June 2 Mackinac Island

We thought this day would be one of the highlights of our trip and it was!  Three cruise lines with several ships each make many round trips to the island from St. Ignace and Mackinaw City daily.  It seems more people leave M.C. to stay over at the island because there was so much luggage on those.  It only takes about 25 minutes to cross from St. Ignace.  The island was made America's second national park (right after Yellowstone), but after WWI there wasn't much money, so the State took it over.
Facts:   1. the only vehicle we saw on the island was an ambulance
             2. bikes and horse-drawn carriages are the mode of travel
             3.there are 500 full-time residents and 500 horses-huge ones like Belgians, etc.  Many of the carriages hold about 17 people and are led by 2 horses, but the ones carrying 35 take 3 horses.  When the weather is hot, they change the horses out midday.  Our driver said it is like at a Nascar race - quick pit stop with the passengers sitting in the carriage.   Most are shipped to a town called Pickford for the winter, which is a lot cheaper than having feed hauled over.
             4. there are 63 varieties of lilacs on the island and they were all in bloom today!
            We took a carriage ride around the island, then walked a lot of area to get a closer look at Victorian homes, etc.  The fringe on the roof hampers picture taking and seeing things higher than eye level.
             5.  The "Lady" of the island is the huge Grand Hotel, built in the late 1800's, by 300 carpenters in 90 days.  The nightly rate is about $300.  We spent $10 each to walk through it in the afternoon and went to the bar at the top and then Tom walked up another flight to take pics, per bartender's suggestion.  I ordered him a front porch ale.  We had just been sitting in the rockers on the porch - the longest in the world.  We visited with the 2 guys working in the bar, since we were their only customers.  One sure reminded me of Brett and is majoring in hospitality at a college in Pa.  This is his first summer working here.  There are 650 seasonal workers at the hotel, mostly college students.  They have quarters and a dining hall, for which they pay $14 per day for board and 3 meals.  One guy said he still pays on his apt in his other town, though.
            6.  The school averages 80-100 kids and the graduating class runs 2-10.  Who wants to be valedictorian?       
            7.  There are no chain businesses allowed
            8.  Horse poop is composted and sold to places like the Grand Hotel for fertilizer
            9.  There are several hills and the police are known to sit on the bottom (on their bikes) with a radar gun and write tickets for speeding by the other bikes.  They call it BUI.
           10.  She told us the 35 person carriage we rode on was made by Jayco RV company.  The only made 17.  16 are owned by a company on the island and one is in Jayco's museum.
           11.  Horseshoes:  since there are so many hills for the horses to climb while pulling the carriages, they wear normal horseshoes on the back hooves and rubber ones on the front-they provide better traction and wear out monthly.  There is one doctor on the island, but 2 vets.
           12.  The drivers are mostly college kids who work 12-16 hrs a day in the summer at $7.40 per hour and no o.t. 
           13.  There are often 1 million visitors a year, mostly from May till the weather turns bad.  They said the sidewalks and stores are shoulder to shoulder.  Today was much more pleasant, though there were several kids' tour groups.  We talked to some from as far away as Dearborn and Detroit.
           14.  Weather - winds often reach 100 mph and temps 20 - 30 below zero
           15.  Electricity is brought to the island via cable under the lake
           16.  St. Anne's Catholic Church maintains baptism records since 1695
           17.  It was interesting to watch all the stuff being hauled around town on bikes and horse drawn trailers, and the large luggage racks like hotels use.  There are many hotels and guys working for the smaller ones ride their bikes to the boats, pile their baskets as high as they can with small suitcases, hang up bags and golf clubs and pedal up the hills to their hotel.  Two guys were loading the hotel carts and we didn't see any way for horses to be connected, so presumed they'd push them to the boat.  Carriage drivers said pedestrians are stupid about walking right in front of the horses to cross somewhere.  We can relate.  Some drivers must think Tom could stop this 50' of machine on a dime and even 2 motorcycles passed us on a 4 lane interstate, but had to pull in right in front of us going 60.
State Park and Fort Mackinac
           1st in Michigan.  The carriage tour took us through it and then we opted for the fort tour, which was interesting.  Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts alternate weeks all during tourist season, raising and lowering flags and greeting visitors.
           Cemetery in the park:  in order to be buried here you must have been born on the island, lived there 15 yrs or owned a business there for 15 yrs.
           We walked through buildings and watched the rifle firing demonstration.

We ate lunch at an Irish pub, but Tom didn't feel like a beer.  I told him Dave would be ashamed.  It must be a tradition for kids to buy funny and outlandish hats because there were all kinds, even coonskin ones (remember the fur traders in this area's history) and those like the soldiers wear.  Many fudge stores.
          We are tired and sore tonight, but had a great day!