Father’s Day Hot Dogs!

Father’s Day dates back to 1909, according to Wikipedia, but did not catch on as a hallmark holiday until 1966 when Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson issued a proclamation that recognized the day. Pres Nixon gets credit for making it a national holiday in 1972, officially designating the third Sunday of June as Father’s Day, a smart choice since that neatly coincided with the first weekend of summer.

Happy Father’s Day to all the sweet dads out there. Let the hot dog season commence!

It all started with hot dogs

For Mike Gillespie – happy 79^th birthday young man! And Tyler Hendry, who likes hot dogs now!

Two hot dog legends were slightly ahead of the Father’s Day craze when they opened a hot dog stand in the late 1930’s near the Santa Anita racetrack in CA, followed by a drive-in BBQ joint in San Bernardino, CA, that became a legendary burger joint in 1948.  Talking about none other than Richard and Maurice McDonald, the founders of Mickey D’s.  

When crotchety Ray Kroc bought out the enterprise in 1961 he proclaimed “NO hot dogs will ever be served” but Kroc died in 1984, giving a rebellious little community in Sodus Point the opportunity to open a “McSnack” in 1989, making it the only McDonalds at the time serving hot dogs. The smaller version of a McDonalds was open for a total of 4 summers.

Random factoids: Celebrities who have worked at McDonald’s include: Lin-Manuel Miranda, Rachel McAdams, Sharon Stone, Jay Leno, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, James Franco, Pink and Seal, among others.

Sodus Point, New York

We spent a lovely respite in Sodus Point, while Tonto’s Reward completed her repair work. The former McSnack shack is now known as Hots Point, serving Capt Rick’s favorite snack, ice cream.

There are lots of great dining options, we loved the energy in this spot!

Boater’s Tip:  We highly recommend Katlynn Marine, the staff is exceptional, and the village is delightful.

Thanks to Paul and Celeste, who gave us some great tips. Captain Jacks was a great choice, we went there twice!

The Beach at Sodus Point

Do you know the Great Lakes?

Our journey will cause us to traverse multiple great lakes, so I thought you might appreciate a little geography quiz. Depending on where you live, most American adults should be able to name at least 2 of the 5 lakes, without seeing a map.  If you ever lived near the lakes, you should be able to name all 5.  David B suggested we should make the quiz a little more challenging, thus the lakes are shown here in random order. 

How many of the lakes can you name AND how many have you visited?  Boat not required.

Navy Point Marine, Sackets Harbor, NY

We could have spent an extra night or two at Sackets Harbor, seasonal boaters seem to be arriving this week.

Thanks for the restaurant tip!

Tin Pan Galley was great – Gail had enough lettuce left over from her portobello stack to feed a family of rabbits.

The tuna was delicious, and more manageable.

The Great Lakes Revealed

Here’s the map, with labels.  Captain Rick has been to all of them, on the water!

In the same order as the quiz: 1) Huron, 2) Erie, 3) Superior, 4) Michigan, 5) Ontario. And for the data Capt Rick requested:

Celebrating Milestones

Birthdays:  June 22, Ann Hughes (65!), Scott Sherman; June 23, Gonzo Gillespie; June 26, Joe Occhino.

Finally, some Father’s Day Flowers from Sodus Point.

Next Up:  Clayton Village, New York.  Heading to Kingston, Ontario very soon. 

Special note to our Cell Phone provider:  Dear T-Mobile, please keep us connected, as advertised!