AUGUST 2013
We spent the entire day at the Island. Since it was not our first trip, we had no agenda, other than to just enjoy the day. So, we did. The weather was fabulous. Flowers, houses, horses, bikes, fudge, walking around to repeat, flowers, houses, horses and bikes.
(For those not in the know about this magnificent island, here is a tourism page about it. The Cliff Notes version - - no automobiles, you walk, bike or are transported about the island via horse power. It is a historical site, there is a fort. There is the Grand Hotel - - think - - setting for the 1980 film "Somewhere in Time" with Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour. There are lovely gardens and Victorian homes. So, start there and enjoy.)
Take a tour of with us, we took the jet ferry over from St. Ignace. Of course there was that lovely light house in St. Ignace to see us off.
Once underway, I was able to catch the rooster tail from our ferry:
Our Big Mac bridge, almost 5 miles, suspension, it opened in 1957.
The Grand Hotel, from the water as we approach the island by ferry. They serve fantastic meals there, pricy tho. One time we splurged and had the luncheon buffet. There are not enough oooohs and ahhhhs, and OMGoodnesses to express how wonderful it was. We sat on that long porch too. If you ever have the opportunity, we can highly recommend the splurge. Indeed!!
Just minutes after debarking our ferry, flowers worthy of a capture:
Structures/buoys in the water, always delight, this one is of significant size:
This is the Round Island Lighthouse, registered Michigan historic site, built in 1895.
And, the Victorian homes and flora, sighhhh:
So much to see, so much for Sony to capture. One of the ferries, rooster tail and all, the buoy, a sea gull and - - - -
This is the gate to a local home, yea, really!
Another Victorian home and flora:
Quite the view, the Big Mac is out in the distance. I really could have stood or sat nearby for hours, it was seriously that great:
Lovely:
Oooohhh, time to stop for fuel, err, fudge. It is said they will not allow guests/visitors to the island to re-board the ferry if they have not purchased fudge. We have never needed to test that premise, we always buy fudge. Yes, they make it right there.
Bikes, pedestrians and a horse and buggy (with fringe on top too), it's how you get around here:
In all the times we have visited the island, we have never seen this, a UPS truck. (Remember, no motorized vehicles permitted on the island.) Brought in by ferry, driven off the ferry to unload on the dock. Loaded back on the ferry and taken back to the "mainland", probably Mackinaw Island, although that is a educated guestimate on my part. That driver has a great route, just saying - - 30 minutes or so each way on the ferry, forced to relax while he rides back and forth to the mainland. Tough job.
This taxi will take you to the Grand Hotel:
Want to see the island by horse back, no problem, guided tours available.
More flowers, are we smiling yet?? Of course, we are:
Another spot we could have enjoyed for hours and hours:
Rooster tails and old historic light houses, nice:
Parasailing anyone?
Our day on the island ends with this capture, sweet children, innocently enjoying the water's edge.
The following day we will head over the Big Mac and head south. We have two more nights and two more days of our trip, THE Trip, THE Encore'. We will have been on the road for about 10 months, and nope, I was not ready to go home. It was a fab 10 months!
.
No comments:
Post a Comment