We left on Saturday morning (I'm a week behind in sharing this), traveling along the eastern shore of Lake Michigan. We stopped in Grand Rapids and stocked up on Dutch peppermints, then had lunch at a nice little cafe.
We made it to Mackinac City but mid-afternoon and then boarded the ferry. This was a different ferry than what I was familiar with. The passenger ferries take about 20 minutes to get to the island. Our had a "jet" feature, with the roostertail spray in the back.
Mackinac Island is unique in that there are no cars. The main modes of transportation are bikes, feet, and horse-drawn carriages. Our hotel was a short walk down main street. Many of the buildings are Victorian. I thought the architecture was beautiful!
We took a walk to explore the island a little, then enjoyed dinner at the Pink Pony.
The next day we rented a tandem bike and took a ride on the trail around the island (it's about 8 miles to circle the waterfront completely).
We enjoyed the views of Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, the Mackinac Bridge, and the straights between the Great Lakes. We stopped to view the Arch Rock, as well.
That afternoon we took a carriage tour, which went through the interior of the island and provided more historic information. Mackinac Island was originally used as a special site for Native Americans. After the Europeans came to America, the island was used as a trading post for furs.
The second part of the tour went through the state park, which ended at the fort that was used to guard the fur trade.
(The fort from the lake)
After the fur-trading business died down, Mackinac Island became well-known for its fudge and has remained a summer resort since. The Grand Hotel is actually the largest summer resort in the world.
That evening, we got dressed up and went out for a fancy dinner at an inn that overlooked the water.
The next morning we shopped for a little fudge, then caught the ferry back to Mackinac City. We headed north and got to see some fall colors (part of the reason for choosing this trip). I was reminded of the Lilian Jackson Braun "The Cat Who" book series, which is thouight to be set in the Upper Peninsula, Michigan. I kept seeing signs for "pasties" (meat and potatoes baked into a dough pocket).
We decided to alter our route and visit Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. I had heard about Pictured Rocks while in Denver (thanks, Dan) and wanted to take the chance to visit Lake Superior for the first time.
The water on Lake Superior was gorgeous! It reminded Jeff and me of a tropical beach. The aqua colors were like what we've seen in Mexico or Hawaii (though certainly colder).
After Pictured Rocks, we headed home, this time along the western shore of Lake Michigan.
Although there was a lot of driving involved, it was nice to get away for a few days, and enjoy the world around us.
Oh, and the cake? You know, the cake that sat in my parents' freezer for 10.5 months, half-thawed on an airplane, sat in our already-full freezer for 1.5 months, then sat in our car and on the ferry for a day? That cake? It actually tasted good. Happy Anniversary, Jeff!
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