.......did St Iggy with a lil ~twist~ this year......rode up with some good friends of ours ...Tony and Lara....Mother Nature was stirring a witches brew for weather....lotsa low dark clouds with a touch of rain here and there....and temps in the high 60,s.....we headed out around 4 in the afternoon for the wild UP and points beyond.....but this year instead of getting rooms at the hotel, we opted for a sweet lil cabin right on the shores of the Straights of Lake Michigan....
......doing our usual 80 mph + ....we hit the Mighty Mac Bridge in good time....it was definitely windy on the bridge so I rode the center lane pulling the trailer....after a brisk ride on the bridge we hung a left and headed out of town....a few miles out we turned into our destination.....and we werent disappointed...
. . ....the weather was cool....and the clouds were low and moving fast....we stowed our gear in the cabin and got ourselves together....mounting up...we headed out for St Iggy to rendezvous with ....The Notorious Michigans Misguided....dinner was scheduled for 6 PM and we were right on time....but I guess the folks at the hotel were running late, because when we got there, we were the only ones there....so we hung out for a bit munching appetizers....then decided to order dinner....and soon they all started wandering in....all our friends in The Misguided....the room was soon filled with the familiar laughing and joking of good friends sharing a great meal....
. ......its good to see old friends.....Pam and Black Dog are close friend of ours, and its always good to see their smiling face...
....after a great dinner we headed back to our little cabin on the lake....kicking back we had a few Capns....then a few more...my buddy tony always says that he never drinks until he hooks up with me....hey...what are friends for ?......the next morning we got up and had some coffee and headed for towns....on the way we happen to pass the entire entourage of The Misguided as they headed our for the days adventure....but we had other plans...and they included water and an Island....we had a nice little breakfast in town then got on a jet ferry and headed out for a day on Macinac Island...
....its about a 20 minute ride out to the Island....we deboarded and stepped out onto main street....a step back in time replete with a ton of shops ...much to Chili and Lara,s delight...
....so we hit the shops...and more shops...and still more shops...the girls had a blast...and they had a little...impromptu crazy hat party of their own....
. . ....and so we spent the day wandering around town...there are no motor vehicles allowed on the Island so everyone gets around on horse back or bicycles...
. . ....so we decided if you cant beat em....join em.....we took a guided tour on a carriage ride...when you get away from the commercial side of the Island...the rest of it is beautiful and steeped in history...
....after an enjoyable day on the Island we headed back to the mainland and our cabin on the water...it was getting close to dinner and we definitely had an appetite from wandering around all day....Tony and I had a plan....we had bought some "supplies" from back in the woods and we got back to the cabin I fired up the grille while Tony was busy in the kitchen prepping some onions...porabello shrooms....and an entire bulb of garlic...and a half cup of ...Capn...yep....you heard me right...Tony used to be a chef in his own restaurant,,,and he had an Idea for a...new BAB....so while I was out grilling...he worked his magic...and befor you know it...we had a new BAB for the record books....
....yep....one of my perfectly grilled ...smokey burgers straight off the grille...smothered in Tonys sauteed onions...portabello shrooms....sauteed in Captain Morgan....
...........The captain Morgan BAB was born...and it was friggin delicious !!!
....and so as the sun slowly set we munched our fill....then we hung out around the fire pit....sippin Capns..we never did make it to the Hat Party in town...the next morning we got up and got our things together for the trip home....Chili made some fresh coffee in what else...our Bunn Coffee Maker that we bought from home...hey....a guy has to have ...priorities...right ? ..
...and whats fresh brewed coffee without a littl pie ?....so we had some big ol slices of Chili,s ....Home made Blackberry Pie.....
........ooooohhhhhh.....Yeahhhhhhhhh..
....and so we hit the road for home.....80 -90 mph all the way down the super slab to our humble abode in the woods....once there we decided we were all hungry...and it was lunch time...so I fired up the grille and grilled up the burger we had left over....nothin like a nice BAB with friends after a great weekend...
.....well...as far as weekends go...this one was right up there....great ride...great friends...great food...the Trade Mark of The Misguided....after saying our goodbyes to our good friends Tony and Lara...I got the hammer out and put up something .....new...in the livingroom...you see...while we were at dinner Saturday night...our good friend Black Dog took Chili out in the parkinglot and gave her a ...few gifts for us...one was a nice ..virgin bottle of Capn Mogan...Steve..how did you know ??...
...and the other...was this super fine ..Dream Catcher...a gift for both us in honor of our...Official Engagement....
....Thanks Steve...its something we will always cherish....
....another St Iggy has come and gone....summer is fast comming to an end....but Chili and I still have the great memories of exploring the wind with our great friends...and thats a treasure for sure...
