Doing the tourist thing

6/23/2014

Breakfast at the B&B was not until 9:00 so I got up and went to the laundromat at 7:00 and washed our clothes.  This must be the neatest, cleanest laundromat in the world.

After getting all the clothes washed and dried, it was back to the B&B for breakfast.  It was very good with juice, coffee, yogurt and croissant french toast.  We then checked out and Chris let us leave the car in the parking lot while we got a shuttle to the ferry to go to Mackinac Island.

Homes on Mackinac Island

The Grand Hotel

After about a 15 minute ferry ride, we arrived on the island and spend about 2 hours walking around and shopping.  It is a quaint, quiet town where all the vehicles are either horse drawn or pedal powered. (you have to watch where you are stepping in the street!)  The main street is rather touristy with a variety of shops on both sides, especially fudge shops!  As we were walking down the street, we ran into the two brothers (one blind) again and chatted a few minutes until it was time for them to go to their ferry.  Unfortunately, we never got their names.

Shuttle to the Grand Hotel

Rush hour on Mackinac Island

Vehicle with 2 horsepower

Interesting sign - reminds me of my friends in the monkey business!

On the side streets there are very nice turn of the century style homes and buildings.  We walked to the Grand Hotel but they will not let you in unless you are registered. (You can go on the porch for $10/person if you want to sit on the "world's longest porch").  Think I'll have to watch "Somewhere in Time" again.

Resident of Mackinac Island

The Grand Hotel

Turtle Sculpture

Mackinac Island garbage "truck"!  (Note lilac trees in bloom)

After a nice walk, we took the ferry back to St.Ignace and had lunch at Bentley's Cafe next to the Inn.  We finally left town, taking Hwy. 2 across the Upper Peninsula along Lake Michigan.  This road is the best of the trip in Michigan.  It was in good shape the whole way!  We drove through Manistique and Escanaba where we ate at Hudson's Grill, a cute restaurant filled with 50's and 60's decor.  It was then on to Menominee where we checked into the AmericInn. This is a chain I was not familiar with, but someone we met told us it was a nice and reasonable chain.  They were right.  Our room has a small balcony where we could look out on Green Bay, which is off Lake Michigan, and the Menominee lighthouse.

Menominee lighthouse

Tomorrow we'll head to Green Bay and Manitowoc, where we'll take the S.S. Badger across the lake.