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

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

Dinosaur World Kentucky

Exit 53 on the interstate, between Nashville and Louisville, is one of James Raymonds favorite places on earth.

On the way down to Nashville this year we stopped off at Dinosaur World but only went into the souvenir shop and picked up some dinosaur toys for James. We told him if he was good on the way home we would take him through the park. One of the nights at the hotel we even watched a dinosaur documentary which everyone enjoyed called “The End of the Dinosaurs” (or something similar in name) which detailed how and why the dinosaurs went extinct when a meteor hit the earth.

Well, for the most part James was very good on this trip, especially in the restaurants. Yes, he did pour his bubbles into the fountain at the nursing home and Yes, he did shoot a rocket off down the hall of the nursing home and Yes, Uncle Bills new Lazy Boy chair got a bit of a workout, but for the most part he was very well behaved and a good boy so on the way home James got rewarded by a walk through Dinosaur World.
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Edited: August 31st, 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

Mackinaw Island 2009

James was very good for this trip, and he still likes to ride in the wagon for much of the journey through the state park. This is actually our second wagon, the first was a gift from Criss and wore out because it was used so much. Now that he’s older he doesn’t need the wagon as much, but still takes advantage of it, especially on steep slopes upward.

All in all James did great this visit, he is beginning to get familiar with the surroundings now and is building on past trips to Mackinaw. Since we live in the suburbs, it is difficult to have strolls in the wood that last for hours like we can at Mackinaw Island.
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Edited: July 18th, 2009

Saulte St Marie 2008

One hour north of the Mackinaw bridge is Saulte St Marie, U.S. and Canada sides. The U.S. is based on tourism, the Canadian side is based on industry. There are casinos on both sides if you like that kind of thing, we stopped at the casino on the American side one time before James was born and did ok. The Soo Locks are here and alot of history including a huge Republic tanker that has been converted to a museum. It has many artifacts including the Edmond Fitzgerald life boats that were washed ashore after the wreck.
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Edited: May 23rd, 2008

Mackinaw Island 2008

James made it around the entire island this year at Mackinaw State Park. No automobiles are allowed on the island, but they do have an interstate that shows up on maps. Our routine is pretty well set, we visit the State Park early in the morning, go to Skull Cave, then to the 3 cemeteries which are older and creepier than anywhere else. We then visit either Arch Rock or the Turtle park, sometimes we visit both, depending on the weather and how tired we are. The two are in opposite directions from the graveyards.
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Edited: May 22nd, 2008