Tuesday morning we woke up to thunderstorms and rain, with a forecast of rain all day. But I checked the radar, and it looked like the rain would stop for most of the afternoon, so we set off for the ferry to Mackinac Island. Here I am, waiting for the ferry in my "Maid of the Mist" garb. The picture of elegance!
The ferry to the island took about 15 minutes, very quick. The rain stopped a few minutes after we arrived, and didn't return until we stopped for dinner on a deck that overlooked the harbor. After dinner, the sun came out. Perfect timing.
I had been to Mackinac Island when I was in college, and remember it as being a charming place. Mostly I remember the Grand Hotel, no cars, and ice cream. It is still a beautiful place, but it has grown. And now, you have to pay $10.50 to walk on the side walk in front of the Grand Hotel! That seems a bit extreme to me. But Lee and I were still able to see and enjoy the hotel's beauty, and take a few photographs.
I had been to Mackinac Island when I was in college, and remember it as being a charming place. Mostly I remember the Grand Hotel, no cars, and ice cream. It is still a beautiful place, but it has grown. And now, you have to pay $10.50 to walk on the side walk in front of the Grand Hotel! That seems a bit extreme to me. But Lee and I were still able to see and enjoy the hotel's beauty, and take a few photographs.
I especially loved the gardens on the island. The flowers bloom later (due to a shorter growing season), and the plants don't look as tired as they do in Philadelphia in August. The climate on the island must be more like that of New England.
Hollyhocks!
Aren't the astilbe above the most beautiful you have ever seen? Amazing!
In a way, I was grateful for the overcast skies. It was humid and warm as it was. It would have been too hot had the clouds not been there to shield us.
Many of the homes on the island are Victorian. Tourists first started to arrive in the latter half of the 19th century, so this makes sense.
In the early 1800's, the island bustled with activity created by the fur trade. Here is an early building through which beaver furs traveled to markets in Europe.
Here's one last photo, of our view from our dinner table looking over the harbor:
Mackinac Island is beautiful. I am so glad I had this opportunity to see it again after so many years.
