Cross Another One Off The List

I have wanted to write about this but I have been too busy and too tired. I was looking over my pictures and realized that I am beginning to forget some of the little details that love to remember. Plus I think I will use the memories of my trip for an essay I have to write.

Cross another one off my bucket list – I finally stayed at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. I have wanted to stay there since I was a little girl and first visited the island. I remember making a promise to myself that very first time I visited the island – I remember staring at the porch, kind of put out because my parents wouldn’t take me on it, thinking someday I’ll be back and someday I will be on that porch. Quite a few years ago my husband, stepson, and I visited the island and I got to walk on the porch for the first time. I then made a promise to myself then that I would stay the night at the hotel. So I made it.

Saturday September 25, 2010

The day was cloudy and cold. Check in at the Grand is not until 4pm so we decided to spend some time in Mackinaw City first, exploring the Coast Guard icebreaker ship Mackinaw. That was really interesting and made me regret not considering joining Coast Guard when I was young. I would have loved sailing the Great Lakes.

We took the Arnold ferry over to the island, sitting on the enclosed bottom deck because of the cold. I missed not sitting on the top deck, wind blowing my hair into a mess of tangles, especially when I saw a rainbow island-hopping over the straights from Bois Blanc Island to Mackinac Island. Now that is a rainbow I know had a pot of gold or something even more valuable at the end of it. I wanted to snap pictures so bad but I knew they wouldn’t turn out too well through the dull windows of the ferry.  Ah, the downfall of trading photo opts and excitement for comfort.

We took the Grand Hotel carriage from the Arnold Dock and made it just in time. People on the street stop and stare at the Grand Hotel carriage as it passes by. I wanted to take the carriage to get the full experience of a Grand Hotel stay. I used to be one of those people who would stare at the carriage, wondering what it was like to be riding in Mackinac style, to be able to stay at the Grand. Now I was on my way. The carriage ride was special because it was something I hadn’t experienced before – at least not in that distinguished carriage. The slight blemish on the rose is that we had to share it with about 5-6 others people and numerous shopping bags so I couldn’t spread out or take all the pictures I wanted.

 

UGH! More pressing assignments call, more later…

Published in: on September 28, 2010 at 2:02 pm  Leave a Comment  

Mackinac Bridge Walk

 
Because I have been feeling crappy I haven’t been able to blog about walking the Mackinac Bridge over Labor Day. Well it took me a few weeks to recover from that whole week-end. Over the whole week-end I must have walked about 20 miles (6+ on Mackinac Island Saturday, 3+ on Sunday, and 9+ on Monday) and biked a little over 8 miles. YIKES! I didn’t think I had it in me. It was fun though even though I am slow like the turtle. One of my happy memories bound to cheer me up is the memory of that week-end and also I got to cross something off my ‘bucket list’ – walking the Mackinac Bridge.
 
 
We (my husband, stepson and I) left Mackinac Island late Sunday afternoon and stayed in St. Ignace, within walking distance from the bridge. We got up early Monday morning but not early enough to see the Governor of Michigan cross the bridge. I wasn’t too disappointed. I had wanted to sleep a little longer. Breakfast then we had to walk about a mile (at least that is what the hotel clerk said, I actually think it was more) to the bridge. We started out walking and I was feeling all the aches and pains of my overexertion from the island. I wasn’t sure about this bridge walk but I rallied as we turned a corner in the road and had a rather dramatic view of the bridge. My heart swelled at the sight of the beautiful Mackinac Bridge, just like it always does but this time was a little different – I would be walking on it. Excitement started to creep in. You could just make out the masses of people walking on the northbound lane. Cool!
 
 
We walked down a huge hill (I knew I would be feeling it on the way back up to our car still parked at the hotel) and through a park to I-75 and the bridge. They had State police and some soldiers blocking traffic so we could cross the freeway to get on the northbound lane. They had an emcee (radio DJ?) pumping up the crowd. Soon we were on the bridge, starting the incline toward Mackinaw City. Again I had some doubts about my ability to walk the five miles across the bridge (the incline was working on me). I couldn’t wait to get to the middle of the bridge at least; from there I knew it would be easier. The bridge was crowded with people, but not packed – all the people moving forward helped to spur me on. Of course I moved slow, not speed walking like some, and I had to stop and take pictures. Of course the view was fabulous but the day was cloudy so my pictures are as brilliant as they could have been.
 
