[sorry for the delay posting; technical glitches last night and this morning on Mackinac Island]
Yesterday we cruised Lake Michigan on the Michigan side, following the shore from Traverse City to Cross Village, then catching the ferry at Mackinaw City and settling in on Mackinac Island for the night. Couldn't get Internet service last night so here's the recap of yesterday.
It was bound to be a good day since we hit our first winery at 10AM. Even a hardened California wine snob melted under the politeness, good cheer, and decent wine that the three wineries served up. I took very small tastes at each place and I assure you I was fine when I got back behind the wheel.
However, as we tooled up Route 31, I passed a trooper going the other way and watched in my rear view mirror as he u-turned and came up behind me. I pulled over, pulled out the requisite papers, and waited for the worst. Approaching the car, the officer said, "Do you have a gun? Do either of you have a gun?" Well that was a first. I said no, did you? Yes, he answered. It turns out you can carry a concealed weapon in Michigan (I knew there was something I hadn't checked before taking off on the trip!) and he always checks because, as he said, "I like to go home after work." Next surprise: handing over my driver's license, registration, and proof of insurance wasn't enough. He asked for Monica's driver's license, too!
Long story short, he couldn't have been more jovial or sweet tempered. And he let us off with a verbal warning and an admonition to Monica that as navigator she was in charge of keeping the lead out of my foot. Good luck, Monica! I'd share a picture of him but both Monica and I were afraid to ask if we could snap a photo.
So it was a slower, more relaxed, less speedy drive for the rest of the day, which took us through Charlevoix (charming little Victorian-inspired that lines the streets of the city with petunias planted, apparently, by convict labor that we saw being overseen by the sheriff's office) and Petosky (not impressed but we probably skirted the charming downtown if there is one). We then took the road less traveled -- a winding two lane road from Harbor Springs to Cross Village. Deeply forested, we'd catch sight of one stately mansion after the next. It was like a fairy tale forest, with glimpses of the lake. Quite magical.
The magic continued as we headed on to Mackinaw City and caught the ferry to Mackinac Island. (I like typing both of them because I think it’s neat that two different spellings have the same pronunciation and merrily coexist.)
You arrive and are immediately greeted by a profusion of bicyclists, horse-drawn carriages, and pedestrians. The main street is lined with all the shops you’d expect in a resort. Hovering over the town is the fort and most of the island is actually a park/preserve. We were instantly charmed.
People who live here (all 500 of them) and those who descend for the summer (lots more) go by horse taxi or bicycle. And they're quite serious about it, as you can see from the photo we snapped of a house party -- check out the "parking lot" of bikes (that's the blob between the houses)!
Today we cross to the UP (Upper Peninsula) and make our way to Wisconsin. Hope they can match the standard that the Michiganders (thanks, Rosie, for sharing the term) have set.
I stand corrected. As I spoke with a “local” at Starbucks she told me that actually it’s not magical; it's a very healing, sacred island. Whatever … worth adding to your “must see” list.
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