We are officially in the U.P.

The U.P. is known as the Upper Peninsula of Michigan - and it is a different world up here!

After a night at Straits State Park, we took a ferry over to Mackinac Island.

Everything we read said you haven't experienced Mackinac Island until you've spent the night there. We were sad to discover there is no camping allowed on Mackinac Island, but we were able to find a relatively inexpensive, chic B&B called Chateau Loraine.


We were a little confused in the pronunciation of Mackinac (pronounced Mac-in-aw), knowing there was another city pronounced the same way, but spelled Mackinaw. We discovered that the word Mackinac and Mackinaw are variations of the Menomini or Ojibwe word - Michilimackinac, but we weren't able to get clarification on the spelling difference. The good news is we knew how to pronounce Mackinac when we arrived - and that kept people from looking at us funny - well... for a little while.

Some quick facts about Mackinac Island:

• The entire island is a National Historic Landmark.
• The island has a year-round population of a little over 500, with summer residents and visitors increasing significantly (in the tens of thousands).
• Short-term employees are hired during the summer months to accommodate increased visitors.
• Motorized vehicles have been prohibited on the island since 1898.
• M-185 is the only "motorless" highway in the U.S.
  

We (and our bikes) caught the 7:30am ferry across to Mackinac, traveling along side day workers. Because of our early arrival on the island, the Main Street was practically empty. Before the crowds arrived, we decided to bike around the island on M-185, a.k.a. Lake Shore Road - 8.2 miles around.


Then we took Market Street to the VERY steep Turkey Hill Road - - Eeek! Then into the forest and less touristy areas of the island... Custer Road to Fort Holmes Road to see the view from Point Lookout. Fort Holmes was next - the highest point on Mackinac Island and a great photo opportunity.


Fort Holmes is 325 feet above the straits and 168 feet above Fort Mackinac.

We did see two lighthouses while on Mackinac Island:

Round Island Lighthouse

I was watching a lighthouse documentary a few years back (Yeah - dork!), and swear I saw this lighthouse being restored by a Boy Scout Troop. Turns out, I was right.
For 13 years, Boy Scout Troop 323 cleaned and repaired it.

Some facts:

• Cost: $15,000
• Lit May 15, 1896
• Fourth order Fresnel lens
• Automated in 1924
• Deactivated in 1947 (after the Round Island Passage Light was installed)
• Became a part of the Hiawatha National Forest in 1958
• Placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974
• 1995, the Boy Scouts stepped in and began repair and restoration work

And of course the second light we saw was the Round Island Passage Light (pictured above).

From Garrison Road to British Landing Road we accidentally took a gravel road past a rock quarry area, but managed to get back on track - Scott's Road to Leslie Avenue to Sugar Loaf to Crooked Tree Road to Annex Road where we stopped at the airport for a snack and a breather. We continued on Annex Road back to Bogan Lane to check into the Chateau Loraine.


By mid-afternoon, the downtown area was loaded with walkers, bikers, horses and buggies, and horse poop! We did the touristy walk among the fudge shops and boutiques. By the way, tourists are known as "fudgies" because no one can leave the island without purchasing some of the world's best fudge. We managed to escape fudge free.

By 6pm, the island was emptying. We had a nice white fish dinner, decided to bike another 8.5 miles around the island, got some coffee and a baked treat, then I convinced Richie to do one more lap around the island - a moonlight bike ride. We had a few close calls running into bats flying around trying to get at the bugs, but the air was crisp, the trail was empty, and the night sky full of stars was worth it!


Total miles biked today = 36. By the time we reached our room again, we were exhausted.

It was nice to experience the busy downtown, but special to see the quiet back road trails less traveled.


Here are some Bicycling Safety Tips from the Mackinac Island Bicycle Guide:

1. While bicycling, keep to the right and ride single file. Steer straight; do not swerve left and right. Slow down at intersections. When about to turn, be sure no rider is behind you. Do not ride recklessly.
2. Island horse-drawn carriages and wagons are your warning signals for care. Riding too close to horses may frighten them, injure you and others. Give them a wide berth!
3. The absence of automobiles here gives us all a sense of freedom. Care-free pedestrians like to take to our streets. Give them the right-of-way, take it easy, and be courteous.
4. To carry riders on the handle bars, cross-bars, or rear fender is dangerous and unlawful. NO Double Riding!
5. Hitching on carriages or wagons is unlawful and very dangerous.
6. Use an outstretched hand to signal turns. It's a courtesy and an accident preventer.
7. The island plateau drops nearly 200 feet to the shoreline. Grand Hotel Hill, Mission Hill, Fort Hill and Turkey Hill are too steep for bike riding. Walk bicycles down these hills.
8. No bicycle riding on sidewalks.

