Sunday, October 4, 2009

Mackinac Island

Weekend get away to Mackinac Island (pronounced Mac-in-aw). It is located in Northern Michigan, right where Lake Michigan and Lake Huron meet. It has a lot of history, due to its important location for fur trading. The Island is only 8 miles around, and has no cars on it. And it is an ideal place to get away from it all.
Since there are no cars allowed- you got to take a ferry over from Mackinaw City

This is a picture of the Mackinaw Bridge (or the Mighty Big Mac- as locals call it). It is 5 miles long and connects the upper and lower pennisulas of Michigan across the great lakes.


Told ya- no cars. Either bikes or horse drawn carriages. We brought our bikes. It was sooo quite because there were no cars! I never realized how loud cars are, but we are just used to it. Really like stepping back in time.
Mackinac is known for its fudge- in fact the tourist are called "fudgies" by local islanders

Fort Mackinac- full with costumed re-enactors!

Costumed for 1890- shooting of the rifles


Beautiful view and shooting a canon! What more can you want?
Highlight for me- The Grand Hotel. Built in the late 1800's, it boasts the largest porch in the world. But why did I really want to see it? Because this is where they filmed "Somewhere in Time"!!! A corny 70's love story with Christopher Reeves and Jane Seymour- but I absolutely love it!

Here's the picture that Christopher Reeves falls in love with in the movie- they had memorabilia all over- even Christopher Reeves hat.
The Grand Porch
The Grand Dining Room- if you can't tell it is a little fancy here. Formal evening wear is required after 6pm- and to just eat dinner here costs $90! Luckily we can at 4pm



We rounded out the day by biking around the Island- just beautiful and peaceful. I never realized how beautiful and big the great lakes are.
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Saturday, October 3, 2009

Colonial Michilimackinac

Colonial Michilimackinac (don't even ask me how you say that) is a fort that was built on the north tip of Michigan by the French in 1719. They have completely excavated and rebuilt it now and it was a lot of fun.

Firing the old black powder canon
Lisa and Rick getting into the spirit of things


They cook all their food traditionally
Some black powder rifles
A blacksmith and his billows
Making bread
This was originally a fur trading post


A fun and educational experience!

More of Mackinaw

Back in Mackinaw City- still lots to see. The historic lighthouse on a stormy day.

Rick's favorite part- Old Mill Creek. A still operating water powered saw mill.
Not to mention it was beautiful around it!
The saw mill going- you can see the saw moving up and down- it goes at 120 horse power, from water!! Crazy ingenious how they work. Rick was so impressed he even bought a book on how to build on- haha.

Off
On




We drove home along the coast of Lake Michigan, through "The Tunnel of Trees"- the leaves haven't changed completely yet, but it was just beautiful.