From Traverse City, the fastest way is to take US 31 along the coast and in a few short minutes, you have arrived at a nice little town right on the East Bay.

However, if you have the time (and a boat, or have friends with a boat), the alternative way is even nicer. It will take a few long minutes, but is worth it. We boarded the boat in the East Bay Harbor Marina and with “welcome aboard” drinks in hand, we were heading north on a smooth trip to Elk Rapids.

Dinner at Cellar 152 was excellent – can’t go wrong with the pulled-pork sandwich. And the friendliness factor of the staff was quite high on the patio where we sat. It was one of those nice Northern Michigan evenings before the snow starts (which could be any day now – it is August) before our trip back.

Leaving the Elk Rapids marina, there was a great sunset over the Old Mission Peninsula. I had never seen it from this angle, having never been on a boat in the TC area before.

Elk Rapids Sunset

We enjoyed “heading home” drinks as we raced across the water, watching the coast of Antrim County coast disappear behind us. I don’t mean to bring too much learning into this post, but Antrim is named after a county in Ireland (Northern Ireland, to be precise), one of five counties in Michigan named after Irish places.

Sunset wake on the bay

We were given one last peek at the sun as it set below the hills of all those vineyards on Old Mission. The sun having done its primary job up here – tanning the sunbathers and growing the fruit – it called it a day

Old Mission Sunset

This was on our second night in Traverse City, and was missing my ex-home in Haslett. During the ride, though, I thought “this may not be so bad after all”.