For those of you who might be reading this and who aren't FROM Michigan, Mackinac is actually pronounced MackinAW. Just thought I'd get that out of the way before we started. And too, in case you didn't know even more, cars are not used on Mackinac Island. It's only bikes and horse-drawn carriages.
I actually skipped my third day of orientation at Interlochen to take the kids to Mackinac Island. Mark has never been there, but after Glo's and my trip last summer, I knew just what we wanted to do.
I drove the two hours to the ferry while, of course, Glo and Mark slept in the car. Seriously, the older they get, the more alike they become! We caught the ferry with just a minute to spare, and headed over.
Gosh, it was a beautiful day. Sunny and in the 70's and hardly a cloud in the sky. We enjoyed that 25-minute boat ride over more than I can even explain.
We had been told to stop in at Ryba's early in the day to buy fudge-covered strawberries. We weren't ten feet out of the ferry dock, and I saw the store. Two strawberries on a skewer, covered in thick chocolate. Needless to say, we had all eaten ours before we reached the first public trash can (for our skewers, of course!).
Another surprise (but not really)? Glo and Mark were hungry. Seriously, hadn't we just eaten three hours ago?
I hadn't been impressed with the eateries we had found the year before, so I did some research. The Gate House (owned by the Grand Hotel) had a menu that looked to die for, and after just sitting down, I knew we were in business! Gosh, it was some of the best food I've ever tasted, and the patio seating and gorgeous weather only made it better.
And if I had known the shrimp cocktail was going to be so delicious, I wouldn't have shared and would have just eaten it all myself! Thankfully, Glo got a bit weirded out by the peel-and-eat shrimp with their legs, so that left more for me!
My burger was so good, and the fries (with sea salt) were even better. And we had draft root beer and pineapple mango smoothies. Oh goodness, my mouth is watering even now.
After lunch, we waddled over to Jack's Livery Stable. I wanted Mark to see the island, and there's no better way than driving our own horse-drawn carriage. We had reserved our good friend from the year before, Mr. Shorty McGraw. Turns out, the owners had considered renaming him "Leftie" because having been in a team of horses for years, and having always been the horse on the left side, he constantly pulls to the left, especially when he gets going faster. However, I like this quirk of his because it reminds me of the beauty (and coolness) of animal minds.
It was a delightful time. Ninety minutes in a carriage with two of my favorite people. There was good conversation along with spectacular views.
We did a little bit of shopping along the main drag afterwards, and Mark got several good shots of him on the island on his Polaroid. Skipping rocks is always fun, and I wondered if Mackinac has to replace the rock beach every couple of years because people like us are constantly throwing the rocks into the water...
Just another day in paradise.
I actually skipped my third day of orientation at Interlochen to take the kids to Mackinac Island. Mark has never been there, but after Glo's and my trip last summer, I knew just what we wanted to do.
Gosh, it was a beautiful day. Sunny and in the 70's and hardly a cloud in the sky. We enjoyed that 25-minute boat ride over more than I can even explain.
We had been told to stop in at Ryba's early in the day to buy fudge-covered strawberries. We weren't ten feet out of the ferry dock, and I saw the store. Two strawberries on a skewer, covered in thick chocolate. Needless to say, we had all eaten ours before we reached the first public trash can (for our skewers, of course!).
I hadn't been impressed with the eateries we had found the year before, so I did some research. The Gate House (owned by the Grand Hotel) had a menu that looked to die for, and after just sitting down, I knew we were in business! Gosh, it was some of the best food I've ever tasted, and the patio seating and gorgeous weather only made it better.
My burger was so good, and the fries (with sea salt) were even better. And we had draft root beer and pineapple mango smoothies. Oh goodness, my mouth is watering even now.
After lunch, we waddled over to Jack's Livery Stable. I wanted Mark to see the island, and there's no better way than driving our own horse-drawn carriage. We had reserved our good friend from the year before, Mr. Shorty McGraw. Turns out, the owners had considered renaming him "Leftie" because having been in a team of horses for years, and having always been the horse on the left side, he constantly pulls to the left, especially when he gets going faster. However, I like this quirk of his because it reminds me of the beauty (and coolness) of animal minds.
Just another day in paradise.
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