1) Easy Entrance (and exit) From the Harbor/Marina -- after several days of dodging high spots and fighting winds to enter the harbors along Lake Huron, our entrance to Alpena as smooth and uneventful with plenty of water under the bow
2) Convenient Location: Within view of the marina was a shopping center with a big and clean laundromat, a Dollar General, and a Sav-a-Lot market. A marine store was even right in the parking lot. Within a 10 minute walk the Black Sheep Pub offered a nice selection of beers on tap, live music and a lively local crowd.
3) Good Dog Walking Space. The waterfront along the Alpena Municipal Marina has a nice flower lined walkway that was perfect for walking Ham. And they had plenty of dog waste bags available.
4) A Farmers Market -- Our timing hasn't allowed us to attend many markets this summer, so I was thrilled to have a Saturday lay day. The Alpena Saturday Farmers Market was well attended and well stocked. There was lots of zuchinni and onions, along with greens, currants, pierogies and Pasties (meat filled turnovers that are a local favorite). And, there were tables and table of bread -- simple country white, wheat and more artisan options like Rosemary-Raisin.
5) A Local Festival -- We didn't plan it, but we managed to arrive in Alpena for the last few days of the annual Michigan Brown Trout Festival. Okay, so I never even knew there was such a thing as Brown Trout -- and to think it has a week long festival dedicated to it!!
Funny Story: When we first heard about the Brown Trout Festival it reminded me of FREEDOM's trip south last fall with Nelly Crockett and the Thomas J. When we neared Southport, NC Tom (of the Thomas J) said, "They have a Mullet Festival in Southport -- usually about this time of year." Well, Mimi (aboard Nelly Crockett) and I looked at each other, eyes filled with excitement and we said in unison, "A Mullet Festival?!?" The mullet hairdo? Business in the front, party in the back?Visions of a festival full of Uncle Danny's from Full House danced in my head!
Then Tom continued..."Yeah, they have mullet fishing competitions, mullet cook-offs, it's lots of fun!
"Oh, the fish," we cried. Never mind.....Meanwhile, back to the Brown Trout Festival:
The marina parking lot was lined with trucks and trailers awaiting the return of their owners after a day on the water seeking the biggest Lake Trout, Brown Trout, Walleye, Salmon (another thing I never knew -- Wild Salmon can be found in the Great Lakes, not just in Alaska. In this case they are Chinook Salmon. This trip has been very educational for me).
Each afternoon the fishermen/women brought their catch filled coolers to the main tent where the fish were weighed before the crowd. The biggest fish were then displayed in a Pepsi cooler next to the beer tent.
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| Ok, bad picture, but you get the idea -- Fish tagged and labeled in a Pepsi Cooler. |
At night bands played in two venues and lots of typical fair treats were available: popcorn, burgers, cotton candy and Elephant Ears: A 12" diameter piece of fried dough coated in cinnamon sugar.
Funny story#2: When the Cap'n first saw one on a plate he leaned over and said, "That pizza is really burnt."
Anyway, as we listened to the Bluegrass band on Friday night I noticed the mother and son behind us were enjoying one of these "Burnt pizzas". Close up I could tell it had sugar, not overcooked cheese on top. "Excuse me, I said, We aren't from around here. What are you eating?" "It's an Elephant Ear! They are addictive, and you can only get them at fairs. Here, try some..." Yum -- of course got our own later on.
We really enjoyed being in town for the festival. Lots of fishing boats to watch come in an out of the harbor each day, friendly people, good music and a chance to experience a truly local event just steps from FREEDOM.
6) Local History: We enjoy a museum or other opportunity to learn about the history of the port. The Thunder Bay Maritime Museum provided us with a glimpse into the role played by the Great lakes in westward expansion, and into the history of Great Lakes shipwrecks. Knowing we were headed back into Lake Huron the next morning, we looked closely at the maps showing where the ships still litter the lake floor. We were relieved to learn that many of the wrecks were caused by ships running into one another, not by the shoals and rocks reaching far from the shorelines. Although those natural elements did play a big part, along with the ferocity of lake storms.
So there you go, that's what makes a great stop: Local color and convenience.
Another note about Alpena: Just north of the marina was an industrial complex with all sorts of ores/natural materials piled up on shore. There was one very large white-ish pile. I asked the dock hand what it was. "Salt, he said, You know, for the roads in the winter. A freighter just pulled up and dropped it off."
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See the sand-like pile to the left of the silo: See the black lump on the other side? That is the same pile -- just half of it is covered in plastic. That is all salt for the Alpena County (1,695 sq miles) roads next winter! The dockhand said it would all be used. Yikes |
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