The UP

Yesterday we were “Fudgies”, today we are “Yooppers”!  Yes, we are in the Upper Peninsular of Michigan (the UP to locals!).  We headed north out of Mackinaw City this morning and drove the 5 miles across the Mackinac Bridge to the town of St. Ignace, established in 1671 when Father Jacques Marquette established a mission to convert the native Americans.  Except for a few more motels, the town hasn’t changed much since Bill used to come up here about 50 years ago!


Looking at a map of Michigan one has to wonder why the Upper Peninsular is part of Michigan rather than Wisconsin because, until the bridge was built, it wasn’t even connected to Michigan!  Well, here’s the story ... It came about as a result of an unpopular compromise that won Michigan statehood in 1837.  There was a dispute about a strip of territory along the Michigan-Ohio border and Michigan grudgingly accepted the UP instead.  As it turned out, this ‘deal’ turned out to be a ‘steal’!  The area contained large copper deposits, and today tourism and recreation create excellent revenue for the State!  It is really beautiful up here!



On our way to our destination,Tahquamenon Falls State Park, we drove along US2, crossing the Carp River, an area that Bill and his brothers knew well during their childhood visits to their Grandparents and Aunts and Uncles who lived in the area. On the way north the fall colors became even more vibrant.  We had lunch at a Micro Brewery at the entrance to the Park and then walked a short distance to the Upper Falls.  The water is very brown, due to the run off from the Hemlock, Cedar and Spruce trees in the surrounding area as well as peat lands.   


We continued our journey to the town of Manistique where we checked in to our motel, ordered Pizza and spent the evening getting our blog up to date.  Despite the fact that we have Wi-Fi, we are facing challenges sending out emails so it is taking more time than we anticipated.  That’s what life on the road is all about!  We’d better get used to it!

Mackinac Island

After a very nice buffet breakfast (hot and cold, included in the price), we walked a couple of blocks to the Arnold Line Dock to board our 10:30am Catamaran to Mackinac Island.

Looking out of our hotel window, the sky was grey and the wind was blowing so we assumed it was very cold.  What a nice surprise when we walked out to find it was warm and we were a little over-dressed!  Off came the jackets, which remained tied around our waists for most of the day.  We chose to be on the upper deck to enjoy the view of the bridge and island as we drew near.  It was a pleasant, 20 minute ride.  The only cars allowed on the island are one police car and an ambulance!  Everything else is conveyed either by horse and buggy or bicycle.

In our ‘travel agent’ days we used to tell clients they should take the city tour and then decide what they want to go back to on their own.  We followed our own advice and signed up for a horse and buggy tour of the island.  Actually, it’s called a “Carriage Tour”!  We were fortunate enough to get a front seat so Bill was able to record some of the tour on video which will be posted on YouTube shortly.  We had two very good guides and learned a lot about the history of the island.

Some of what we learned:  80% of the island is dedicated to national parkland but there are no large mammals on the island because there is not enough food for them. An ice bridge forms during the winter between the island and the mainland and some animals come across but leave due to lack of food.  The horses that pull the carriages are purchased mostly from the Amish and cost between $300- $600.  They are absolutely beautiful and are extremely well looked after, working only about 4 hours a day for 4 days and then getting 3 days to relax.  The horses range in size from 2,000 lbs. to 2,700 lbs. and can pull 3 – 5 times their own weight.

Now, with all these horses, the obvious question is: “What do they do about all the horse poo?!”  Well, there are people on every street sweeping it up the moment the horses pass by!  Then it is spread in the forest … talk about recycling!  In fact, everything that can be recycled on the island is recycled because trash has to be taken to the mainland.

Tourists to Mackinac Island are known as Fudgies!  Mackinac Island fudge is known worldwide and on the island there are 16 shops selling all kinds of fudge!  It is difficult to pass up at least a taste of the fudge as you walk Main Street!

For the most part, the weather was great – just a little rain while we were having lunch – then a walk around town to enjoy the beautiful Victorian houses and hotels and back on the Catamaran for the return journey.

