ADVICE FROM CHIEF SEATTLE

"Take only memories, leave only footprints."-Chief Seattle

Our memories of 2013 will include 7 months of traveling in many states with the majority of our time in Michigan, June through August.  We checked items off our bucket list we didn't even know existed!  We started our travel season with a special week with family, and continued traveling north, staying a few days or a week wherever we chose.

Lake Lure, North Carolina

Lexington, Kentucky

Shipshewana, Indiana

Jungle Jim's - Cincinnati, Ohio

Indigo Bluffs RV Resort - Empire, Michigan

  

Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, Grand Rapids, Michigan

Welcome to Saugatuck, Michigan

Dune Buggy Rides near Lake Michigan - Saugatuck, Michigan

Mushroom Houses - Lake Charlevoix, Michigan

Empire, Michigan

Kayaking near Pointe Betsie Lighthouse, Michigan

  

We spent the entire month of June in South Haven, Michigan, and continued on to Traverse City, Michigan, for a month, then to Petoskey, Michigan and then to our northernmost city before entering Canada, Ste. St. Marie, Michigan.  

Traverse Bay RV Resort - Traverse City, Michigan

Tunnel of Trees Scenic Highway - Northern Michigan

Mackinac Island Transportation - Mackinac Island, Michigan

Arch Rock - Mackinac Island, Michigan

Mackinac Island Transportation, Michigan

Mackinac Island Hotel - Mackinac Island, Michigan

Mackinac Island Hotel - Mackinac Island, MIchigan

For the first time we were the trolls who went to visit the Yoopers.  

Upper Peninsula - Michigan

The weather was exquisite, maybe with one exception in South Haven, Michigan.  A violent storm came across Lake Michigan and just about took us with it.   As promised, we made it back to spend Halloween with grandchildren and then on to our winter base in Webster, Florida. 

Halloween - 2013

The year 2013 was a year for us that included both great joy, sadness of being so far away when a much-loved family member passed, and growing closer in our lifestyle that allows us great flexibility..  Although we may not have had a "typical" year, we experienced much that provided valuable introspection and memories to last a lifetime.

Winter Base - Florida Grande Motor Coach Resort - Webster, Florida

Florida Grande Motor Coach Resort - Webster, Florida

In 2014 we will continue connecting with our friends as well as the blogging community.  We look forward to having our life enriched with your unbelievable photography, suggestions for books to provide us hours of reading pleasure, travel destinations to dream and plan upon, inspiring words that nurture our soul, technology to enhance our lives and great food suggestions.

  

St. George Island Lighthouse - St. George Island, Florida

 

Whitefish Point Lighthouse - Lake Superior, Michigan

Lighthouse - Lake Superior

Although we closed out 2013, we pick up a brand-new book entitled 2014, a book never opened, filled only with blank pages.  What will you imprint on these pages in the upcoming year?  Whatever your plans, I hope you live your dream each and every day and share your passion with the world.

Canadian Train Tour - Agawa Canyon

Agawa Canyon Picnic - Canada

  Our wish for everyone is abundant good health, both mind and body.  We try not to make resolutions that we may ultimately break, but this upcoming year we plan to see more sunrises and sunsets, standing in the delicious silence of early morning and basking in the warmth of a glowing setting sun.

Gulf of Mexico - Destin, Florida

Happy New Year everyone!  May you experience hope, great joy, and much lightness and love in the upcoming year.

RV and MH (RV THERE YET?)

MACKINAC ISLAND AND THE GRAND HOTEL

We took an early morning side trip about an hour north of Petoskey to Mackinaw City and enjoyed a 20 minute ferry ride to Mackinac Island.  Is it pronounced Mackinac or Mackinaw? This has always driven us crazy, but the French favor the silent "c" at the end while the early settlers opted for the phonetic "aw" spelling, probably to distinguish their town from Mackinac Island for the postal carriers.  Just remember... No matter how it is spelled, it is always pronounced Mackinaw!

Shepler's Ferry Landing - Mackinaw City, MI

The 5 mile Mackinac Bridge - joins Michigan's 2 peninsulas

View of The Grand Hotel from ferry

Arriving Mackinac Island

Volumes of American history have been written about Mackinac Island.  The American Revolution (1779-1781), the War of 1812 (1812-1815), and then after the war was over John Jacob Astor established the American Fur Company on Mackinac Island.  In the 1820's millions of dollars worth of furs passed through the Island.  In 1875 the federal government created Mackinac Island National Park, the second national park (established 3 years after Yellowstone).

Fort Mackinac - Mackinac Island, MI

If there's one thing you know about Mackinac Island, it is likely to be that automobiles are banned.  Horse drawn carriages, livery carriages, saddle horses and drive yourself carriages are transportation along with hundreds of bicycles - more numerous than you can imagine.  There are somewhere between 550 to 600 horses on the island during the season, and during the winter months they are transported to a warmer climate.  No cars except for 1 ambulance and 1 police vehicle.

Catching our carriage ride downtown Mackinac Island

New horse stables at Mackinac Island

Employee parking lot at The Grand Hotel

Will we ever get over the smell of horse poo and urine?  It took us several days to breathe normal.  The experience was worth it, cough, cough.  After a carriage ride all over the island - through forest area - through the cemeteries - past Arch Rock - the Fort, past the Governor of Michigan's summer residence, we transferred to another carriage to carry us to the Grand Hotel.  

Mackinac Island cemetery

Arch Rock - 146' above water - Mackinac Island, MI

 

Michigan Governor's Summer Residence - Mackinac Island

Arriving at The Grand Hotel - Mackinac Island

We're not sure if we will ever return to Mackinac Island again, so we treated ourselves to lunch at the famous Grand Hotel.  There are so many tourists wanting to see the hotel they now charge $10 apiece to even enter the hotel.  Our lunch reservations meant we were not charged to enter, and the GRAND buffet also included dessert, beverages and tip.  So along with our discounted tickets that we acquired at Hearthside Grove, we justified our expensive but delicious lunch.   After lunch we explored the hotel as if we were Mr. and Mrs. Astor, and also took time to relax in the rockers on the 660 foot front porch and enjoyed the scenic view of Lake Huron until we almost needed a nap. 

Lobby - The Grand Hotel

Lobby - The Grand Hotel

Lobby - The Grand Hotel

Library and Audobon Wine Bar

Dining Room - The Grand Hotel

The Grand Hotel - Porch

We decided to walk off some of our delicious lunch and made our way back to Shepler's Ferry, the ferry landing in the middle of town.  Thank goodness, because we were not the least bit interested in all those fudge shops (17 stores) we passed along the way!

Where's that bucket list?  Another check.