The good thing about being in our home state is that family is nearby. Daughter #2 came up on Monday, and we shopped in town and drove to Ephraim for a fish boil at the Old Post Office. The next day, my mom came up, we shopped some more, had a nice lunch, and sat by the marina pool before dinner at Waterfront Mary’s. The day after that, D2 and I hiked at Whitefish Dunes State Park and loved the sunny, warm day. D2 also drove me to the grocery store for one last grocery run of our Loop. Well, maybe one more.

Speaking of lasts, we’re soaking them up. Owen and I are finding ourselves bringing up the last this and the last that. We’re doing a lot of reminiscing and reliving. We can’t believe we’ve come this far, and we can’t believe it’s almost over.

That said, we still have a little bit to go. Next stop: Manitowoc!

We said goodbye to Sturgeon Bay and headed through a canal to Lake Michigan. The lake was friendly today–waves of 1-2 feet with a south wind. We didn’t exactly hug the shore, but we stayed in a little closer than usual just to enjoy the scenery. Owen worked while I drove. That’s how we roll on work days.

The lake became a little rougher as we rounded the bend to get to Manitowoc. We were closer to 2-3 feet for that little stretch. It wasn’t terribly uncomfortable, but it was a little beamy because of the angle we had to take to get to the marina.

We hailed the marina on the radio, and we were assigned a slip. Dock hands were ready for us and helped us tie up as the wind picked up. The wind always seems to pick up right as we are about to dock.

We checked in and went exploring. It seems weird “exploring” a place that’s an hour from home, but we did. Manitowoc is really trying. There is a new restaurant, a new fountain, and some interesting signage. It seems like there’s a concerted effort to revitalize. They even apparently made the notorious one-way streets two-way.

We ate at The Wharf, which is new since the last time we were there. We had good drinks, good food, and watched live band karaoke. Then we walked to Kwik Trip. It was a tiny Kwik Trip, but it felt like home.

Just a couple more days left of our Loop. I can’t help but tear up a little bit when I think about it.