MACKINAC ISLAND EXPEDITION!

The colorful "My First Visit" badges in this photo, show who was visiting on June 25, 2026, and were graciously given to us by the Mackinac Island Visitor Information Center (www.MackinacIsland.org) . The names represent the five ladies on a trip to Soo Locks and other attractions in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  (see Soo Locks Expedition, dated August 7, 2026, and Pictured Rocks Expedition, dated August 28, 2026, in blog archives, for info on those trips)) . 

Our group of five boarded the Shepler's Ferry to Mackinac Island, that left from their northern departure city, of St. Ignace, Michigan, on a cloudy, misty day in June,  that was a tad chilly. Since one of the ladies in our group had mobility issues, that caused her to need a wheel chair, I was very thankful about how the Shepler's Ferry personnel took every precaution to get her safely onto the ferry, from the loading dock. 

I took this photo of my four traveling companions, where we sat inside the enclosure part of the ferry.  

I went to the uncovered top deck of the ferry, and decided if I was going to stay up there, I should have had a warm, hoodie, like the person in this photo!

Peggy took this photo that shows I was wearing all the jackets I brought on the trip, not realizing it was going to be much cooler up north, than it was in Arkansas!

As soon as we disembarked from the ferry, we hurried down the main street a few blocks, to the location where we could get on one of the horse-drawn carriages, that give visitors a tour of the island.  Because of the light rain that was falling, the clear vinyl sides of the carriage were fastened down, to add protection from the weather.

We were happy to squeeze in tightly together, on the last bench seat in the carriage, to try to stay warm!

When a guest on the carriage ride gets to the Surrey Building, there is an opportunity to go inside, use the rest room facilities, buy food/souvenirs, and view the historical artifacts.  During the second part of the carriage ride, visitors get off their first wagon, and transfer themselves to a different wagon.  The second wagon we were on, had us departing and returning to the same location, so they said we could leave Helen's wheelchair with them.  They assured us it would be there when we returned, and sure enough, it was!

This is also the location where visitors can take the optional (at an additional charge) tour of the Butterfly House.  

The surrey building has numerous exhibits showcasing the history of transportation on Mackinac Island.  Notice this vehicle is a horse-drawn sleigh, for when the island is covered in snow.  

These carriages with their wooden wheels, and fringe around the top of the cover, bring to mind the famous song, from the 1943 musical Oklahoma! , called  "The Surrey with the Fringe on Top".

It is never easy to extinguish a structure fire, but imagine the limitations a firefighter would face, if the water in this small tank, was all that could be transported to the burning site.  And, it would not have been a speeding fire engine, rather galloping horses, trying to get to the location where it was needed.  

Besides being a place of refreshment for the human visitors, the Surrey House is also the place of refreshment for the horses, where caretakers give them fresh water to drink, and they get to rest a while from pulling their heavy loads. 

If the idea of the typical souvenir, such as a magnet or plastic do-dad saying "Mackinac Island" is not appealing, you can purchase an actual metal horseshoe, worn by an actual horse on Mackinac Island, to take home with you!   Notice the rolling stair steps, that the attendants push up to the carriages, for the guests to use as they climb into the vehicle.  Some of the carriages are lower to the ground, and our attendant made sure we got on one of the lower carriages, since one lady in our group used a wheel chair.  

Many people bring their bicycles to Mackinac Island, but there are also bicycle rental kiosks available to visitors.  

The ladies in our group are all kayakers, but seeing a kayak on top of a round bale of hay, being pulled on a horse-drawn wagon, was something none of us had ever seen!

In addition to bicycle rentals, you can also go to a stable near the main street of town, to pay the fee for a guided horseback ride around the island.  

We had a long stop at the Grand Hotel (www.GrandHotel.com), to give the horses a rest, and also allow any of the folks on the carriage, to get off the carriage, and finish up their visit by exploring the hotel grounds, and then taking the short walk back into the main part of town.  Our group was on a tight schedule, so we stayed in the carriage the entire time it was stopped at the Grand Hotel.  

There is also a horse-drawn taxi, that can be summoned to take visitors backs to town, if they do not want to walk.

The fancy "stagecoach-type" carriage shown below, is used to transport registered guests of the Grand Hotel, from the ferry, to the entrance of the hotel.

Although the rain may have been an inconvenience for our group, the assortment of brightly colored blooms surrounding the hotel probably enjoyed it!
 

The exterior of the Grand Hotel, with it expansive front porch and yellow awnings, is the iconic landmark of Mackinac Island.  When my husband and I stayed here many years ago, our room was not air conditioned.  However, I read that there have been updates, so that now, all guest rooms are air conditioned.  For me, one of the highlights of that overnight experience, was getting to take a tour of their gigantic commercial kitchen and other food service facilities.  Since my background was in Foods and Nutrition, I was very interested to see how they co-ordinated their massive dining operation.  

While our horse-drawn carriage was stopped at the circle drive for several minutes, I suggested the couple sitting on the bench, do a "KISS CAM" photo, and they obliged!

When our tour resumed, we rode by St. Anne's cemetery, with its vintage stone arch.

Our tour also had a brief stop at Fort Mackinac, which is a Michigan State Park.  Several folks disembarked at this point, but we stayed seated and continued on.  

Another iconic landmark for Mackinac Island is Arch Rock, and I was thankful to Diana, for snapping a photo of me in front of the unique geological formation.  All of us got off the carriage at Arch Rock, because there are restroom facilities there, as well as an indoor nature center with exhibits telling about the natural features, flora and fauna of the island.  

I tried to take pictures of all the exhibits, so I could read the information later, since our time here was very brief.  

The native Americans originally called the island Michilimackinac, which translates to "Place of the Great Turtle".  That history would explain this turtle sculpture, which was one of several turtle references that can be seen on the island.  

