It should be no surprise that we both slept well and also slept in fairly late. Then about 10:00 am it was off walking to the Discovery World Science and Technology Center. It would have been a swim of only 100 yards, but we chose to walk about a half mile around the marina. The main building really had too many exhibits, which is probably an odd criticism. Many great examples of gears, pulleys, automation, etc. Part of the overload for me was that there would be an exhibit showing the mechanical advantage of one pulley, then two, etc. up to 5 or 6. Then the same thing for different types of gears, etc. Then it was time for lunch at the cafeteria and a good chance to sit for a while. The second building featured a large aquarium with both fresh and salt water tanks. There was also a big 3-dimensional representation of the Great Lakes, which must have been 40 by 40 feet. It showed the elevation changes as the water flowed through the lakes and out the St. Lawrence River. With push buttons you could make it rain in the Georgian Bay and have fog over another part. As you walked around it, there were smaller tanks with different fresh water fish.
The second (and final building had great views of the lake and the harbor. The picture at the left shows the State Marina with Lucky Us sitting all alone at her dock.
The building also featured a life size replica of the schooner Challenge. The picture at the left shows the schooner sort of suspended in air in the middle of the building. The masts only went up about 15 feet to the ceiling, but you could walk completely underneath the boat and see the centerboard in the down position. The original ship worked in the local area transporting building material, like lumber, cedar shakes and nails, to the surrounding communities.
The picture at the right shows the helm and a man coming up the ladder from the galley. The galley was pretty Spartan with a wood stove for cooking. The small house behind the wheel had a clear plastic panel in the roof so that you could see the gears turn as you turned the wheel.
One of my favorites was the huge (at least I thought so) windlass that was used to raise and lower the anchor (picture at left). The windlass seemed almost over-sized for a ship that was only 87.5 feet long, but since she only made short cruises with lots of stops, I suppose that the windlass was used a lot (?). I enjoyed looking at many different splices and knots that were in use on the boat.
Then it was time to return to Lucky Us and take a well deserved (my opinion) nap. Much to my surprise, the Admiral even joined me for one of her few naps. I guess that we are catching up from the 12 hour trip across Lake Michigan yesterday.
We set off about 4:00 pm to walk to the historic 3rd Ward. This area is bordered by the Milwaukee River, downtown and Lake Michigan. Most of the factories and warehouses have been converted into lofts with stores and offices on the main floor (picture at right).
We had an early dinner at the Water Buffalo Restaurant overlooking the Milwaukee River. We watched small tour boats and water taxis cruise the river while we had dinner. The restaurant is on the lower left, and there is a water taxi (blue canvas) stopped on the wall. There is a river walk that goes for a long distance along the river, and it is visible between the buildings and the water. The whole area was quite nice, and we had an enjoyable time walking around looking at the sights.
Before long it was time to return to Lucky Us, which by this time was at least a mile away, although I have occasionally been accused of exaggerating... Anyway, it is way past time to sign off for today. See ya!
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