Sailboats Inc., one of the oldest and largest bareboat certification schools in North America, offers an intensive sailing course for beginners that covers safety, boat handling, navigation, seamanship and maintenance – everything, besides the proverbial foul mouth, you need to become a sailor.
Held in various places on Lakes Michigan and Superior (including Manitowoc, Marinette and Superior), the course ($795) includes all teaching materials, 20 hours of instruction on a 30-foot yacht and a life vest. From the moment you arrive till the sun is over the yardarm on the last day, you will learn and practice techniques that, in just three days, have made almost 8,000 novices shipshape over the last 20 years.
After a bit of shore schooling, essential skills such as docking, reading marine charts and rescuing overboard passengers are taught by patient Coast Guard-certified instructors who have yet to make anyone walk the plank. Provided you finish the course without any disasters rivaling the Exxon Valdez, you will be issued a Charter Certificate that can be used to bareboat all over the world. For more information, call 800-826-7010 or go to www.sailboats-inc.com.
YO-HO
So what if the closest you get to cutting wood is using the pencil sharpener – lumberjacking is a state of mind. You do like flapjacks, don’t you? Whip on some flannel and head to the Lumber-jack World Championships in Hayward. From July 26-28, wood chips will fly, logs will roll and cries of “Yo-Ho” and “Timberrr” will echo through the North Woods as more than 12,000 spectators watch the world’s best lumberjacks and lumberjills compete in the Super Bowl of Ax Swinging. Events testing skill, strength and speed will separate the Paul Bunyans from the Johnny Appleseeds and leave one lucky chopper with the title “world champion.” Make sure you check out the American lumberjack’s favorite, logrolling, which pits two woodsmen in a contest to knock each other off a floating log. Also look for the First Lady of Lumberjacking, Penny Halverson, whose power and skill has made many a male competitor wet his overalls.
You’ll be immersed in lumberjack culture (music, food and lore) and will probably hear more Bunyan stories than at a podiatrist convention. And if the kids want to go, but your idea of a good time isn’t watching someone saw a log, it’s worth the trip just to experience the Hayward Lakes area, with its 850,000 acres of national forest, 200 lakes and rivers and 15 golf courses.
Call 715-634-2482 or go to www.lumberjackworldchampionships.com; for information on area lodging, camping and activities, go to www.haywardlakes.com or call 715-634-8662.
THE BEACH IS ALWAYS WHITER…
What would you rather come home with: a T-shirt and tan from your beach vacation in Michigan or a prosthetic limb from your beach vacation in Florida? Both destinations have white sandy shores and crystal-clear water, but while Florida has frenzied sharks, Michigan has docile (and yummy) perch.
Grand Haven, Michigan is a lot closer, too, just under five hours, which means if you leave Milwaukee early enough, you can be on the beach by lunch-time. Most of the summer action takes place in Grand Haven State Park, just a short walk from town. Volleyball, stunt kite exhibitions, sand castle competitions and plenty of aquatic activities give this beach a buzz that’s as lively as Richard Simmons on an espresso binge. If you and your Coppertone would prefer some alone time, drive seven miles north to Hoffmaster State Park. This beautiful secluded beach stretches two and a half miles, with white-sand rolling dunes as a backdrop – a perfect place to entertain those weird Gilligan fantasies you have.
Toward evening, take a stroll on Grand Haven’s boardwalk, which starts in town hugging the Grand River and ends almost three miles later at South Pier. Perhaps Grand Haven’s most dramatic landmark, South Pier extends far into lake Michigan, with a classic lighthouse at the end; if you like to fish for perch, the pier is the place to do it. After dinner (Grand Haven offers everything from tapas to prime rib), don’t miss the world’s largest musical fountain, which provides dancing water to a wide variety of music, including hymns on Sunday – delightfully cheesy. Other events include sailboat races, Big Band dances, car shows and pier parties. For lodging information (from campgrounds to rentable summer homes), call 800-303-4096 or go to www.grandhavenchamber.org.