Some unusual sitings on the island that we had to get used to:

There are no automobiles... so it took some getting used to seeing walkers, bikers, and horses.
It was pleasantly quiet. No loud, booming music, no honking horns, or muffled engines.
There was no car exhaust, but horse exhaust - Whew!


You could rent old-style bicycles (called one of three names an Ordinary, a Pennyfarthing, or Wheeler bike). There were costumed people everywhere from the 1900's riding bikes, carrying umbrellas in the sun. Very nostalgic.

The ferry ride across has made us really appreciate Washington State Ferries, even if they do occasionally run into the docks during heavy fog....

The process of loading and unloading passengers and their luggage to and from Mackinac Island seemed chaotic. There were no signs or instructions for passengers, and the crew seemed as though they were figuring it out as the day went by.

So Vern, you and the Washington State Ferry crew rock!

It was interesting to watch couriers loading huge pieces of luggage in the baskets on the front of their bikes, hauling them to nearby hotels and B&Bs. It was also curious to watch big airline-type trailers loaded with luggage being pulled by horses, also headed for the town's hotels.


Just because the automobiles are gone, doesn't relieve the pressures of hundreds of people. There are still crazy cyclists - especially en mass... and pedestrians who are clueless of two-wheeled folks and horse-drawn carriages.

The island has one school, serving anywhere from 80-100 students in grades K-12.
The school was built in 1962.

The 2007/2008 school report showed the following student enrollment:
K = 3
1st = 4
2nd = 4
3rd = 4
4th = 1
5th = 7
6th = 7
7th = 8
8th = 5
9th = 7
10th = 6
11th = 11
12th = 6

For a total of 73 students

(Richie's graduation class = 210; mine = 350, Mackinac Island = 6)

The school hopes for 100% attendance rate, but they "know it is impossible due to illness and the fact our students must leave the island for the majority of their medical and personal appointments. Also, families take their vacations during the school year because they work during the summer in our tourist industry, not allowing them to take vacations in the summer."

The school has 9 teachers, and boasts a 100% graduation rate and zero dropout rate.
Students take classes like higher level Spanish through TV courses, and internet courses like digital photography, design, and French.


It was interesting to learn that the strait between St. Ignace and Mackinac Island freezes sometime in February, forming a natural ice bridge. We heard it is a tradition for Mackinac Island residents to line the ice bridge with their Christmas trees after the holidays. This ice bridge usually doesn't last very long, but it equals "freedom" for most island residents - - no set ferry schedule or dependence! There is even a documentary about the "hidden season" on Mackinac Island. Check out the trailer here.

We'd like to return someday to the north and experience the winter here. While the ice bridge seems a little scary - it is also intriguing.

The island was not only filled with tourists, but staff to serve those tourists. Apparently, it is a popular place for international students to spend their summers. Chateau Loraine had a young lady from Jamaica. She cleaned the Chateau Loraine during the day and was a server at a nearby hotel at night. The innkeeper explained that it was great experience for the young lady (whose name escapes me, sorry) and it kept her off the streets. A good opportunity to gain some valuable work experience in the hospitality industry!

There was more of a nightlife on the island than we expected... probably because of the increase in youthful summer workers. Most boutiques and galleries closed at 6pm, but the bars (about 12 on this tiny island!) and restaurants stayed open until 2am. It had an odd Bourbon Street-type feeling with people walking around with alcohol and scantily-clad attire.



A story to display our priorities...

After a rainy ferry ride back to the mainland, we decided to make the afternoon a "work" session, arriving at a local coffee shop to begin the process. While Richie grabbed our drinks, I plugged us in and hit the power buttons on our laptops. Richie's started beautifully, but mine was unresponsive. Nothing happened. Our biggest fear was that the hard drive was shot - which means all of my photographs - all of them - along with road trip stories would be gone - obliterated forever! After 20 minutes of discussion, and using "the force" (including sweet talking and loving strokes) in hopes of reviving the laptop, we decided to travel to the nearest electronics store for a hard drive enclosure to see if my hard drive was still alive - or at least revivable. Turns out the nearest one was in Traverse City - a 2-hour trek from St. Ignace.

It was worth the detour because the hard drive was safe - Whew! The other components, however, were caput. So after 6-years of reliable service and memories (Richie wrote his dissertation on it), we recycled our Chembook.

Luckily, we purchased the last HP Mini in stock - one I have affectionately named Lil' Britches. I'm incredibly grateful our photos and writings were saved.

Time to document more memories!


Note: All photos were taken with a Kodak Easyshare M893 IS Digital Camera.