the day was the historic Leland Fishing Village, but it was not to be.  It was our first marina that had no room in the Inn.  They were booked for weeks!

    

As we continued on down the coast we came upon Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Park.  It boasts massive sand dunes up to 480 feet high, white beaches and a backdrop of forest – the view from the lake is incredible.  Viewers of ABC’s Good Morning America voted Sleeping Bear Dunes as one of the top ten “most beautiful places in America”.  Point Betsie Lighthouse was constructed in 1858 and marks the southern entrance to the Manitou Passage.  The tower stands 39 feet tall, towers 52 feet above the water line and can be seen from up to 22 miles away.  Why do you put a lighthouse on a lake?  Because this is a pretty treacherous area for boating due to fast forming winds and weather events.  This is a favorite area for divers as there are over 50 shipwrecks to explore.

   

    

The North Breakwater Lighthouse marks the entrance to the harbor of the historic town of Frankfort.  This historic town is one of the many quaint tourist stops along Michigan’s western shore.

    

We pulled into Jacobson Marina Resort where we were greeted by Craig and Elizabeth from “Contentment”.  We first met Craig and Elizabeth at the Belhaven, Alligator and Coinjock Marinas in North Carolina.  They are now AGLCA Harbor Hosts for Frankfort and met us with a neat goodie bag of wine, famous Michigan cherry jam, one of Elizabeth’s hand-crafted flour sack towels and tons of tourist information of the area.  They also gave us a gift card to a little local bakery and gift shop, “The Beach Nut”, where we got a sandwich and fresh cherry coffee beans!  Thanks Craig and Elizabeth!

    

Around town we visited some local shops, Crystal Lake Art Center (a former Coast Guard station), the Garden Movie Theater and the Frankfort Inn and we had an Asian dinner at “Fusion”.

    

        

    

A weather delay kept us at the marina an extra day.  But, with a swimming pool and excellent facilities, it was not a problem.  Even the marina staff would grill your special order dinner and bring it to your boat!

        

Frankfort has over 23 miles of bike trails – which we didn’t make.  But we did enjoy a walk to the beach and the beautiful sunset.

    

    

Due to an approaching weather front, the beach soon was abandoned.