Going all of the Places: Learning to Pronounce "Mackinac"

Our journey has gotten off to a great start! The first couple of days were a little rough because we were already exhausted from all of the packing, cleaning, organizing, and saying good-bye to family and friends. The two straight days of driving required a lot of extra caffeine. Don does all of the driving - I have no desire to haul the ginormous camper and Don is a horrible passenger. 😀 My main jobs are planning, navigation, finding truck stops, packing snacks, and keeping Don awake!

After an overnight stop at a campground in Geneva, Ohio, we made our way to Mackinaw City, Michigan. It feels like we can finally take a moment and breathe! Unfortunately, Don doesn't get much of a break because it is a normal work week for him. I had already given the kids a heads-up that we wouldn't be doing a whole lot this week because we all (okay, mostly me!) needed a few days to settle in to the camper and recover and recharge from all the craziness of the last few months. I will post later on about our camp life this week.

We did have our first awesome adventure - a trip to Mackinac Island! It's been on my list for years and I've been really looking forward to checking it out. It did not disappoint! The kids and I hopped a morning ferry across Lake Huron to get to the island. A few times a day, the ferry takes a little side trip to sail under the Mackinac Bridge, which marks the dividing point between Lake Huron and Lake Michigan. We were lucky enough to hit it just right to take one of these rides. The Mackinac Bridge is five miles long, making it the longest suspension bridge in the Western Hemisphere. It is impressive looking!

Bridge photos by Gabriella

There are no motorized vehicles on the island, so we started by signing up for a horse and carriage tour. We had a few minutes to kill before we departed, so we decided to try out one of the many fudge shops that Mackinac Island is known for. We have to experience local cuisine, right? We also learned that even though it is spelled "Mackinac," it is pronounced "Mackinaw," just like Mackinaw City. Just to trip up the tourists, maybe?

Hitched up and ready to go!

The carriage driver took us through downtown and gave us some history of the island and its buildings. We also rode by the famous Grand Hotel, which has the world's longest front porch. It is "the place" to go on the island, but it's a little too fancy for us (not to mention pricey!)

Grand Hotel

After stopping at the Surrey Museum and looking around the horse stables and livery museum for the Grand Hotel, we hopped on another carriage that took us around the State Park lands. It was very relaxing and we appreciated the shade! We learned a lot about Mackinac - if there is anything you've been dying to know about the island, let us know 😊

A highlight of the tour was Arch Rock, a limestone formation carved out by the waves eight thousand years ago. They are predicting that it will collapse within the next thirty years or so. If you want to see it in person, you may want to hurry.

Gavin and Gabriella got to a chance to pet the horses, Ebony, Johnny Cash, and Simon.

We also did a quick tour of Fort Mackinac. It has existed since the Revolutionary War period, but its main claim to fame is being the site of the first land battle of the War of 1812. There was a children's area that included putting the kids through some military drills in front of a green screen to make them look like they were on the parade grounds of the fort. However, the green screen was actually blue, as were the kids' shirts, so it had interesting results!

Fort Mackinac also has fabulous views of downtown and the harbor.

Don was able to join us in the late afternoon for a walk around town and dinner at the Pink Pony. Gabriella took advantage of the time we had to wait for a table.