September 26-28, 2017 Tuesday-Thursday
Sheboygan was a wonderful stop for us however we were ready to continue down the lake towards Chicago. The forecast was a little iffy but we left the harbor by seven Tuesday morning with a plan to go as far as possible before the weather deteriorated. We made it to Racine, WI by five, 63 miles, which is a long day for us. By 6:00 pm small craft warnings were out and stayed in effect until 10:00 am Thursday morning.
Taking advantage of a “weather day” we spent time visiting downtown Racine and the Racine Historical Museum. This small museum did a great job showcasing the history of Racine which was incorporated as the Village of Racine in 1841, it became an incorporated city within a week of Wisconsin becoming a state in 1848. Built at the confluence of the Root River and Lake Michigan it has worn many hats; logging, boat building, shipping, and other manufacturing endeavors.
Racine was an early automotive powerhouse with companies like Mitchell & Lewis Motor Car Company, Pierce Engine Company, Case Company, Maibohm Motors Company, and Nash. The last automobile manufactured in the city was in 1938.
Who hasn’t read at least one of the Little Golden Books? They began right here in Racine with George Duplaix of the Artist’s and Writer’s Guild, in partnership with Simon & Schuster Publications and the Western Printing and Lithographing Company. The goal was to produce affordable children’s books and to make them readily available. The first twelve Little Golden Books were published in 1942 and in sold at local businesses. The Little Gold Books, now owned by Random House, is celebrating its 75th anniversary.
When we asked the docent of the museum where to have lunch he recommended several restaurants but said we really should go to Kewpee Hamburger, which apparently has been a local hangout in Racine since 1926 with the slogan of: HAMBURG – PICKLE – ON – TOP – MAKES – YOUR – HEART – GO – FLIPPITY – FLOP. Fun staff, excellent hamburgers, and homemade rootbeer!
Today we had a small craft warning until ten but after that weather prediction was for calmer seas with wind from the north so we decided to head for Chicago and DuSable Harbor Marina some 60 miles away. We made it to Belmont Harbor, where we had planned on getting fuel, and then moving on. However, by the time we got there, the wind had changed to the east and waves were on the rise so we will stay here tonight and move to DuSable Harbor tomorrow, a mere five miles away.
