Day 5 - Mackinaw City

We were up early today for showers and cereal and were leaving at 8:45a to hoof it up the hill to the backside of the fort.    

Each day, one person gets to fire the opening cannon at the fort.  I've tried several times to get a spot that worked for our travel plans and its never worked.  But believe it or not, when I called just last Thursday, our preferred day was open.  Yay!  

We met the staff at 9:15 am.  The young man that led us gave us a brief history of the cannon Tyler would be firing.  He went over the liability waiver and safety briefing and then got to the logistics.  The trumpet started to play, he gave Tyler the agreed upon ready sign and "FIRE!"  

It was so cool to be a part of!  Afterwards, we looked around the fort for a bit and then headed back to the boat.  We took a brief stop at the first church on the island and looked at the incredibly old stain glass windows.  Then I ran to Doud's Grocery Store for a few items and then back to the boat.

Once aboard we got busy with prepping to head out.  Our check out time is 11:00 am.  Just before we headed out, we saw some visitors in the water - 4 otters.  It was fun to watch and listen to them play in the water behind our slip.

We pulled out by 11:00a.  We have 12 miles to go but technically aren't supposed to arrive for 2 hours.  So we set our speed at 10 mph and just slowly made our way across to Mackinaw City.  The lake was super calm yet again with very little wind.

We stopped to fuel up and pump out and then made our way to slip A10 around 12:30p.

I ordered lunch from BC Pizza and while the boys finished setting up our water and electrical, Sammy and I took the scooters to town to pick it up.  We ate lunch and played a game of Ticket to Ride.

Then the kids took the scooters to find Tyler some ice cream.  Scott and I were gonna walk to Starbucks but found some bikes that are available to rent from the marina.  I was grateful for some wheels but have never rode a tricycle before and I was surprised how difficult they are to ride.  LOL.  Anyway, in spite of our how silly we looked, we pressed on and met the kids at Starbucks.

Then it was back to the boat for a relaxing afternoon.  We had ravioli lasagna for supper onboard and then decided to go play a round of mini-golf.

Tyler needed to head back for work so he and Sammy took the scooters to make good time.  Scott and I walked over to the postoffice to deliver some outgoing mail.  Then walked back.  Sammy worked on her audition choreography while I worked on church stuff.  After Tyler finished work, we listened to Sammy's latest script and then headed to bed.

It was a wonderful day!

Day 4 - Mackinac Island

We were up early this morning as we had a lot to accomplish.  First, I ran to the grocery store to grab some milk and coffee creamer.  Then made cinnamon rolls for breakfast, got the kids up and then had a video meeting with Scott at 9:00 am.

After we finished our meeting, we prepped to leave.  It was 10:30a when we were ready to untie lines.  Unfortunately our line got stuck on a pole shared with teh neighboring boat due to a fishing lure caught in one of his lines.  (PSA if you fish in a marina, its super important that you retreive ALL of your lures and hooks) It took 15 mins or so to free us and in the end we left it in the neighbors line to prevent damage. The harbormaster came out to assist and shared that the boat belonged to Tim Allen.  So you know, us and Buzz Lightyear were neighbors!

We were leaving the slip around 10:45a and got underway.  It is a perfect day for weather.  Winds are currently 1mph with a high of 5 mph expected all day.  Temps are 65* and sunny.  The lake is so flat.  The ride is comfortable.

As a matter of fact, Sammy did some rehearsing in her room which is in the bow (normally the bumpiest place on the boat), Tyler played video games with his friend Cole and I did some reading.

Around 12:45p, I grilled some brats and made lunch.  It was calm enough to stay on plane while I cooked and I even washed the dishes at full speed.

Soon after, the bridge came into view and after crossing under at 1:45p, we started to prep for our arrival at the island.

We pulled into the harbor and tied up in slip 46 around 2:40p. We have an excellent view of the fort.

Sammy had voice lessons and I had some work to do so we stayed on board while Tyler and Scott rented bikes to enjoy the island.

 

 

After the guys returned, we headed out to find some dinner.  On a whim, I pulled out my phone and found an open reservation that was very close to the marina so we grabbed the table.  It was the absolute best luck!  We ate at 1852 Grill Room in the Island House Hotel (almost directly across from the marina).  It was a little fancier than we had dressed for but the food and service were amazing!  Our server Kathleen is from Tampa originally and was eager to serve, always using our first names as she addressed us.  We started with some Tallow Truffle fries, then enjoyed our main course of Prime Rib and Fillet Mignon, served with sweet potatoes, creamed corn and morel mushrooms for accompaniments.  For dessert, Sammy got the hot fudge sundae which she said is the very best she's ever had (see chef's kiss in last photo). Scott ordered Affrogato which is ice cream that is "drowned" in hot espresso. 

Seriously, it was an amazing meal.  After dinner, Scott and I took the dog for a walk while the kids had some free time.

Then we sat outside on the sunpad and enjoyed the cool eventing.

Fun fact.  The boat that is docked two slips down from us is also slipped at our marina in Grand Haven - right across from us.  We've seen them come and go many times back home.  So funny we come all the way up here to finally meet our neighbors.

Chicago - Day 2

We slept in til almost 9:00 am!  Wow!  

As we began to prep our breakfast, we were thrilled to see the Thunderbirds fly overhead.  It was fun to see the stunts above and we even enjoyed the color smoke along with the acrobatics.

After we cleaned up from breakfast, we headed over to the Alder Planetarium.  We were able to see the sun through two telescopes outside and then moved in to see the exhibits.  

Once we finished up, we were headed outside to make a plan and were greeted by a large bank of rentable bikes.  We had talked about taking a bike ride today so we figured it was a good sign so we headed over and rented bikes.  

SO MUCH FUN!  Chicago has a long bike path along the lake, running parallel to Lakeshore Drive.  It is wonderful to be close to the city without having to stop for traffic, plus add the cool breeze off the lake.  AMAZING.  

We had a great ride up to Navy Pier and ate lunch at Harry Carey’s.  

After that, we grabbed bikes again and continued north past downtown and then turned back to the south.

We had a slight accident but everyone was ok.  Then we finished with a stop for Dippin’ Dots - Sam’s favorites.

We returned the bikes to a bank near the planetarium and then walked back to the marina.  We had a little time for rest in the AC before heading out for our dinner reservation at the Capital Grille.  

It was an amazing meal yet again!  Followed by a walk downtown to find a Shake Shack and a Starbucks for dessert.  Then we grabbed an Uber and headed home for the night.

I had a headache so I laid down and watched some TV.  Sammy spent the night in her room while Scott relaxed on the back of the boat.  Tyler hung out with me for a bit and then went outside to call Maddie.  Unfortunately, a bird dropped on him mid-call so he came back in squirming.  LOL.

It was a great day!  Lots to see and do.  We’ll definitely repeat the bikes on Lakeshore Drive.  It was a highlight for us all!