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Eastpoint, Florida – A Heart as Big as the Bay!

Retrieving Kismet from Storage – Eastpoint Florida Seems like it was just yesterday when we left Kismet at TTC Storage in Eastpoint Florida, in fact, it has been several months. We like to cruise in the fall, somewhere south of Michigan, and then leave our boat in storage somewhere near where we plan to cruise after the holidays. This time, after our trip to the AGLCA (America's Great Loop Cruisers' Association's 2014 Rendezvous and cruise through Florida's Panhandle, we ended up in Eastpoint to store the boat. We arrived at TTC Storage and met the owner, Mike, at the building. Within half an…

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If You Rest… You Rust!

The crew of Kismet is On the Road Again! If it appears that we are eating our way back to the boat, you are right, we are! Seems like we are always on the move, north, south, east or west. Not much to report on during our road trip south to Florida to pick up Kismet, however, we found some exceptional food stops along the way. When trailering our boat, or driving back to where she is stored, gives us an opportunity to explore some little towns off the expressway. Shan Chinese Buffet was tops on our list, it was just a fluke that…

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Fly Creek, Fairhope, Alabama

Fairhope Alabama – Starting Our Cruise Through the Panhandle from Mobile Bay

Boaterhoming Our Way to Fairhope Alabama After leaving Joe Wheeler State Park after the AGLCA rendezvous we headed south with Fairhope Alabama as our intended launch site. However, after a late start and a long day's drive, we called it quits when we got to Greenville, Alabama, and found this rustic RV park about a mile off I-65. Stopping here for the night gave us the opportunity to arrive at Fairhope early in the day. The park was quiet except for an evening symphony of cricket chirping in a swamp nearby. We have been by this way twice before and each…

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Boaterhoming in Fruitland, Idaho

Seeking shade in Fruitland, Idaho after a hot day on the road. Our last two road days included a stop in Fruitland, Idaho where we selected a shady site at an RV park for the night. Still hot but bearable with the shade of the overhead trees filtering the intense heat from the sun making it comfortable sleeping in the boat. We are excited that the road trip part of the trip is just about behind us. We can't wait to get the boat back in the water. The next day Seattle was in our sights. It was a long…

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Launching Kismet, Flaming Gorge Reservoir

Arriving at Lucerne Valley Marine – Flaming Gorge Reservoir

We couldn't help but notice the desert-like environment we found ourselves in as we approached Lucerne Valley Marina on the edge of the Flaming Gorge Reservoir. After three full days of driving across the country and camping at RV parks along the way, we arrived at Lucerne Valley Marina early afternoon on the fourth day. We were more than ready to test out the waters of the Flaming Gorge Reservoir. As we drove from Green River, in Wyoming, south along the western side of the Gorge we couldn't help but notice the desert-like environment. After making the turn and driving…

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Cross-Country Trek – Kismet is Boaterhoming Her Way West

Our boating exploration hiatus is over. Time to head west! Two years ago we set our sights to trailer Kismet west this summer for four months, mainly to cruise Puget Sound up into British Columbia's Desolation Sound, and maybe even the Broughtons, time permitting. On our way, we'll put the boat into the Flaming Gorge Reservoir in Utah. It's been nine months since we had a cruise of any significance – the Tennessee River from Grand Rivers, Kentucky down to Rogersville, Alabama. We are happy to say that the planning is over, the boat is prepared, goodbyes to family and friends…

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Ranger Tug Kismet Boaterhoming RV Park

The Little Red Tug Is On the Move Again – Cloverdale RV Park

Cloverdale RV Park made us think we should do more RVing! The little red tug, Kismet, is on the move again, we're headed south this fall to cruise the Tennessee River; a 220-mile trip (approx.) from Grand Rivers, Kentucky to Rogersville, Alabama. The first stop was Cloverdale RV Park in Cloverdale, Indiana. Not a lot going on here but it was a very friendly stop for the night and very quiet with a tranquil setting. It had wide open grassy sites that were mostly empty and the park was surrounded by trees dressed in their fall colors. There is a…

