July 19, 2010

July 19, 2010

This morning we took an early ferry for the short ride over to Mackinac Island. This small island, pronounced “Mackinaw”, was our nation’s second National Park after Yellowstone but was transferred to state control in 1895. As we cruised closer I was surprised that a state historic park would have so many sailboats in the harbor and large Victorian mansions lining the harbor. At the turn of the century, Mackinac was a hotspot for wealthy Michiganders and apparently it still is. I later learn 20% of the island is still private and another portion is leased from the state to the public.

Aimee and I start off walking around the main downtown section and then up toward the Grand Hotel. I am in awe. I really almost feel I have time-traveled back to the late 19th century. The houses are all beautiful old Victorians and everyone travels either on foot, bike or horse. Cars have been banned on the island ever since the first one scared a horse 105 years ago. We realize this is a sanitized version. We know in the old days, pooper-scooper patrols weren’t following all the horses, there were no electric carts on the golf course, and gardeners weren’t landscaping with gas trimmers. Still we enjoy the experience.

From the Grand Hotel we walk back downtown and tour Fort Mackinaw sitting on a limestone bluff above the town. As forts go, it was well done. This week they also had a whole slew of high school-age girl scouts helping out. After George Rogers Clark took Vincennes in the Revolutionary War, the British got scared and moved their operations here from the mainland and built this fort. We got it with the Treaty of Paris that ended the war. Unfortunately the bloody Brits took it back in the first battle of the War of 1812. It was too vital of a hub for the lucrative fir trade.

We spent most of the rest of the day walking around the island, eating too much ice cream, fudge and caramel corn. We talked to a couple sailors and found out all the sailboats here are from Detroit’s version of the Chicago to Mackinaw race. We were lucky to arrive here early and take in the island when it was uncrowded, and the locals had plenty of time to talk. By early afternoon the crowds were fierce and the magic was gone. Mackinac felt more like Main Street in Disneyland. For exercise and to get away from the crowds we finished our visit with a tandem-bike ride the 7.5 miles around the perimeter of the pretty island.