The calmness ends at Lake Michigan. It is angry today and for 60+ miles we are at its mercy. The small rocky inlet into New Buffalo is intimidating, to say the least, but we make it into the harbor at New Buffalo without any mishaps thankfully.
We arrive to our slip in New Buffalo wondering why we are the only boater out on this Sunday morning. Perhaps the red flag today means something? 🙄
We walk across the bridge to the deserted New Buffalo Beach. It is windy and cold with a promise of rain in the offing, which is not surprising as New Buffalo is the rainiest place in Michigan AND it is June, the rainiest month for Michigan.
We spend the next few days “stuck” in New Buffalo. While the marina is somewhat protected, the “somewhat” conditions at night are difficult for sleep with waves slapping the hull and the boat rocking to and fro. The weather our entire stay is windy, rainy and downright cold! It’s June, right?!
New Buffalo, another cute quaint Lake Michigan town, was named by Wessel Whitaker in 1834. As he and his crew were trying to reach Chicago from his home of Buffalo, NY, his schooner, during a terrible storm, crashed on the shores of Lake Michigan. During the recovery of his ship, he was so impressed with the harbor and the beauty of the area that he decided to return to the area with friends and relatives and develop his settlement as the “New” Buffalo. These days, New Buffalo, with its close proximity to Chicago, is a tourist destination for those looking to get away to nice beaches and boating amenities. In fact, Amtrak provides three trains a day from the New Buffalo Station to Chicago. The tracks are conveniently right next to the marina!
We spend our few days here reading, making some trips to the nearby stores (especially Barney’s the local grocery store), enjoying some of the local eats, and looking at the rain.
Midweek, a short weather window opens for us to make the jaunt across Lake Michigan to Chicago. Captain Tom guarantees a smoother ride this time. We will see…
Rough weather yikes! Hoping good weather as you head to Chi-Town