We’re Back!

After a long winter in Cincinnati, we are back to Grand Haven to take delivery of Prime 11. It’s June and boating season has begun in Northern Michigan. Mother Nature, however, did not get the memo. It is cold with occasional frost warnings. Despite the chilly weather outlook, Prime 11 has to come out of hibernation and get rebaptized into the water.

We spend the next couple days at a VRBO while we clean, unpack and restock. As our rental was downtown Grand Harbor, we enjoyed what the small town of Grand Haven offers.

Grand Haven is perhaps most known for its musical fountain which features shows synchronized with water, lights and music. Every night, from Memorial Day to Labor Day, it plays for 25-30 minutes. The show is free and the starting time varies according to sunset. The night we saw the fountain, the show began at 10:10 pm. The water fountain, built in 1962, was inspired by a local dentist, Dr. William Creason, who wanted to bring beautification to the banks of Grand Haven. At a cost of $50,000, it was the largest in the world until 1998, when the Bellagio Fountains in Las Vegas opened.

After two days, we check out of the VRBO, return the rental car to Muskegon Airport, and taxi back to North Shore Marina and Prime 11, which is home for the next several months.

While North Shore Marina has many amenities, it is, shockingly…on the North Shore of Grand Haven. Therefore, without a car, there is not much to do or see.

From our slip at North Shore Marina, we are able to walk the pier across from the Grand Haven Lighthouse, established 1839.

We see those that call this area home.

Our next stop will be Saugatuck, Michigan. A short first run to “prime” Prime 11 for the season.😉