Michigan is known as the Wolverine State. The State Flower is the Apple Blossom and the State Bird is the Robin.
We have a cousin that has lived in Mackinaw all his life including the terrible cold winters! So we drove to visit him and see the area. We stayed in his cottage "Somewhere in Time" named after the movie that was filmed here in 1986. The entire house is furnished in this time era and it's a quaint little adorable cottage. He had to put a 'private residence' sign on the front screen door, otherwise ones would think it was one of the many shops.
At this time of the year there is bright sunshine every morning at 5 Am!! That was hard to get used to since we are accustomed to 8 am for this amount of brightness. Then dusk, not dark, at 10 Pm so LONG days and oh so tired by bedtime.
Saturday was a Memorial Day Parade and our cousin decides to drive his 1955 Buick Century in the Parade. Another cousin couple is up for the weekend so we all pile into it including their dog and we are waving flags and cheering to the crowds along the street. Here is a picture from another year since we were inside this time around.
On Sunday we went by Catamaran over to Mackinaw Island. Nice 20 min ride but still quiet chilly. No motorized vehicles are allowed on this island. Actually 2 are; being the fire and ambulance only. So the streets are filled with carriages, bicycles and people on foot.
We rode in the Luxury Carriage up to the Grand Hotel. That was fun! It's a steep hill up with lots to see along the way.
Then the star of the island ~ the Grand Hotel and it is indeed GRAND! The hotel porch is the largest in the world at 660 feet, that's 2 football field together including the end zones! I didn't count how many pristine white rockers along the way. There is an entrance fee of $15.00 a person just to enter the Grand but free with our cousin's pass. We had lunch in the Tea Room.
We saw a little of the interior and part of the dinning room that wraps around, it's only open for dinner. This seats 1100 for a meal!
On Memorial Day we drove over the famous Mackinaw Bridge. This bridge is 5.5 miles long! The day was very cloudy and overcast so here is a picture from the net.
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We drove on to the Soo Locks, about 50 miles north, right near the Canadian border. Knowing we would be traveling thru the Panama Canal later in the year, this served as a small overview. We watched the big tankers rise and fall from Lake Huron to Lake Superior.
More than 1100 vessels carrying up to 90 million tons of cargo pass thru the Soo locks every year. Most cargo contained on these ships is either iron ore, coal, grain or stone.
On Tuesday we just kicked back and enjoyed the day on our own. It had froze the night before so it was still very cold all day. Did some of the shops in town and split a Pastie (Past-T) for lunch. It's a meat and potato dumpling, I wasn't too fond of it but it's always fun to try new dishes along our way.
Our entire trip was 2200 miles and the highest gas was $4.20 a gallon!! What a rip off for the holiday weekend. But it was a very enjoyable trip all around and one I wouldn't mind repeating.
