My Michigan Adventure!
Travel anxiety is more prevalent now with random flight cancellations. Despite the crazy times, we live in a magnificent country with so much to offer. During COVID lockdowns, as I viewed hundreds of YouTube travel videos, I discovered Mackinac Island. I was intrigued with an island that did not allow cars. The main mode of transportation is horse and buggy and bicycles. Because of these awesome YouTube videos, I added Michigan along with many other new destinations to my already long travel bucket list.
After much research and planning, I decided to visit Michigan in June 2022. When I find a new destination, I research other areas in the vicinity to expand the adventure. My Michigan adventure began with a flight from Tampa, Florida to Pellston, Michigan located in the northern part of the state. I rented a car for a day so I could explore the upper peninsula. During my research, I discovered the city of Sault Ste Marie and the Soo Locks near the Canadian border.
I had three things on my list to visit in this city. The first was to visit the Soo Locks. I was intrigued with the lock system and wanted to learn more about how this worked. Since I arrived before the park opened, I headed to the second thing on my list – St. Mary’s Pro-Cathedral.
This cathedral was established in 1857. The present Gothic Revival-style church was built in 1881. I truly enjoy visiting old churches. I am amazed at the architecture of these beautiful structures. The artwork is also breathtaking in so many ways. People built these structures to show their love for God, his Mother, and his saints.
As I was getting ready to leave the cathedral, I noticed a sign that listed the address for the Adoration Chapel. After entering the address in my GPS, I realized the chapel was located across the parking lot. What a beautiful surprise. I spent some time in the chapel enjoying the peace and presence of Our Lord.
The third adventure on my list was the Tower of History. This too, was in the same parking lot as the cathedral. The Tower of History was built in 1968 by the Catholic Church as the Shrine of the Missionaries. The Shrine was meant to be part of a larger complex that would have featured exhibits about the early Missionaries. However, in 1980, the structure was donated to the Sault Historic Sites. It has been operated as the Tower of History ever since.
The lower level of the Tower houses a museum that gives information about the early Missionaries and local Native American history. The highlight of the Tower are three observation decks providing a 360-degree view of the entire Sault area from the Sault Locks and the St. Mary’s River to the Canadian wilderness.
I was ready to go back to the #1 reason for my visit to Sault Ste Marie – the Soo Locks! The Observation Platform made it easy to observe the process. The Soo Locks connect Lake Superior to the remaining Great Lakes. Lake Superior is 21 feet higher than the other Great Lakes. The locks, through a process involving gravity, make it possible for ships to obtain the water level necessary for safe passage.
The history of the locks in this area began in 1797 when the Northwest Fur Company built a lock 38 feet long on the Canadian side of the river for small boats. This lock remained in use until it was destroyed in the War of 1812. Congress passed an act in 1852 for the construction of two new locks which were completed in 1855. Within a few years, commerce through the canal had grown to national importance. In 1881 the locks were transferred to the United States government under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Corps has operated the locks, toll free since that time. Two tour ships provided the visual for the operation of the locks. It would have been better to see one of the larger vessels in the locks, but it was quite cold and windy in June and this Florida girl was unwilling to wait any longer.
I highly recommend a visit to Sault Ste Marie in the month of June. The weather was in the high 60s. I stopped for lunch at a great crepe restaurant on Main Street. The two young girls behind the counter were wearing T-shirts and shorts while I was wearing a jacket and jeans. That’s what happens when you live in Florida – your blood really thins out. I asked the women if they lived full time in the area. They both said that they grew up in the area. I then asked about the winters. They nonchalantly stated that it sometimes gets below 30 degrees with snow mounting to nearly 6 feet. As I said, June is the best time to visit!
Before taking a ferry to Mackinac Island, I spent a day exploring Mackinaw City. Ironically enough, both places are pronounced the same way. However, they are spelled differently. I asked several people both in Mackinaw City and on Mackinac Island why there was a difference in spelling. No one seemed to know the reason. So, I did a google search and found a Michigan website that provided this explanation. The area was named Michilimackinac by the Native Americans and when the French built a fort on the mainland in 1715, they recorded the name with a "c" on the end as a French word with an "aw" sound. The word became shortened to Mackinac. The fort was moved on the winter ice to the island across the straits which became known as Mackinac Island. Edgar Conkling was the founder of the city on the mainland in 1857 and he changed the name to Mackinaw to reflect how the word actually sounds. In this part of Michigan, there is Mackinac Island, the Mackinac Bridge, the Straits of Mackinac, Mackinaw City, and the Icebreaker Mackinaw and they are all pronounced the same way: Mack-i-naw. Mackinaw City is a beautiful city full of parks and benches overlooking beautiful Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.
