Upper Midwest Tour, Day 20, July 29th

Our final full day on Mackinac Island, with a morning bike ride and afternoon walk.  We visited a number of destinations that are documented by the photos.  The weather continues to be nice with clear skies.  Though, as I write this, there is one large ominous cloud overhead.  The temperatures are in the low 70s.

I have been saying that the island has no motorized vehicles, but I am wrong.  The fire truck/emergency vehicle is gas powered and, while walking this afternoon, I saw a traditional backhoe.  But for the tourists, it is considered vehicle-free.

View over the Mission Point Resort from Robinson's Folly.  The folly fell apart many years ago;  the overlook provides a glorious point for viewing sun rises (not that we were up that early).

Also from the overlook.

Mission Point Resort, reminding us of the Hotel del Coronado, San Diego.

The Edgar Speer freighter passing through the Mackinac Strait.

We biked and walked the Botanical Trail, with its many interpretive signs -- quite well done.  We were able to stop to read the signs and ride quickly through the boring bits.

An orchid, described on one sign, and if you look closely,  you can see the tiny flowers.

A possible woodworking project for the Portland woodworkers, in the form of a military block house.

The Grand Hotel, note below.  Very picturesque and expensive to stay.  One can view the inside for $10 per person - we passed.  The hotel stands on a hillside about 1/2 mile from the docks and tourist shops, so it is relatively quiet - except for the swarms of day-trippers.

Lots of flowers - the flower beds all over town are splendidly colorful.

For our midday break, we stopped at the Lucky Bean, "where locals get coffee."  It is popular and many folks disdain the Starbucks that has a shop on the Main Street.  Lucky Bean is on Market Street, the original main thoroughfare for the island.  I ordered an iced Miel coffee (?) and Betsy had a mango smoothie.  While sipping our drinks, we watched two guys who had horse poop duty for the street, going back and forth all day sweeping and scooping horse poo.  It's got to be a strange job for the 21st century,  We did some souvenir shopping, finding a loon for our annual Christmas ornament this year, and Betsy got a souvenir Mackinaw ball cap, before returning to the inn.

After a brief rest, we left for a short walk up around Mackinac Fort and back to town, again documented with a few photos.

A view of the island's Main Street

Anne's Tablet, a memorial to an author with connections to the island.

We next visited the gazebo that was built for a movie filmed on the island -- Somewhere in Time.  It starred Christopher Reeves and Jane Seymour in 1980.

We also walked by the summer residence for the Michigan Governor, which looked occupied but we didn't see anyone.

The Carriage Museum.

The deluxe swimming complex at the Grand Hotel.  We overheard a carriage driver say that it was renovated not so long ago for $17 million.

Main Street with the hordes of tourist and bikes.

We returned to the inn.  We retrieved our bikes and went to a local bike rental stand to get some air, specifically air in the tires.  We should be ready for our future bike excursions.

We just heard a bugle call and rifle fire from the fort, part of the Park Department's re-enactment activities.  The other evening we could hear taps at twilight, echoing across town.  Dinner was back at the Mission Point Resort, the Roundhouse Restaurant.  We celebrated with local fish -- white fish and walleye, and blueberry galette, but a California sauvignon blanc.

Foreground is whitefish, background is walleye.