Sunday, September 4, 2011

Back in the States

Crossing into the U.S. was harder than crossing into Canada.  No real surprise there.  The woman asked if I was employed.  Now why would they ask an American Citizen coming into the states if they are employed?  I'll leave you to come up with the answers for yourself. 

After Crossing the border at Sault Ste Marie, I drove down and stopped at St. Ignace before arriving at the campground just outside Mackinaw City.  Mackinac Island having been suggested to me over a friendly kitchen counter on a hot summer's day on Cape Cod.  Thank you to the Greenes for the suggestion.  Now, Mackinaw City is on the mainland of Michigan, whereas Mackinac Island  is offshore, a twenty minute fast ferry ride away.  Both places are pronounced Mackinaw, a very rookie mistake is rhyming the syllables in Mackinac.  Mackinac Island is a throwback to the 1800's in a lot of ways, they outlawed automobiles back when they were invented, so one traverses the small island by either horse and buggy or bicycle and there are a lot of both.  There is a crew of men who go around on bicycles with bins attached and stop and scoop up the horse poop.  Ahh what a job.
Mackinac Island.

Natural Rock Bridge, Mackinac Island
The island is entirely tourist centered, although there are those who live there year round.  I learned that the ice between the Peninsula and the island freezes in the winter and that after Christmas the year rounders on Mackinac take their Christmas trees and lay them across the ice creating the boundaries of a road where snow mobiles zip back and forth.  All and all it was a very pleasant day trip, many do spend overnights on the island but the accommodations are extremely pricey and they don't have any sand beaches. 

Mackinaw City rivals any other tourist trap city.  Loads of ways to spend your money.  A family I met at the campground said they found so much to do in Mackinaw City that they'd spend all there money and never even made it to the island.

Lighthouse by Mackinaw Bridge (Connects Mackinaw City and St. Ignace.)

Ricky is enjoying his travels.

He's all fired up.

He's cooking food like a grown up. 
It's important to take your puppets out and let them see the country.  If you keep them all boxed up in the basement they'll only complain about you to their therapists later on.



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