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Ranger Tugs Kismet at Mackinaw Island Dock

Launching in Mackinaw City – Post Wedding Trip to Mackinac Island

Mackinaw City seemed to be the logical choice to launch Kismet for our trip to Mackinac Island. Our son, Skyler, got married to, Sarah, on Labor Day Weekend. Most of our summer was focused on this big event; except for a few boat trips, we stayed close to home preparing and enjoying all the activities. I have to confess it took quite a toll on our blogging ability. After it was over, we needed to decompress and Mackinac Island came first to mind. This island is unique in its ability to transport a visitor back in time, one of our…

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International Bridge

Heading Home from Spanish – North Channel, Canada

Loading Kismet at Spanish Municipal Marina. Heading back to Spanish, time to load our boat onto the trailer to drive back to the states. This was the first bad weather day of our trip. No sooner had we got the boat secured onto the trailer and into the parking lot when it started to rain hard. You can tell from the photos how dreary it was during our trip home. Heading over the bridge at Sault Saint Marie was a little stop-and-go as we neared customs. Not long after crossing the Mackinaw Bridge, we were looking for a place to…

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Marina Sign, Spanish, North Channel, Canada

Road Trip… Canada Here We Come – Spanish Marina

In light of some of our road trips recently, the one we took today was relatively short. We started by heading north along the scenic route of northwest Michigan. We drove Kismet across the Mackinaw Bridge, through the Upper Peninsula, across the border into Canada, and finally, 260 miles later, we launched her in Spanish, Ontario – right in the heart of the North Channel. We stayed one night at Spanish Marina getting things organized and prepped for our two-week North Channel boating fix, it had been five years since our last visit to this magical Canadian wonderland, way too…

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Kismet Anchored South Benjamin, North Channel, Canada

The Crew of Kismet is North Channel Bound

The North Channel is one of our favorite cruising destinations. There I said it! For those that have been, it is most likely one of your favored destinations as well. If you haven't been, the following posts and photos, although very nice, can't possibly do justice to what Mother Nature provides the boating community. The North Channel is located in Ontario, Canada, and resides in a stretch of water 160 nautical miles long at the most northern point of Lake Huron. This body of water is bordered by Georgian Bay to the east, mainland Canada to the north, and the St Marys…

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Hal, Charlevoix, Michigan

Charlevoix Used to Be Our Homeport – Welcome Home Kismet!

Missing our old homeport! Today we trailered our boat up to Charlevoix and launched her at Ferry Avenue Lake Charlevoix Municipal Boat Ramp. This ramp is just outside of Round Lake, on Lake Charlevoix by Irish Marina. As you can see (below) we were operating in a cloud of bugs that were hanging out at the boat ramp. The most bugs we've had on our boat at one time EVER! We have all known people who possess what seems like a magnetic force of attraction because of their outgoing personalities, broad smiles, and positive demeanors. They are the type of…

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Traverse City Sign

Going Home to Traverse City for the Summer

Going Home for the Summer. When trailering a big boat, you don't have as many options for stopping at just any restaurant while traveling between cruising destinations. We often have to look around for a bit to find a good spot to eat, one that we can also park the rig easily. Sometimes the best thing is to find a restaurant close to a mall parking lot. Lots of room to park in those kinds of lots, usually way in the back where there is less noise and traffic. Walmarts are usually good places and are known to be accepting of…

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Zion National Park

Little Red Tug Cruising Through Zion National Park

Red Tug Alert! Zion National Park is a short cut for us to Lake Powell Who would have thought the SECOND sightseeing attraction on that day in Zion National Park was Kismet, our little red tug? Everywhere we stopped to pull over, people seemed more interested in taking photos of our boat than the scenery. I'll have to admit, we did stand out a bit driving on those rocky hairpin turns and entering a few tunnels. I'm sure the last thing anyone thought they'd see on that day was a bright red tug traveling through the majestic Zion National Park.

