Road Trip - Day # 3 - My Michigan Adventure - Thursday 8/3

Design - "Flag Sampler"

Chart - "3 for 2 - July" 

Designer - Curtis Boehringer

FAbric - 32 cnt Antique white linen

Fibers - DMC - 2 strands over 2 threads

Started - 23July 2017

Completed - 28 July 2017 

I never got around to showing off this July finish - I love, love, love this flag.  I think it's going to get framed next year.

Now on to Michigan Day Three of our Road Trip.

We got up bright and early and took a ferry over to Mackinac Island.

As there are no cars on the island (other than an ambulance), there are three ways to explore the island.

By foot, or by bicycle...

...or by horse.  

We chose to take a horse-driven tour of the island.  

We got to see the exterior and grounds of the aptly named Grand Hotel. The hotel was built in just 93 days and opened in 1887.  Famous guest have included Thomas Edison and Mark Twain.

Our horse tour was in two parts.  Part one had a two horse team, part two with steeper terrain used a three horse team.

The top of the island featured this lovely rock arch looking out to Lake Huron.

Thanks guys - we had a great time!

After the tour we walked to Fort Mackinac to explore the fort and enjoy the views of the town.

Lots of money floating in the harbor!

After Fort Michilimackinac closed in the mid-1770s, the fort was moved to the island in 1780. All the building are original and it was very interesting to tour them and see what daily life at the fort was like for the soldiers and their families. 

There were lots of folks dressed in period costume to help interpret the history of the fort.  We watched a blacksmith at work, a baker, and these musicians.  

And enjoyed the views of the town.

It is such a pretty little town.

I think having a green thumb is a requirement for living here.

And everything, yep even UPS deliveries is done by horse.  Don't you think it would be a kick to work this route in the summer?

The Grand Hotel, being well, grand, had grand transportation to the hotel for its guests.

As the day progressed, the skies got gray and grayer and the winds picked up.

This lighthouse is called Round Island Light.

We shopped and ate lunch at a pizza place.  Then shopped some more - the island is famous for fudge - I think there were 12 fudge shops.  But I am an Ice Cream Girl.  I'd been looking forward to eating at Moomers in Traverse City, but that did not happen.  So it was a thrilling moment to find that Mackinac Island had a Moomers. The Traverse City shop has 160 flavors of ice cream - how do you chose?  This small shop had a couple of dozen flavors.  Two scoops was only $1 more than one scoop - chocolate sprinkles were free - so that's what I did! 

Here's the post office. Everyone has a postal box as it does not deliver mail.  We finished exploring...

...and shopping just as the heavens let loose as it does in the midwest. We got soaked waiting for the return ferry and the trip back to Mackinaw City was a rough and ready and drenching adventure.  We spent the evening cocooned in our hotel room watching the weather pour and flash and thunder over the lake.