In 1634, only 14 short years after the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock, Jean Nicolet, a French adventurer exploring on behalf of Samuel de Champlain-the governor of Canada, paddled his canoe through the Straits of Mackinac. I personally find this accomplishment quite extraordinary considering the distance and elements he had to overcome to find his way west. In the early years Mackinac Island was home to the Jesuits, including Father Jacques Marquette in 1671 and a British outpost where English Major Patrick Sinclair choose the site for his Fort Mackinac in 1780 (the photo inset is a view from the fort down to the harbor-remember you can click on these photos to make them larger...look closely and see if you can find Ithaka). It was also the western most fur trading outpost, John Jacob Astor's American Fur Trading Company was centered here and produced beaver pelts for over 30 years...in 1815 the island was restored again to the Americans by way of a treaty. Mackinac Island is located in Lake Huron (not Lake Michigan). From here we will travel to Petoskey and begin our voyage down the east coast of Lake Michigan where we will find boater friendly towns all along the coast on our way to Chicago.
While here on Mackinac Island we did all the "touristy" things one can do, including a Horse and Carriage Ride, which pointed out all the highlights of the island: A tour of the fort, the Arch Rock, and a visit to the beautiful Wings of Mackinac: a butterfly conservatory...and of course, The Grand Hotel, where one of my all time favorite movies was filmed: Somewhere In Time with Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour. (If you have never heard the movie soundtrack, you must make a point to listen to it next chance you get!) We had an amazing meal at The Carriage House at Hotel Iroquois (the scallops were perfect)...afterwards we went up to The Grand Hotel and had a nightcap at The Canopy Room on the top floor and strolled on the world famous veranda...For lots of fun and a really yummy rum runner we highly recommend The Pink Pony (a great view from the patio, too)...good buys for cheap t-shirts and that sort of stuff at The Big Store...and of course, I cannot include a blog entry about Mackinac Island without mentioning the fudge! There are 17 fudge establishments operating on the small island...just about everywhere you go on Mackinac you cannot escape the smell of fudge...and horse manure. Oh fudge!
Today we got on our bikes and Brandy joined us for a ride around the entire perimeter of the island: eight miles on Michigan State Road 185. There were hundreds of cyclists, but no cars! (they aren't allowed on the island). It was a great ride even though we got caught in the rain. I could not get over how clear and blue the water is here...like the Florida keys, seriously. We stopped at Saint Anne's church on our way back into town. It which was transported to the island in 1780 across the straights on the ice. It was relocated to its present site in 1820 and remodeled in 1873. The stained glass windows were installed in 1900...they're beautiful. Mackinac Island's name was derived from a Native American Indian word for turtle and there are turtle sculptures all over the island! Today it continues to be a very popular tourist resort. 80 % of the island is a state park and the entire island is a National Historic Landmark. We are so happy that we made this stop part of our trip. It is certainly a treasure.
While here on Mackinac Island we did all the "touristy" things one can do, including a Horse and Carriage Ride, which pointed out all the highlights of the island: A tour of the fort, the Arch Rock, and a visit to the beautiful Wings of Mackinac: a butterfly conservatory...and of course, The Grand Hotel, where one of my all time favorite movies was filmed: Somewhere In Time with Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour. (If you have never heard the movie soundtrack, you must make a point to listen to it next chance you get!) We had an amazing meal at The Carriage House at Hotel Iroquois (the scallops were perfect)...afterwards we went up to The Grand Hotel and had a nightcap at The Canopy Room on the top floor and strolled on the world famous veranda...For lots of fun and a really yummy rum runner we highly recommend The Pink Pony (a great view from the patio, too)...good buys for cheap t-shirts and that sort of stuff at The Big Store...and of course, I cannot include a blog entry about Mackinac Island without mentioning the fudge! There are 17 fudge establishments operating on the small island...just about everywhere you go on Mackinac you cannot escape the smell of fudge...and horse manure. Oh fudge!
Today we got on our bikes and Brandy joined us for a ride around the entire perimeter of the island: eight miles on Michigan State Road 185. There were hundreds of cyclists, but no cars! (they aren't allowed on the island). It was a great ride even though we got caught in the rain. I could not get over how clear and blue the water is here...like the Florida keys, seriously. We stopped at Saint Anne's church on our way back into town. It which was transported to the island in 1780 across the straights on the ice. It was relocated to its present site in 1820 and remodeled in 1873. The stained glass windows were installed in 1900...they're beautiful. Mackinac Island's name was derived from a Native American Indian word for turtle and there are turtle sculptures all over the island! Today it continues to be a very popular tourist resort. 80 % of the island is a state park and the entire island is a National Historic Landmark. We are so happy that we made this stop part of our trip. It is certainly a treasure.
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