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Boaterhoming on Kismet, Zion National Park

Stopping Short of Zion National Park

Finally getting into the rockiness of Nevada, Utah, and Arizona. Our goal is to arrive at Lake Powell beginning of the week and we've picked a great driving route that will allow us some arid vistas and views. Although we're not really stopping to sightsee along the way we've enjoyed driving through the territory we've covered so far. We left Las Vegas this morning with much anticipation because we're heading to Springdale, a small tourist town just outside the entrance to Zion National Park. Initially, we thought we might camp out in the park but after reading a few cautionary…

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Boaterhoming on Kismet, Las Vegas

Skirting Las Vegas

We decided to forgo activities in Las Vegas this trip because we were so anxious to get to Lake Powell and go boating. We found Hitchin Post RV Park, a nice park, for a one-night stay, on the outskirts of town, and enjoyed hot baths and a quick take-out dinner from the bar just outside. The park has great security but it makes you wonder why they need penitentiary-style gates to gain access to the site. Yes, just a quick stop in Las Vegas this time, got to get back on the water. 15 PRIME ACRES – LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION – This…

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Boaterhoming on Kismet, Lake Walker

A Night at Whiskey Flats RV Park

Boaterhoming on Kismet at Whiskey Flats RV Park! After a long day's drive, we were happy to come across Whiskey Flats RV Park in Hawthorne, Nevada. Not a lot of opportunities to find a place to stay for the night in this wide open, arid countryside. The town of Hawthorne lies just beyond Walker Lake, a beautiful, almost mirage-like, lake in a desert setting – this afternoon the skies were dark and stormy off to the east of us, and we were happy to find a spot to rest for the night. The park was nice with all the amenities a…

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Boaterhoming on Kismet, Cisco Grove Park

Nineteen Years + Four and Counting…

Très Romantique! Some people may not think camping out on your anniversary is the romantic thing to do but in our case it certainly was. A beautiful spot in Cisco Grove - California's Tahoe National Forest did the trick for us. All by ourselves in a 406 site campground, nestled in the Donner Summit with a campfire, a bottle of wine, a simple dinner, and each other... priceless!

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Boaterhoming on Kismet, Santa Cruz, CA

Camping in Santa Cruz

The first night out of Portland took us to Eureka, California, we couldn't find our appointed campground next to the Klamath River, but lucky enough for us we had noticed this nice Rest Area/Information Center nearby. A couple of other RVers were setting up their rigs to spend the night and we decided to do the same. Lots of room, just them and us and it was actually a very nice spot with a small river right next to the parking lot. It was very quiet until just after we went to bed when the trucks started to show up…

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Boaterhoming Battle Ground State Park, Oregon

First of Many New Adventures – “Boaterhoming” on Kismet

We Now Call Ourselves "Boaterhomies." Battle Ground State Park, in Washington State, was the spot for our first "Boater Home" experience. Since we had just driven six miles off the freeway to check out this park, we were happy they had availability for us to spend the night. We choose the first site available, right by the entrance, since it was a very thick wood, and being new at this type of camping and trailering a big boat behind the truck, did not want to contend with low-lying branches or too sharp of a winding curve in the road further…

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Olympic National Park Hoh Rain Forest

Olympic National Park – Hoh Rainforest, Washington

You guessed it – raining on the day we went to the rainforest, but we have to say it only added to the experience. A slight drizzle lasted during our entire hike through the forest. One of the most colorful and absolutely beautiful fungi we have ever seen. We weren't in the little town of Forks very long before we realized we were in the midst of "Twilight Zone." Since the popular movie, Twilight was shot here not too long ago the little town has become something of a tourist attraction for those interested in vampires. When Jim saw the…

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