St Ignace Deer Ranch 2010

On our way back from Mackinaw Island we realized that outdoor activities were really going to be curtailed due to the oncoming storms so we grabbed a quick bite to eat, hopped in the car, skipped past the high wind escort on the bridge, and got James to the deer ranch. James certainly remembered it from past years because when he went in he did not say hi to the teller but instead said “crackers please”.

The cost for going through the deer ranch is $5 per person plus carrots and crackers (we got a dollars worth which was plenty) so for a relatively low cost James had a lot of fun. About the time he finished, the first drops of rain were hitting St. Ignace so we got out of there just in time.
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Edited: September 4th, 2010

Mackinaw Island City 2010

One of the best main streets in all of the United States. Complete with the famouse fudge shops, haunted houses, magic shops, carriage tours, and tons of souvenir shops. James insisted on another ice cream cone so he could keep up his energy, Mom went browsing for new clothes, and Dad checked out the haunted house and magic shops on main street.

Something new we found was a Haunted Mackinaw Island Tour, which we did not go on but we put on the schedule for next year. James did very well this day and was rewarded with a couple toys, a megaphone that changes your voice (It reminded me of one his Grandpa had in Michigan), and a mouse game where you “bop” the mouse with a rubber mallet and the computer tells you how well you did.
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Edited: September 4th, 2010

Macinaw Island State Park 2010

Each year we travel through the State Park and always find something new along with old reliable sites (like the arch rock). This year there were several first’s. James went for the first time without a wagon so he had to do all the walking by himself. Another first was going up a stairway we found in the woods that took you to the highest elevation point on the island, the pictures really don’t do it justice.

We stopped at the little rest area which is North of the Grand Hotel as we were exiting the State Park. James always gets an ice cream and Mary has a chance to check out some of the souvenir shops there. In the center is the collection of horse drawn vehicles including the hearse (which they still use when someone dies).

The key to a successful day at Mackinaw Island is to get there early, before the crowds. This year we did very well at avoiding the crowds and the weather held off for us till we were finished. The boat ride home is when the weather made a turn for the worse but our day was already complete by then.
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Edited: September 4th, 2010

Mackinaw Island Cemetery 2010

There are 3 main cemeteries on Mackinaw Island and each year we visited all three since they are right next to each other. There is a Protestant cemetery, a Catholic cemetery, and a Military Cemetery. Each has its own atmosphere with burial sites dating back well over a century ago (1835 is the oldest we found). To be buried on the island you need to either have been born there or own property there.

One fascinating bit of history is the Military Post Cemetery. It is one of only 5 locations where the American flag is flown at half mast every day. The other 4 places you may have heard about, they are Arlington, Pearl Harbor, Gettysburg, and Normundy France.

A bit creepy we admit, but an annual stop on our visit to Mackinaw Island State Park.
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Edited: September 3rd, 2010

Boat Ride to Mackinaw Island 2010

The Mackinaw bridge connects Michigans lower peninsula with its upper peninsula. Many think it goes to Mackinaw island which is not true and also would be silly since automobiles are not allowed on the island. If you want to go to Mackinaw island you have to take a boat ride over. The price for round trip varies throughout the season but can be as high as $24 per person depending on what time in the season you are visiting. However the boat rides are a blast and James thinks they are the best part of the trip. The boats are fast and they give you a great view of Mackinaw Island and the Mackinaw bridge.

Each year the boat ride is a little different and this year was no exception. High winds created waves 5-8′ high and the boat was bouncing around like a carnival ride. James loved every minute of it, especially the high water splattering on the windows of the boat.
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Edited: September 3rd, 2010

Mackinaw City 2010

With only 2 days of rest since the Nashville trip our vacation continued with our annual visit to Mackinaw. On the way up North we stopped off and visited Aunt Criss at her work (which is about the half way point to Mackinaw). James and Aunt Criss had not seen each other in quite some time but got along great and James came away with some candy to help him on his journey North.

The weather forecast for the next few days called for rain on and off, but we were very lucky because whenever we were inside it seemed to rain, whenever we were outside the weather was fine. Mom found a bunch of good deals on t shirts (Mom no longer fit into her older Mackinaw T shirts so Dad inherited them). As usual we spent a good amount of time at the Mackinaw Crossings which is fast becoming a sort of board walk for tourist with fun houses, movie theatres, and some virtual rides along with about fifty or so souvenir and specialty shops (aka Tourist Traps).

The last night of our trip the winds were so strong they knocked out the power in the hotel and half the city, the final couple pics were taken in gale like winds.
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Edited: September 3rd, 2010

Colon Car Show & Magic Festival

It was magic week in Colon Michigan and the whole family went to share in the festivities. There was a car show this year and it was a pretty big success considering it was the first one for the city of Colon. Each car had a bucket out front and you were supposed to throw a quarter into your favorite cars bucket. The car with the most quarters wins a prize! There were loads of prizes donated by the various local shops so more than half of the cars shown in these pictures received prizes.

James did his usual romp around the craft fair and local beach, Mary took in the evening magic show which featured some of the worlds best magicians. Dad got to spend some time in the magic shop (which is always a fun experience for me) and also went on the graveyard tour where famous magicians like Blackstone are buried.
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Edited: August 19th, 2010

Marshall Blues Festival then Puppet Show

It was a very hot July day and the traffic and construction tie ups were terrible, but we made it to the Blues Festival in Marshall Michigan for the first time. James and I stayed for a bit then went on to the park and a magic shop, while mom enjoyed the music while shopping for antiques on the Marshall main street. We left around 6pm as the place was just starting to get real crowded. Mary bought a cd of the music of one of the bands and we listened to it on the way home. That evening James watched a dinosaur movie then did his own version of it in his puppet theatre. Lots of entertainment this day! (more…)

Edited: July 18th, 2010

Oakwood Festival

James got to go to a festival two days in a row. The first day he went was Saturday when we stopped off at the Oakwood Festival on the way to a graduation party (Kirsten Maliszewski). The next day we picked up Aunt Peg and took her shopping, then went back to the carnival for some more fun. The pictures here are from the first day, the second day it was just Dad and James so no one took pictures which was fine with the both of us (Aunt Peg couldn’t join us because she was in pain with her legs.). The only ride we did different the second day was the Ferris Wheel and I would have to say James liked that the best. (more…)

Edited: June 21st, 2010

Sea Shell City 2009

We always stop at Sea Shell City on the way home from Mackinaw. Its about 10 minutes south of Mackinaw and James loves to play pirate on the boat out front. This gives Mary a perfect chance to shop in peace since I am usually with James while he plays on the boat. I think thats why so many of our funny t-shirts have comes from here.

Its always on the way home that we stop at Sea Shell City, it makes the end of vacation a little easier having this to look forward to.
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Edited: July 20th, 2009