St. Ignace on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (UP) was a great jumping-off spot for visiting the renown Mackinac Island. It’s also a town that folks hike or bike through on the North Country National Scenic Trail. At 4,600 miles, this trail is longer than the Appalacian Trail and it connects seven northern states.
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Summertime tucked safely in the St.Ignace Municipal Marina, we had three ferry companies, Star, Shepler and Arnold, to choose from. They all deliver visitors and freight to Mackinac Island. Since there are no cars and trucks on the island, teams of horses back their wagons down to the dock and wait patiently while the goods are loaded on. Then the deliveries begin. Fancier carriages carry people. Rental bicycles abound. Trail horses with a practiced guide can be hired for a real step back in time. Five years ago Wally and I visited this memorable island when we were returning to Maine from our 28-day Harley cruise to Sturgis, SD. Some years before that, we arrived in our Class C RV, having just explored America’s West Coast and Canada’s British Columbia. We have to admit that we have savored the moment more this time than we ever did before. Could it be the slower life that we have come to enjoy... or is it that we are more “mature”? Never before had we entered the Grand Hotel. This past Saturday noon we joined 200+ visitors dining on the second floor in La Salle de Manger. It was a spectacular buffet. The Jamaican wait-staff were so polished and professional. For us, as price-sensitive as we have come to be, it was a once-in-a-lifetime event...one that we will not soon forget! Since it costs $10.00 just to enter the Grand Hotel, we made a point of lingering after the meal on the rocker-lined veranda. The manicured landscaping was worth taking time to really appreciate. Back at St. Ignace, we ended the day with one of their summertime specialities... 10 o’clock fireworks!!
1 comment:
In Manistee yesterday on the river walk we got to talking to a couple
of boaters, one from upstate NY and one from Long Island.
They are doing the Great American Loop. So today I went googled to
check it out and found your blog.
We have so many questions about getting started. I plan to find one of the books advertised on the Great Loop website. And I plan on following and reading past
posts on your blog. This looks good to us. If you are ever in Ludington, MI feel free to contact us. krcstudio at yahoo.com
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