Nick's Wedding!

Location:  Traverse City, MI

Rundown:  Back to the states three weeks after returning to Chile for my buddy Nick's wedding!



Flew out of Santiago at 7PM on Wednesday, August 28th, hopped to Huston, then Minneapolis, then Detroit at midday.  Nick's gregarious, good-timing Aunt Ann was so gracious to pick me up at the airport despite a unexpected flight delay and drive me five more hours clear up to Traverse City.  Pulled into T.C. at 7PM Thursday, August 29th, after twenty-four hours of non-stop travel.  Only a few schmucks are worth this.  Nick Brown is one of 'em.

The boys were out on a sailboat in Grand Traverse Bay, off Power Island, already getting their sea legs.  Aunt Ann passed me off to Ian's dad, who drove me out to Mission Peninsula.  Ran out on a dock, and the fellas threw me in a dinghy and motored me to the boat!  Felt like the John Candy movie, Planes Trains and Automobiles.

Happy to be back and stationary (besides the rocking of the boat).  I hadn't seem my buddy Tony in six years or so.  We had some catching up to do, and so we went into the wee hours of the night doing so.  There may or may not have been skinny-dipping.  Buncha dudes... that's weird.

Hard to tell in the morning how 'overboard' one was the night before when you're on a boat.  Everything is listing and rocking.  Sometimes it cancels itself out, like negative interference of wave anti-nodes, but other times...

Peeled ourselves out of our berths and on deck under cloudy skies spitting a touch of rain.  Within an hour the clouds had vanished leaving sunny skies and a fabulous northern Michigan summer day.

Spent the next day doing all the pre-wedding festivites.  Got to see a lot of old friends, Nick and Ian's families, whom I haven't seen in years.  Got to wear blue shirts with my buddies.  I don't know how we got so lucky to randomly have been put together in dorms all those years ago.  These are among the best friends and people I know.  Just don't tell them that.  It'll go to their heads.  Jerks.

On game day a trolley drove us all over Traverse City taking shots.  We had a ball.  Can't beat getting dressed up with all your buddies and being driven around town with a stocked cooler.

More photos, fun, and time to catch up.  Shot photos all over.  Parks, waterfront, abandoned buildings, and forests. 

Well done Mr. and Mrs. Brown.  Look at those beautiful children!  Sorry about the middle one though.  Your daughters make up for his oddity.

After a beautiful ceremony we ate, drank, and danced through the night. 

The SO's, Breanna and Jesse were also in good form and tearing up the dance floor.

And a good time was had by all.  The next morning I caught a ride back down to Detroit and flew back south!  Round Trip Travel Time:  96 hrs.  Total Time in T.C:  96 hrs.  Time well spent.

Summer in the States

Location:  Northern Michigan and Wisconsin, US-of-A

Rundown:  Home for a summer of Great family, friends, and Lakes!

Made the Midwest tour with Miranda by way of Michigan first.  There are fantastic places in the world, but few that really top northern Michigan in the summer.

Spent our first few days out on the boat, windsurfing, and eating.



Kayaked the Jordan River and also brought the boats out into Lake Charlevoix.  Sweet water!

Mikey and Jessie showed up and we, again, were out on the boats. 




Wake surfed on the sailboard and took the sunfish out.  Just like old times, except no sinking.

Went out to Beards, a new brew pub in Petoskey with a good cohort and had some samples!

Also made it down to Traverse City for a Beach Bums game!  I like the sausage race.  My money is always on the Brat.  They really shouldn't heckle the poor guy so much though!

Then our Michigan half of the tour came to an end.   We packed up my trusty Honda 400 Nighthawk with saddle bags and backpacks and drove north around the lake to Green Bay!  Hit a few rain squalls along the way, lost half of my butt cheek to blood loss, and eventually made it.  The bike was a champ though.  (And Miranda too!)

It was down-home fun from there on out!  We hit up the bar, the barn, and the river.  Went with Miranda's HI-larious group of friends and brethren to the Wolf River for a float day!  Sun's Out, Guns Out, baby!  The tractor picture at the top really says it all.

Six people, two coolers, eight tubes, and untold fun.

Also had some engagement pictures taken.  Our photographer, Kendra Schussman made us look like a million bucks.  Or Miranda anyway.  No hope for me. (facebook.com/k.schuss.photography)


Can you tell where we are?  I'm not letting the secret out.  We sure had fun though!

They told us not to play in traffic, but we didn't want to listen! 





Drove down to Milwaukee to see Miranda's college friends whom I had never met.  Had a great time checking out their rebuilt classic cars, playing bocce in the park, and eating great food!

 

 Back in Green Bay for Fourth of July.  No one does it like cheese heads.  Lots of music, rowdy people, food and fireworks.

And then I was off again.  Back on the bike with the road calling.  John fired up his (much louder and manlier) Harley and rode with me for the first leg of the trip.  What a cool father in law!

Made it back to Charlevoix with some layover time.  Ended up in Traverse City again to hang out with Ian, a gentleman of the highest caliber, and a whole lot of fun too.

He took me out with his lovely wife, beautiful daughter, and amniotic proto-child on a sunset sail.

I think his daughter was a better skipper than I was.  She only hit four swimmers.  I got seven.

You'd think I'd tire of the lakes.  They're endless enjoyment, above, below, and at equilibrium.  Hit the Straits of Mackinac for a some diving on the Cedarville and the Barnum.

 Getting kitted up makes you feel a little bit like Gumby.  The promise of weightlessness and cool water draws us in.  Our fearless deck crew (Diane) kept close watch as we were under. 


 "A plunge, a splash, and our task was o'er, and the billows rolled as they rolled before."   -Eliza Cook

The Cedarville becomes more and more comfortable every time I dive it.  Initially, the sheer bulk, odd angle, and unfortunate history of the wreck make it a formidable dive.  Not to mention the depth, cold water, and proximity to shipping lanes. 

But after diving on her for several years, the Cedarville has become an old friend who greets you with open portholes.  Exploring the pilothouse, decks, aft, and the grizzly crevice where the Topsdalfjord broadsided her never fails captivate.  Here's a little video I made a few years ago about the feeling I get diving the Cedarville.  Take a look.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjXqDw-9YDw

The Barnum as well, though her wooden deck and timbers collapse further and further into the hold every year.  There is more vegetation every year from the warmer waters, exacerbating the decay of these sunken museums.

No rest for the weary.  Flew to Atlanta for a week of IB training!  Ate good food and listened to great music.  And did math.  Lots of math. 

Went to the incredible Atlanta Aquarium.  Mantas and whale sharks swimming overhead.  Fantastic.

Then it was back in time to see my Germanic sister and continue the feasting!  Huzzah!

Apparently, fohawks were all the rage in Europe this summer.  So Liza cut a chunk out of either side of my head.  So continental.

It sure did make me look the part kiteboarding in Petoskey!  With my shorty (wetsuit, not significant other) in Chile, I used one of our loaner 80's suits!  Made people not really notice that I was flying a huge 9 meter kite.  They just gawked at my head.

 

I love the blue of the water here, but we could use a touch more wind sometimes during the summer!

Had some fantastic dinners!  Can't beat being home for the summer!  Shirt off!

Drove the bike up to Cross Village and swam to the rocks with a turbulent sky passing to the west.

I think I'm going to be out there one of these days.  Soon... maybe too soon.

And then it was time to head south one more time.  Crammed so much into such a short time.  It makes the time fly, but it's so worth it.  Had one last bonfire on the beach at McSauba and flew out.