Of Vacations and Death (2)

We continued our journey to northeast Michigan and stopped in a town called Ludington to look at the shoreline of Lake Michigan

It was another sunny beautiful day … except …

It was too windy to take the walk on the pier to the Ludington North Breakwater Lighthouse off in the distance. The waves lapped over the pier and we weren’t ready to risk our lives just to see a lighthouse. Would you?

This lighthouse was built in 1924, is 57 feet tall and is open for tours and tower climbing. Although it was not currently open, there were people braving the weather and walking on the pier. It’s about a 1/2 mile walk to the lighthouse.

When we returned to the car, we continued our drive to what we thought would be the highlight of our trip ~ Mackinaw City and Mackinac Island.  We called and booked a room at the Clarion Hotel ~ a mistake ~ for one night. (More on this hotel in a different post.)

Mackinaw City is a quaint city with most everything within walking distance.

The next morning, we headed to Starbucks before we boarded the ferry, The Star Line, to Mackinac Island. (Side note:  The French pronounced Mackinac as “aw” but spelled it “ac”. The British heard it pronounced “aw” so they spelled it that way. Whichever way it is spelled, it is always pronounced “aw.”) Aren’t you glad you have that tidbit of information?

It was this day, September 18th, that I heard my father passed away. I guess if one is going to hear bad news then a day like today is a good day for it. It was sunny, the day felt crisp and although clouds loomed in the distance it never rained.

I felt conflicted ~ sad at what could have been. My father had left when I was about 5 years old and I had only seen him 3 times since then. About 10 or so years ago, he tried to make contact with his five children but I was the only one who wanted to communicate with him. Waiting for the Star Line ferry to take us to Mackinac Island, I looked out at the water ~ my mind was blank.

The ferry trip to the island took approximately 25 minutes. It was a somewhat bumpy ride because the wind was blowing.

Once on the other side, we headed to a restaurant called the Sea Biscuit for breakfast.  Fortunately we arrived right before they stopped serving breakfast. The food was good (service was great) but they don’t serve much of it so had I been really really hungry I might not have gotten full.

Once we finished breakfast, we stepped outside to enjoy the city. My mind was still numb from the news of my father’s death but I was determined to continue this trip upbeat.

Mackinac Island does not allow cars so carriage horses and bicycles are the norm.

The bicycles are for rent ~ the one sign I saw was for $5.00 an hour.

We decided not to take a carriage ride although since it was the off season there were plenty of empty ones waiting for tourists to rent. The carriage below is going to the Grand Hotel.

A neighbor of ours recommended we visit the fort here ~ it’s a long walk up.

As we started our ascent, we passed the Trinity Episcopal Church which has been here since 1882.

Then I took a picture of the view ~ very pretty.

Finally we reached the Fort Mackinac entrance …

The fort was built by the British army during the American Revolutionary War.  The Officers Stone Quarters, started in 1780 at Fort Mackinac, is the oldest building in the State of Michigan.

“Fort Mackinac was turned over to the United States in 1796. But the fort and control of the Straits of Mackinac were recaptured without a battle during the War of 1812. British forces in Canada learned of the start of the war before the Americans and surprised the garrison with a much superior force of soldiers, European civilians and Native Americans on July 17, 1812. American forces attempted to recover the fort in 1814, but were defeated and also lost two sailing vessels used to blockade the harbor. Following the end of the war, Fort Mackinac was returned to the United States.” MightyMac.org

The “hole” below was of particular interest to me ~ weird, huh? ~ as it was a prison cell. Really it was a dungeon with stone walls and a dirt floor and was supposed to break the spirit of anyone who was placed in the hole as there was no light and was quite damp.

Here are a few more pictures of the fort ~

Firing the cannon ~

There are many more pictures but … just a few to whet your appetite for visiting Mackinac Island also known as Mighty Mac.

Heading back to town, I spotted what I call “bicycle pooper scoopers.” The employees who ride up and down the streets in these bicycles are very efficient at picking up the horses, uh, poop.

Here are a few more miscellaneous pictures that I took that I believe you’ll enjoy  …

Even the supplies are transported by horses … wow!

We walked “up” to the Grand Hotel. We didn’t stay here as we thought the rates were a little steep for our budget but I recently checked and for October I found rates as low as $127 a night. That’s not too bad …

The street in front of the Grand Hotel is owned by the hotel so in order to “walk” on it or go inside the hotel you have to pay $10 if you’re not a paying guest.

Perhaps next time we go we’ll stay at the Grand Hotel and take pictures of the interior. After 6 p.m. though you do have to dress “properly.” I’m surprised that they are able to get away with such a policy in this day and age. I mean, dresses for women? I’m not complaining … just commenting.

And now, to head back to the ferry dock … beautiful flowers blooming in September.

My mind managed to stay far away from feeling stressed about my father’s death. I knew there would come a time when this wouldn’t be the case, but for now I was thankful that beauty overcame death.

This evening, we stayed at the Clearwater Lakeshore Motel in Mackinaw City. What a difference from the Clarion Hotel the night before. The Clearwater is a couple or so blocks from downtown. It is family owned (very friendly owners), quiet and is right on the lake. When we checked in, we were given matches so we could have a campfire if we wanted to ~ the logs were provided. So very nice …

And, it was not expensive at all. The owners went above and beyond the call as I had left my camera charger at home and believed I was not going to be able to take any more pictures on this trip since my camera had “died.” Not so! The owners gave me their own camera charger and allowed me to mail it back to them. (You’ll be thankful of that also when you see additional pictures.)

Now ~ is that service or what?

Here’s the view from our room … so peaceful.

We took one last drive around the town. The rains were coming, but the Mackinac Bridge enticed us with its beauty this evening.

Yes, the water was that green …

Now ~ as this tree in the wind, I would have to allow my mind to process the death of my father. It must bend in the storm of life …

Related Posts …

Of Vacations and Death (1)

Of Vacations and Death (3)

Of Vacations and Death (4)