 
There were soldiers posted periodically along the bridge to keep people out of traffic on the southbound lane and also to keep people from jumping. I saw a little boy with 2 canes, with MD (I assume) walking the bridge. Inspirational! On the water there were Coast Guard and Police boats (they had guns on the bow!) to keep boats from going under the bridge. One speedboat did try it, speeding across the water toward the middle of the bridge – 3 police boats/Coast Guard boats chased him down and blocked him. Exciting – a police chase on water. Woo woo, Sirens on the water!!
 
 
Cars and buses bring back walkers from the other side honked and waved at us as they passed. The whole walk had the feeling of a big party. Finally I made it to the middle and began the gradual dessent toward the other side of the straits. This seemed longer, I think it is longer. There was a finish line posted at the first exit of the freeway where people gave you a special little card proclaiming you did the bridge walk. We made it! It took us a little less than 2 hours. Now we just had to trek through town (an evil plan to get people to buy souvenirs, which of course we bought T-shirts) to find buses to take us to back to St. Ignace. I never was so happy to set my ass on a school bus, ha. I took movies of all the walkers on the way back. We actually saw the last walkers allowed on the bridge, they were followed by a State police car a big truck with yellow lights and a bus. I would have hated to be the last one – the pressure! I am glad I didn’t sleep in. We were bused to the other side and had to walk back to our car up that huge hill. Let me tell you, I was so ready to sit down and couldn’t move after but I did it! I walked the bridge! Now my husband wants to do it every year. I need to get in shape so I can walk it more than once in one day – some Wisconsin cheese head supposedly walked it 3 times that day.
 
Published in: on September 28, 2010 at 12:20 pm  Leave a Comment  

O Crappy Day

This weather today sucks. It is cold and rainy in the Flint-town today. Miserable. I am not too fond of fall because of this nasty weather. The weather makes me ache (plus I overdid it this weekend). I am working on finding my inner sunny-ness though  I hope I am sucessful because I feel like crap – felt the same yesterday. I need some damn warmth and sun. My damn sinuses are making me tired and feel like I am waterlogged. All this nasty sinus drainage is messing with my lungs too. All I want to do is stay home and I can’t do that. I don’t need this right now. This crappy weather and the way I have been feeling is really screwwing up my semester. The homework is piling up.
 
UGH! Then today I found out that MSN Spaces is going away so I’ll have to transfer this blog over to WordPress (supposedly most stuff will transfer but not all). I love it HERE. It is easy to use, I like the way it is set up and I can have all my stuff all on one page. Now I will have to learn yet another blogging website. I may just hook it up to my blog for English class this semester but it would be hard to transfer everything. Poop! I love my blog design (the background – taken from a sunset picture I took) here too and I am not sure if it will transfer. Stupid MSN changing everything all the time.
 
What can I do to feel better? Maybe I’ll go sit in a hot sauna. First I am going to blog a little about some happy memories.
Published in: on September 28, 2010 at 11:07 am  Leave a Comment  

Mackinaw Morning

It is cool and cloudy this morning in Mackinaw City. I hope it clears up but I am determined to have a good day even if it doesn’t. At least the wind died down.

We arrived late last night. The wind was fierce and whistled and howled outside our room. The hotel we stayed at reminded me of the Bates Motel, lol. It was sorta’ creepy (and cold) but I was so tired I ignored everything, including the way the wind rattled the window and door and blew the curtains, and got down to the business of sleep. Obviously we made it through the night all right. I even took a shower

We are heading out to the island later. We might kick around town here for a bit first.

Published in: on September 25, 2010 at 10:41 am  Leave a Comment  

Mackinac Week-End Repeat

I am so excited that I can’t concentrate on what I should be doing. My husband and I are headed up to Mackinaw City and Mackinac Island this week-end. We got a great rate on a hotel so we couldn’t resist. We plan to explore more trails while we are on the island, one imparticular – Manitou Trail and Tranquil Bluff Trail. I can’t wait! I also want to chill at Anne’s Tablet since I didn’t hit it up the last time I was on the island.
 
We (my husband, stepson, and I) went to Mackinac over Labor Day week-end which was awesome. We stayed in St. Ignace Friday night, went on over to the Island for two days and Saturday night, and they back over to St. Ignace for Sunday night so we could do the Mackinac Bridge walk on Labor Day. I have been wanted to put this in my memory book here since I got back but haven’t had the time.
 
