I left you in Traverse City in the mitten, I'm driving north, haven’t gotten over the Mackinac bridge into the Upper Peninsula yet but I'm close. 

 

Day 52

I check out and begin my drive to Mackinaw City where I'll stay the next two nights.  I stop in quaint Charlevoix to eat, shop, take pics.  I was walking over to the library when I met a woman gardening on her front lawn.  She tells me how much she loves the town and Michigan in general.  She said the locals up here at the top of the mitten call the tourists and seasonal residents “Fudgies” since they come in every year and spend so much time in the candy and fudge shops, so I guess that would be me, but I haven't been in a candy or fudge shop yet, just ice cream shops.  I realize sometimes the ice cream is sold in a candy store, so I guess maybe I do count.  This woman has been vacationing here from Texas for 20 years,  she owns her own home here now and visits seasonally,  I ask if she is still considered a Fudgie, she isn’t sure but she thinks maybe.  I head further north on quiet roads through tunnels of trees, I have no service, my phone is on SOS for only the second time since I began this journey.  Not a lot of SOS only zones left out there.  I get to Mack City where there is service again and fudge shops everywhere you turn, some right next door to each other.  Now I get it.

 

Day 53

Took a 15 min ferry ride for a day trip to Mackinac Island, a seasonal town that has no cars.  You can walk, bike, or take a horse and buggy “taxi” anywhere you want to go.  They have a historic fort on the island, a hotel where some old movies were filmed, a main strip with souvenir shops and about a hundred fudge shops with fresh fudge made daily on site.  It smells amazing on this main street but only this street as the other streets smell like horse fudge (gross).  The governor has a summer place here.  She was on island for a political conference at the hotel with all the state senators, politicians, etc.  I didn’t see her.  I did notice the fake horse and buggy driver sitting outside her compound that was pretending to be just another taxi but was fooling no one.  He was clearly security, you know that secret service look.  If the regular horse and buggy drivers looked like that, this island would be a lot busier.

 

Day 54

Checked out of the hotel and finally drove over the bridge to the U.P. and went back a little further in time.  There was a cash toll.  I pumped gas at a station that said “pump first then pay inside.”  I haven’t seen that in probably 25 years.  I like that trust like that still exists.  A shopkeeper gave me my penny back for change.  In Boston they just pretend the item was $3.00 instead of $2.99.  A mutual agreement silently passes between you and the cashier - they either don’t have pennies and assume you know that you're not getting one back or they figure you won’t want the one cent.  I found myself in another SOS zone, then shortly after got a text from my cell phone carrier welcoming me to Canada, except I was actually still in Michigan.  I spent some time in Tahquamenon Falls State Park, it was so quiet and peaceful, not a lot of traffic,  you really slow down up there.  At one point a pickup truck was coming toward me and started flashing his headlights at me, I think, oh thanks man for the heads up on the cop, we wouldn't want another ticket.  I drive a little further and I'm keeping my eyes peeled for hidden police then see it wasn't a cop at all that he wanted to warn me about, there was a turtle crossing the road, very very slowly.  Eventually I get to my Holiday Inn Express in Munising, the most luxurious digs you can find this close to the North Pole.  Nicest one I've seen.  It's right on Lake Superior with a beautiful view.  You can't find that anywhere under the bridge.

 

Day 55/56

Munising is located kind of on the southeastern shore of Lake Superior and is the gateway to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, which is why I’m here.  Awe in nature, and this place did not disappoint.  Wow.  I actually thought about not telling anyone about this part of the trip because it is clearly a best kept secret and I hope it will stay that way - completely laid back, unspoiled, undeveloped, and protected (hopefully forever) by the National Park Service.  I did a boat tour to get on the water and see the sandstone cliffs, then toured by land, stopping at all the lookout points the park lays out for you.  Found what looked like an enchanted forest.  Honestly, as I was driving, I had tears in my eyes and wanted to thank someone, whoever did this, whoever made sure this was all here, kept serene like this.

You must get here.  You must get here and tell no one where you went.  Book a room at the Holiday Inn Express, disappear for a long weekend, ride and walk around the entire park, don't miss a mile, and don’t mention it to a soul.  If people dig, want to know what you did this weekend, be very vague.  Better they think you were in rehab or something untoward then let this place be overcome.

 

Things I learned this week:

  • Mackinac Island is pronounced “Mackinaw” like Mackinaw City.  No idea why one ends in a w and the other in a c, but they are pronounced the same.  Not going to bother asking A.I.  I’m sure it knows, it’s my smartest friend now, but it can go on and on sometimes....

  • Tahquamenon Falls is called “Root Beer Falls” because the water is brown and foams at the base.  Tahquamenon Falls State Park

  • There is a secret beautiful enchanted place called Pictured Rocks National Seashore (shhhhhhh!)

 

Some of my favorite pictures from the week:

  • Charlevoix 1-2

  • Harbor Springs

  • Mackinac Island 1-2

  • Pictured Rocks 1-4

  • Enchanted Forest

  • Enjoy Life

There are so many more pictures I'd love to share but file size has been an issue for delivery.  The website will be ready this week and I'll start posting more to that over the next month. 

In the meantime, Enjoy Life

Kim