After a 15-minute ferry ride from Mackinaw City, I arrived on Mackinac Island with horses and bicycles everywhere. My hotel was a short walk from the ferry. The accommodations were excellent. I would highly recommend Hotel Iroquois. I spent three beautiful days exploring the island.
After dropping my bags off at the hotel, I stated walking toward the Grand Hotel. Although I was intrigued with the horses and bicycles, I felt safer walking. After climbing a staircase with over 200 steps, I arrived on a beautiful street with mansion type homes. The Grand Hotel was minutes away and what a beautiful site. The Hotel opened in 1887 and was built by the Grand Rapids & Indiana and the Michigan Central railroads and the Detroit & Cleveland Navigation company. The Hotel is noted for its longest colonial porch in the world. It is also the world’s largest summer hotel. I decided after finding the hotel that I would be back for High Tea. After getting all the details, I scheduled Saturday at 3:30pm for this once in a lifetime event. It was GREAT fun and a wonderfully unique experience.
There were several beautiful churches on the island.
Fort Mackinac was another fun site. As I toured this military installation, I couldn’t help but think of the intense weather conditions. One of the facilities displayed the living quarters for an officer and his family. The caption noted in the front room stated that the Lieutenant moved to Fort Mackinac in 1884 with his wife and four children ages 9, 6, 4 and 4 months. This family moved to Mackinac Island after living in Arizona and New Mexico for several years. As I toured these quarters in the month of June with my jacket on, I couldn’t help but think of what this family experienced in the dead of winter in their new Michigan home!
Mackinac Island is famously known for its fudge. I’m not a fan of fudge but what I enjoyed more was the homemade ice cream available in most of the fudge shops!
Arch Rock is another famous site on Mackinac Island. I walked several trails to reach the Arch Rock from above. As I began my walk of the entire rim of the island, I was pleasantly surprised to have a beautiful view of the Arch Rock from below.
As I ventured inland, I found several cemeteries.
Many people wonder how I can travel alone. But I know that I am never alone. I enjoy the casual conversations of those I meet as I travel. In the Detroit airport waiting for my plane to Pellston, Michigan, I met 4 women who have known each other since their college days and were headed to Mackinac Island for their annual girls’ trip. I also met another woman who honeymooned at Hotel Iroquois on Mackinac Island in the 1960s. She continues to enjoy the island and highly recommended the Carriage House restaurant at the Hotel Iroquois as the best on the island! During an early dinner on the balcony of the hotel, I met another woman who also enjoys traveling. We spent time sharing our adventures and shared our contact info since she will soon be coming to Florida to live the life of a snowbird.
At the Grand Hotel, as I was waiting to be served the High Tea of the day, I was taken aback when a gentleman, my age, came up to the table and asked if he could join me. I chose a table in front of the entertainment. The table was small with two-winged back chairs. He said, “May I join you.” I stumbled and said, “Sure.” And then I thought, “What the hell did I just do?” I had my book on the table. The title of the book is, “In Sinu Jesu.” This is an excellent book, by the way, written by a Benedictine monk. The cover is a picture of Jesus at the Last Supper with Saint John resting on his shoulder. I saw the man look at the book and then he said, “Did you see the movie – Father Stu?” I couldn’t help but laugh. We talked about the movie and then we talked about our families and our backgrounds. He was a Catholic born and raised in Michigan who spent 4 years in the Marine Corp. His wife oversaw the conference that was being held at the Hotel and he was waiting for his adult daughters to arrive. It was a wonderful, enjoyable conversation. We laughed, we shared our stories and then we went our separate ways. It was just enough conversation to connect with humanity without any of the crazy drama that almost always goes with it. It is amazing the people God puts in your life if you let Him.
I ended my visit to Mackinac Island with Mass at 5:30pm on Saturday at St. Anne’s Catholic Church.
I would highly recommend Michigan for a June vacation. Let me know if any of you have been to these places, had similar or different experiences, or maybe you visited other parts of Michigan that you think others should see.
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God Bless & Happy Travels!
