Last week we returned to Mackinac Island so Kathy could get her fix of island life.
We loaded up the bikes and headed out on a calm, hazy lake toward the island.
We were assigned to an east shore slip in front of the Island House Hotel.
It's not quite as nice as being over on the west shore but isn't terrible. It's been a few years since I've had to complain about a low dock, but this one was a bit of a step off the boat. It's the only dock in the marina that low.
The next morning a cruise ship arrived at the island. The "Pearl Mist".
The Great Lakes cruises are very expensive compared to what we've experienced on the Caribbean. It does appear to have a nice itinerary. Starts in Chicago and winds up in Montreal or vise versa. Unfortunately for these cruisers, they arrived on a foggy, drizzly day.
We went for a morning ride at sunrise before the weather moved in.
Over on the north side of the island, it became a little less scenic as the fog rolled in.
Once we got back to town, the place was socked in.
Not the best weather for the tourists to capture the beauty of the island.
It cleared out on our last day on the island for a stroll up to the west bluff.
The gardens of the cottages were much more developed than when we viewed them in early June.
So the sidewalk of the west bluff road conveniently...
...becomes the porch of the Grand Hotel.
We made ourselves at home.
The Grand is a beautiful place. There probably aren't too many places in the world that can match it's charm.
On the other side of the island, an old resort called Silver Birches is being restored.
That restoration has been in process for a couple years now. Apparently the condition of the building was so bad that all that was saved from the original was the first floor. It's a huge project that is 4 miles out of town. They'll need to run a shuttle to be able to compete with the downtown hotels.
We returned to Mackinaw City the following day and returned home to catch up on chores there.
Today is September 12th and I've got everything packed away and loaded up to take home.
Tomorrow morning I'll make the 15 mile cruise to Cheboygan for winter storage.
So this 2 year experiment in Mackinaw City is coming to an end. Next year is completely open at this point. I don't think we're going to commit to a seasonal location. The North Channel is back in the plan and I'm really considering a better fishing port to end the season. Time will tell.
It's getting nippy here. Florida is calling.
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