THE GRAND HOTEL
Approximately 30 years ago Carl & I spent a night in this wondrous place. Slightly to the right of the center portico, on the 2nd or 3rd floor, in the Honeymoon Suite. It was glorious.
I could try to describe this place, but I will let their sign do the basic work. (To see the hotel in action, watch the movie Somewhere in Time with Christopher Reeves.
It has the longest porch in the world – and some rocking chairs to enjoy while relaxing and taking in the scenery.
We did take in the scenery. There is a small airport on the island, but almost everybody arrives by boat.
Pooh & Mark took a boat that was included with their bicycle tour – along with their bikes.
Ready to Ride
Carl & I took the slow boat named the Huron to Mackinac Island. It really did seem to just sort of putter along. Not un-enjoyable, as we were not in any particular hurry. Just slow.
On the island we continued in the slow vein, by walking. No bicycles and no horses or carriages.
[For any that do not know, this island does not use motorized vehicles. Except maybe the ambulance and fire engine.]
We met Pooh and Mark for lunch, including an appropriate beverage.
All-in-all we probably did 3 miles, including a Seattlesque hill and over 200 stairs back down to lake level.
Since we are in the recovery mode right now we decided that was probably quite enough, and quite probably more than should have been attempted. [We see the doctor again on Tuesday and will find out what level of tongue lashing we will receive.]
The boat we took on the return voyage was the Mackinac Strait II. This boat seemed much faster than the first, and included a tour guide of sorts. One of the tidbits of information provided was that their other boat (the Huron) was an ice-breaker. So perhaps this was part of the reason for the slow and steady ride over, sans ice.
We also learned a bit about the Mackinac Bridge. 5 miles of the safest freeway in America. (Longer than the Golden Gate)
[A Yugo went off once, but other than that a really good safety record.]
The towers do not hold up the road. They hold up the cables. The cables hold the road, which can move as much as 15 feet side to side within the towers. The road can also stretch and move as much as 40 feet vertically if heavily loaded. Back when the bridge was built (after I was born, but before Carl) a semi-truck weighed about 15,000 pounds. Now they weigh 80,000. This is why their speed is limited to 25 mph, and their spacing is at least 200 feet apart. A lake freighter did hit one of the towers once, and did about $20,000 damage to the bridge. Fixing the boat cost $250,000. [The bridge crosses the Straits of Mackinac, which is where Lake Michigan and Lake Huron meet – just so you know. In case you did not.]
Back at the cabin for dinner, tired after a full day.
Raincharm's Weblog 
July 12, 2015 at 8:26 pm |
Love that hotel! It sounds like lots of fun activities. The beer looks interesting!
July 13, 2015 at 9:04 am |
They do have motorized emergency vehicles on the island. If memory is accurate (& it may not be), I think one other car went off the bridge but I think it was a suicide.