Pub Crawl Day 6: Mackinac Island

We are getting spoiled with great weather.  Another morning dawns with temps in the high 60's and a forecast high of low 80's and clear skies.  

We aimed to catch the 9 o'clock ferry to Mackinac Island from Mackinac City.  The hotel supplied discount coupons for the Shepler Ferry, so that's where we headed.  A short walk with Reg and Bruce leading the way.

Once on the speedy Ferry it was a simple 16 minute ride... and as a bonus the captain took us under the Mackinac Bridge for a look at the super structure.  We will drive over this tomorrow.

Here is the Grand Hotel, the centerpiece of Mackinac Island.  They charge $10 per person just to walk on the porch if you are not a registered guest. 

Once on the island we learned they don't allow any cars, trucks or motorized vehicles here.  Everything is horse drawn or bicycles.  Even the Sysco truck and UPS truck off load from the Ferry's to horse drawn wagons.

We had an enjoyable breakfast then found that the earliest horse drawn carriage tour we could get on was at one in the afternoon.  So we booked our group for that time and then went sightseeing on foot to fill the time.  Fort Mackinac was a logical step, and close by too.

The fort is high atop a hill overlooking the bay.  We walked up the incline.

We toured the barracks, storehouses, brig and other buildings on the fort site and were entertained by a fife and drum performance. 

After touring the fort we headed to the carriage tour starting point to catch our "carriage".

Meanwhile Missy and Bob were enjoying the view of the harbor from a nearby watering hole, after their experience seeing a carriage cart overturn on a downhill.

Our carriage took us past the Grand Hotel and other significant homes and historical sites on the island.

Arch rock 146 feet above the water and spans 50 feet was formed over thousands of years by wind and water.. or some say by the tears of a young indian maiden who was forbidden to marry her love by her father. 

Too many historical and curious things to see here on Mackinac Island... we must come back and spend more time at a later date.

Our first casualty of the Pub Crawl... Charlie Haye's newly restored flat rad was rescued by his associate who drove a trailer from South Bend to Mackinac, bringing a nice, smooth running Mazda Miata to replace it.  The Morgan's suspension needs some work and adjustment to make it more drivable, and the highways we were facing in the next few days would prove to be too much for it.  He wisely arranged for this substitute.

Now Charlie and Vicky can travel in relative comfort, making up for the rough ride of the past five days.

Note:  I mistakenly identified Charlie Hayes as Charlie Adams yesterday in this blog.  My apologies to him and any who may have been confused by this error. 

Back at the hotel there were a couple of Morgans with minor technical issues but they seemed to be well on their way to resolution.  Pizza for dinner tonight... we are all too tired to go to a restaurant.

Then...

A game of "Left - Right - Center" led by our game lady, Char.  Lots of fun.


Tomorrow, back on the road to the upper penninsula of Michigan.