On Mackinac Island we stayed at the Inn on Mackinac, which is the sister hotel to the Murray Inn where we usually stay. I had spent the night at that hotel before with my parents (used to be called Chateau Beaumont) when I first went to the island as a very young girl. I guess you could say that is the place I first fell in love with the island despite the fact that according to my Mom they did not have TV’s at that hotel when we were there and we had to share a bathroom. I guess my Mom complained to the front desk about the lack of TV’s and the lady behind the counter got all snobby on her stating, "You are staying at one of the most historical places in America and you want to watch TV?" My Mom retorted, "Tell that to a four (?) year old who wants to watch cartoons!" LOL I guess I got over it – I never care to watch TV when I am on the island anymore.
 
This trip we didn’t have time for much TV> We hit up downtown first and got our shop on. Plus we had to buy tickets for the comedy show. We wanted it to be a surprise for my stepson but he saw the sign for the show and kept bugging about it. My husband bought the tickets and we both tried to keep it a secret. Stepson kept hinting around about it – "I wanna’ check out the comedy show…" and "What’s the plan for tonight?" Eventually we had to tell him.
 
Then we did a lot of walking of course. I love all the trails and scenery. We must have walked at least 6 miles the first day if not more. I got some good pictures but not so many as in the past becuase it was kind of overcast and I have tons of pics of Mackinac already. The only drawback was I was moving slow like turtle. We hit up the spa pool at the hotel before we went out for our night on the town.
 
We checked out the Stu Stewart comedy show later that night and I got buzzed off one of the giant drinks they serve at the show. It was fun and my stepson enjoyed it and met Stu. Then we hopped on down to Sinclair’s Irish Pub to eat and check out the Michal Bailey Band. We were super excited for my stepson to see him play live. The band was awesome as usual and my stepson was impressed, especially since Michal came over to talk to us. I love that band! I was filled with love from being at my favorite place in the world, with my favorite people, listening to one of my favorite bands, and drinking my favorite drinks (screwdrivers). I couldn’t stop drinking once I started, yikes! I only made a little bit of a fool of myself though – I have to give my stepson something to tease me about, ha.
 
The next day I had to scrape myself together for the 8 mile bike ride around the island. I managed it pretty well. After our bike ride we must have walked another 3 miles but then we pooped out and spent some time chilling around town and on the hotel front porch. It is nice to watch island life go by.
 
We left as the setting sun cast it’s glowing, golden, magical haze over the water and island, as the blue and lavender twilight crept in. It was sad leaving the island but I wasn’t feeling it to keenly because I knew I would be returning soon. I guess I cried with joy more upon arriving than I did with sadness upon leaving. I’m sure it will be different this week-end.
 
 
 
 
Published in: on September 23, 2010 at 5:55 pm  Leave a Comment  

Stupid Sinuses

Ugh! I had to stay home from school today because my sinuses are so bad. I just couldn’t get moving this morning. I had a really bad cold in the beginning of August and I have yet to get truly over it. I had antibiotics and everything. So sick of this shite – don’t need it. Everybody has been complaining of their sinuses lately. I wonder what the problem is – can it be this screwy weather? Why is it back up in the 80’s? I love hot weather but I could care less once school starts and the pool is closed.
 
I wish I had some magic to combat my sinus problem. I think it might be due to ragweed and perhaps mold. I can’t concentrate when my nose is plugged. It just makes me feel totally out of it, tired and mouth breather dumb! Hence this stupid, boring blog entry.
 
I have been thinking about making an entry everyday, no matter how boring. It will keep me writing. Writing for school is not enough for some reason – I need a creative outlet I suppose. (Yeah righting a critique about a research article "Cross-Sensitization Between the Locomotor Stimulant Effects of Ethanol and Those of Morphine and Cocaine in Mice" is not very scintillating or stimulating for that matter). One of the things I like about keeping a blog is being able to go back and see what was going on at any given time. I have a diary I tried to keep when I was in Jr. High and it is so funny to go back and read some of the entries. I wish I had written more. Well I have my lovesick Juan notebook too. Now that is hilarious. Sometimes not really. I am full of contradictions lately. Well maybe always. Ha  
 
I do have some exciting news, exciting for me anyway but I will write about it under another blog title.
Published in: on September 23, 2010 at 3:47 pm  Leave a Comment  
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