Mackinac Adventures

We spent most of our last two weeks in Michigan at my parent's cottage on Mackinac Island, intermixed with 4th of July festivities and staying with different friends in Lansing and Grand Rapids. On our first trip to the island, my dad decided it would be more economical for 5 adults and 1 large carseat to fit into one SUV (including luggage for 6 people, a booster seat, a pack n' play, two large bins full of groceries, and a cooler) than for us to take 2 cars. None of us had any leg room and poor Jorden (who is the tallest) was crammed into the third row seat with his knees pressed to his chest throughout the entire four hour drive. It was a crammed adventure to say the least.

The weather on the island was rainy and freezing the whole time we were there. It was a shock coming from the hot and humid Grandville weather. We bundled up and roughed it on our bikes in the cold, since that is the only mode of transportation on the island!

Needless to say, we spent a lot of time indoors and one day Blake got silly with some hats he found.

My sweet boy loves to give me kisses.

Our second trip up to Mackinac was accompanied by my friend Stephanie and her daughter Skyler. Skyler and Blake are buds and voluntarily held hands in the car.

We were hoping for some nicer weather, but were instead greeted with downpouring rain and more freezing cold. We prepared to haul our children and our gear 3 miles out to the cottage. The super cool raincoats didn't even keep us dry. I'm the smart one who brought nothing but flip-flops.

Even though it was cold and rainy, we couldn't spend all day indoors, so we still ventured out to some Mackinac sites like the Grand Hotel.

Blake found a gigantic turtle in the front lawn of the Grand Hotel.

We finally had some nice weather on the last day we were there.

We biked 8 miles all the way around the island and stopped at the beautiful Mission Point Resort. Blake gave more kisses to me.

My little gentleman gave Skyler a bouquet of flowers. He brought them over to her one by one, and as you can see, she totally ate it up.

We put the children down for naps and my dad took us on a special interior island tour. He knows every path, road, and gorgeous view on the interior of the island, and willingly gives private tours to those who appreciate the beauty. These are sights that the tourists never see, and though I've seen them a thousand times, they never cease to amaze me. We overlooked the Mackinac Bridge that connects the lower and upper Michigan peninsulas.

We had to bike a long way uphill to see the best views.

The water was so calm and clear that you could see the reflection of the clouds in the water from hundreds of feet up. This was the view from "Gary's Ledge." My dad claimed his prime perching spot (PPS in Nash lingo) long ago.

We finally saw one nice sunset from the front porch as well.

It can be somewhat of a headache to drive hundreds of miles, take a ferry, and then haul all of your gear and groceries on bikes to the final destination, but I am always amazed at the quaintness and serenity that Mackinac Island holds whenever I visit. I loved getting to spend so much time with my bestie Stephie as well. There are just too many states that separate us.