It was nice to be there during the time of year, when the lilacs were blooming.

Every year, there is a big Lilac Festival, that draws thousands to the already-popular location.  Notice the postcard is announcing  the dates for the week-long celebration in 2027.

The horse shown on this sign along Main Street, plus seeing so many horses and carriages and "chariots" around the island, reminded me of one of my First Place 4 Health (www.FirstPlace4Health.com) memory verses from Psalm 20:7.

It says, "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God."

Trusting in the Lord to be with us, this visit to Mackinac Island, with great friends, gave me "MILES OF SMILES"!     Tricia












 

MAID OF THE MIST EXPEDITION!

In case I forget the chain of events that led to being able to get this photo of me holding a bottle of Niagara water, while simultaneously being in a boat cruising on the Niagara River, I am writing it down in this blog post!

Niagara Falls State Park is the oldest state park in the United States of America!  It is always free to walk into the park and experience the falls! 

Visitors walk along a scenic path beside the river, to get to the falls area. 

The green cylinder is the ticket booth to start the process of purchasing tickets to ride the famous boats, Maid of the Mist (www.maidofthemist.com).  I was with the Making Memories Tours group (www.MakingMemoriesTours.com) that came to New York via motorcoach, and our tickets had been purchased in advance, so we did not have a long wait in line.  I had visited this state park in the past (see blog dated September 12, 2008 in the archives), but the line to purchase tickets for the boat ride was so long, and my time there was so short, I had to forego the boat ride.  Hence, my excitement at the prospect of getting to cruise under the falls on this trip!

After one has their tickets, they proceed across an elevated walkway at ground level, where they wait to get onto an elevator that will carry them to the bottom of the river gorge.  The photo below shows a docked Maid of the Mist boat, waiting to take on more passengers.  

While I was waiting for the elevator, I snapped a photo of a glass door with the maple leaf emblem saying "All are welcome here", so that means that even the Arkansas hillbilly reflected in the glass, is welcome!

On the walkway, there is good view of bridge that spans the Niagara River, and connects the USA to Canada.  

 When you purchase a ticket to Maid of the Mist, it includes a "one size fits all" blue poncho, intended to keep passengers from getting completely soaked, when they are at the falls.  

The front of the Poncho has the Maid of the Mist logo, noting its origins go back to 1846!

Apparently most people discard their wet raincoat after the cruise, as evidenced by the huge bags of thrown away raincoats.  However, I kept mine, as did several other people in our group.  

The Maid of the Mist is proudly celebrating America's 250th birthday, as seen by the painting on the top deck.  The name Nikola Tesla on the side of the boat, is a reminder that all the boats in their fleet are now fully electric.  

On my previous visit, I had gone down the stairs pictured in the photo below.  However, there were no people on the steps this time, and I could later see that the top was closed off, with several pieces of heavy equipment apparently doing repairs at the facility.  

Across the river on the Canadian side, we could see a boat full of people in pink ponchos, which is their signature color vs. the blue colors of the American side.  

I was amused at this sign as I exited the Maid of the Mist area, knowing that, indeed, a ride on Maid of the Mist at Niagara Falls, is a "BUCKET LIST" item for thousands around the world!  In fact, these falls produce 750,000 gallon-BUCKETS PER SECOND!

As our motorcoach was driving across the bridge, I noted there was a walkway on the bridge for pedestrians, so they could say they "walked from the USA to Canada".   That is exactly what several friends and I did in June, on a much longer bridge.  You can read about that adventure in the archives, in a blog dated July 7, 2026, titled "International Bridge Walk Expedition!".  

Once our boat made it across the bridge, it was time to go through Customs.  Everyone had to get off the bus, go inside the building, then stand in line, to show their passport.  While we were doing that, officials were inspecting our bus for contraband.  Apparently, we all passed, because we were able to reboard the bus, in just a few minutes.  

 

 It was just a short drive to our hotel on the Canadian side of the Falls, so after I was settled into my lodging, I went outside to explore the area.  Since so many of the hotels have the word "niagara" in them, I took a photo of the exact name of my hotel, with the landmark tower in the background, so I could find my way back "home" after walking around the area.  

When I made my way across the street to the sidewalk above the falls, I was delighted to see there was a rainbow over the falls, so I asked another tourist admiring the sight, to take my photo with the rainbow in the background.  

The photo below shows the top of Horseshoe Falls, on the Canadian side, as seen from the street-level of our hotel.

 In case there was any doubt as to which side of the river contain the Horseshoe Falls, the Canadian flag, with its red, maple-leaf center, removed all doubt.

To get from street level, down to the level of the river, one can take a long walk, or simply pay for a ride on the funicular, that transports several people at a time, down the steep slope, to the bottom of the gorge.  

The next morning, I was out as soon as it was daylight, to see what the falls looked like, in the early morning.  Because of the temperature differences in the air and the water, the scene was completely obscured by mist from the falls, but the sun could be seen, peeking through, from the American side.  

After my morning walk, and a nice breakfast at the hotel, we boarded the bus to go see the "Floral Clock" (www.niagaraparks.com), pictured below.  It is situated close by the river, and the hands of the clock are powered by the hydroelectric energy generated at Niagara Falls.  It also has Westminister chimes that ring every quarter hour.

I am very thankful I had the opportunity to visit the world famous Niagara Falls, on both the American and the Canadian sides.  When our Maid of the Mist boat was next to the falls, with nothing being heard but the roar of millions of gallons of falling water, I was reminded of the Scripture verse from Revelation 1:15 that says, "The sound of Jesus is like the sound of many, many waters."  Thanks to this trip, I now have a better idea of what that verse means!  Needless to say, this "Bucket List" trip, gave me "MILES OF SMILES"!  Tricia