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

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

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

Traverse City 2008

The trip down from Mackinaw sometimes gives us a chance to stop places we normally don’t plan on, like this day we spent at Traverse City. The train ride goes right along side the beach and was alot of fun not only for James but for us as well. It has little crossings where pedestrians have to wait as the train putts along. The shopping district is right across the street and has not changed all that much since my last visit which was during my softball days in the 90′s. James made a friend and they had a blast building sand castles while Mary and I relaxed on the beach.
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Edited: May 24th, 2008

Nottawa Farms Petting Zoo

We were working on a magic site and had to attend a magic auction/flea market in Colon. We promised James that if he was good we would take him to the petting zoo which was about 15 minutes away. James was very good and we went to Nottawa Farms which is a combination greenhouse, nursery, playground, and petting zoo. James had fun then we returned back to the magic auction where James was able to played in the playground there.

A great time and we got many pictures for the http://www.magicgettogether.com website, you can see them in the flea market section under the about us page.
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Edited: April 5th, 2008

Camp Dearborn

Camp Dearborn-oh does that take me back in time. We were living on Sherwood ct, in Dearborn, when Major Hubbard decided to buy land and make a park for all the people of Dearborn to enjoy.
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Edited: October 28th, 2007

The Henry Ford Motor Muster 2007

It was Motor Muster time at Greenfield Village and we all went down to see the cars. Mary took a bunch of pictures of the automobiles that were on display and James and I enjoyed seeing all the cars mixed in with the historic village. They had a parade down mainstreet and awards were given out for several categories of classic cars. James takes after his mom and really enjoys cars and such, hopefully he will be more mechanically oriented than his dad who cannot even change his own oil (I tried once but pour oil into the radiator and everything had to be drained, what a mess).
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Edited: July 19th, 2007