Posts Tagged ‘mackinac Island’

Mackinac

Friday, 16th July 2010; 3:29 pm - Location:

There are three companies that provide essentially interchangeable ferry service to Mackinac Island. I specifically chose Star because of the way they went above and beyond for me last time. I discovered on the trip over that I’d left my keys in the scooter (sound familiar?) and the crew on the Island called the mainland dock to retrieve them and hold them in the office for me. I figure that deserves some loyalty.

I’m really glad I came back to Mack Island. Last year’s visit was too rushed. Even though I have about the same amount of time as last year, I have a better idea of what I want to do. Plus I already did some of it last year.

Since the Grand Hotel was the big ran-out-of-time item from last year, I did that first. Not that I went inside; that costs $10 for the riffraff who aren’t staying there. But I got pictures.

I wandered a little more of the developed part of the island, then walked part of the road around the island, past Arch Rock, which I saw from the top last time.

Rather than putting up with high prices and/or lousy service for dinner I got a sub from the deli counter at Doud’s Market (“Michigan’s oldest family-owned grocery”). It was a bit better than the gas-station sub, and only $6.

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Mackinac Island

Tuesday, 11th August 2009; 10:13 pm - Location: ,

My site at Straits State Park is only a treeline and some marsh/shore from the Straits themselves. I have a view of the Bridge from it. Probably the only state park where proximity to an Interstate is a major attraction. 🙂

After a quick but thorough shower (my first since Saturday night), I grabbed a 4:30 ferry (Star line, first one I came to from the state park) for Mackinac Island. This only gave me few hours on the Island, for the same price as for a full day, but one takes what one has time for. On the ferry I realized that I’d left my keys in my scooter, but the folks at Star (contacted by phone from the dock) pulled them and held them for me.

The promised “partly cloudy” finally came through, and in fact it was mostly sunny from mid-afternoon onward.

Mackinac Island was mostly alright. Very touristy, but that’s the whole point of the place. I walked out to Arch Rock, which I overheard a guide say would probably be gone in another 40 years. Kinda like me.

I stopped at Fred’s Burger Joint for a quick meal, but the nitwit working the counter forgot my order. He took it, charged me for it, gave me a number to be called when it was ready, and… nothing. They weren’t even busy. I waited patiently at first. It was a chicken sandwich; maybe the meat started raw and they needed to cook it thoroughly? When about twice the reasonable amount of time had passed I asked if I could at least have my drink while I waited. “Sure… now what did you order?” He got it for me, mumbling halfheartedly that he was sorry. Not good enough. I didn’t clear my table. I was tempted to make an extra mess, but instead I just wrote FUCK U in ketchup on the wrapper for my sandwich, and left it for him. (They were getting ready to close by the time I left.) Because of this delay, the visitor center was closed when I got there, so I couldn’t get a map, so I couldn’t find and get to the Grand Hotel and back before the 8pm ferry left. Not entirely the nitwit’s fault, but he made it happen. Fortunately I had just enough time left to get a beer, so the last hour wasn’t a total loss.

I got back to St Ignace with plenty of time to get sunset and nighttime photos of the Bridge. I’m not really equipped for this kind of photography (the autofocus on my new Olympus sucks in these conditions) so don’t hold your breath, but I’ll add some when I get home. (The only photos appearing here “live” are from my iPhone, which couldn’t take a nighttime Bridge photo to save my life.)

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