Peak season on Mackinaw Island is June 26 – September 6 and the season ends on October 26.  Although the season was winding down, we saw lots of people arriving to stay on the island at the many hotels, the most famous of which is the Grand Hotel, which opened in 1887 and is known for having the longest front porch in the world.   Check out its history at:  http://www.grandhotel.com/aboutgrandhotel/our-story

Mackinaw City

Enjoying Mullet Lake

With the help of one of his brothers, Bill planned our 11 day trip from Detroit back to St. Augustine.  First stop is Mackinaw City where we are spending 2 nights.  We stopped at the Breakers Bar on Mullet Lake in Topinabee (pronounced Tap-n-a-BEE) for a beer and an early dinner around 5pm.  We would never have known about it, had his brother not recommended it.  Sitting on the patio enjoying the lake view was fine until the sun went behind the building.  At that point we quickly headed inside where it was warm!  Needless to say, the locals were wearing shorts and T-shirts … after all, it was 64 degrees!
  

On our way up here we passed a sign close to the city of Gaylord that read “45th Parallel. Half way between the Equator and the North Pole”.  Unfortunately, we were past it before we realized what it said and were not able to take a photo of it!

Big Mac

Mackinaw City is connected to the Upper Peninsular by the Mackinac Bridge, one of the longest suspension spans in the world.  It was built in 1957 and stretches for 5 miles.  Ferries run from Mackinaw City to Mackinac Island and we will be taking that trip tomorrow.  It is very confusing but, despite the slightly different spelling, both the city and the island are pronounced Mackinaw!


Mackinaw City was once a trading post established by the French in the early 1700’s.  The post became Fort Michilimackinac in 1715 and over the years was held by the French, the British and the American Indians (the Ojibwa is the main tribe in this area, also known as the Chippewa).  This has resulted in a wonderful mixture of these languages in the names of places and people.
   

Our hotel, Comfort Inn and Suites, is beautifully located, just a short walk to Arnold Line Catamarans, the ferry that we will take to Mackinac Island tomorrow.  At $55.00 a night, we have the choice of a King or Queen to sleep in, a sitting room and a small kitchen.  Most important, we have wife which, at this point allows me to receive emails but not send.  Bill, I am sure, will take care of this for me before we leave 

On the Road again!

For the past 8 weeks we have felt like Snow Birds!  We waited until summer was in full swing in Michigan and left Florida to spend time in the greater Detroit area.  It has been wonderful to slow down the pace of our lives and take time to reconnect with friends and family.  We were fortunate to be able to live in Bill’s Mom’s condo while she settled in to her new home at a very nice Retirement Center. 

Bill soon had our computers and a printer set up and, with the help of his ‘computer guru’ brother, both computers are now faster and better than ever.  Working from a mobile office has its challenges and, since we plan to be traveling for several months, this has been a great learning experience. We are in the process of making the necessary changes and focus our energies more on developing and monetizing an Internet based business. 

I know most people react negatively when you mention the word “Detroit” and, yes, the city itself continues to be plagued with problems.  Even Jesse Jackson wasn’t spared when he came to Detroit for a march to promote peace and justice earlier this month!  His Escalade was stolen and was found stripped of most of its salable parts! Click on the link below for the full story.

 Leaders lose wheels in Detroit (Jesse Jackson and Detroit Mayor Dave Bing)
UPI ^ | 9/4/2010 Posted on Saturday, September 04, 2010 11:23:36 PM by markomalley

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2583412/posts

But … it is truly beautiful in the surrounding cities ---Birmingham/Bloomfield Hills, Rochester Hills, not to mention Grosse Point Shores, home to Edsel Ford and many other wealthy, well-known names.  One of Bill’s long time friends (more than 40 years) lives in a beautiful home overlooking Lake St. Claire and we enjoyed a lovely evening as their guests at the St. Claire Yacht Club.  There are lakes all over the place, surrounded by beautiful mansions and manicured yards.  Michigan may be suffering financially but we didn’t see many “For Sale” signs and it seems to us that there is still a great deal of wealth here.

And so today we are packing up the car in readiness for our next adventure tomorrow – our trip to Upper Michigan (the UP as it’s called by Michiganders). Fall is here, the leaves are changing and it’s time to head north and then, like the geese, head south!