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












 

JUMANJI FILMING EXPEDITION!

I don't know why I get such a kick out of visiting places where a favorite movie was filmed, but the fact is, that I do! And apparently, I am not the only one, because there is an entire "niche market" in the tour/travel industry that focuses on trips to locations where a famous movie was filmed. Some of the more memorable movie places I have visited are as follows: The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, where Christopher Reeves and Jane Seymour filmed "Somewhere in Time"; Prince Edward Island, which is the setting for "Anne of Green Gables"; Old Quebec City, where a famous chase scene occurs in Leonardo DiCaprio's "Catch Me If You Can"; and the park bench in Savannah, Georgia, where the famous scene from Forrest Gump takes place. I also drove several hours in Mississippi River Delta country once, to the tiny town of Lepanto, Arkansas, to tour an old homestead, used in the movie based on John Grisham's book, "A Painted House." And don't even get me started on Utah! There have been so many movies filmed in that scenic state that a famous resort, called Red Cliffs, has a whole wing of its property turned into a museum of movie nostalgia items based solely on movies filmed in Utah! The most memorable Utah location to me (because my son is also a rock climber) was the state park where Tom Cruise filmed his famous rock-climbing scene. Likewise, my son has also climbed Devils Tower in Wyoming (which I visited once on a motorcycle trip) where a very famous science-fiction movie was filmed (does the term "strange encounters" come to mind?) Geographic, or otherwise easily-recognized landmarks, are often used in movies to set a scene in the viewer's mind of where the story is taking shape-----think of the iconic HOLLYWOOD sign on a hill above that city, The Plaza Hotel, Statue of Liberty, and Empire State Building in NYC, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, or the Sears Tower in Chicago. These landmarks let us fix in our mind the setting for the film, without ever saying a word. I guess what got me thinking about movie locations was the fact that the ABC-Family television network has been advertising this week that it is showing the movie, "Jumanji", with Robin Williams, on Saturday night. Thanks to my friend, Sue, (pictured above in front of Frank's Barber Shop, in Keene, New Hampshire) I was able to visit the town where the Jumanji story unfolds, , go inside the shop, and photograph the actual, real-life barber, who has a cameo appearance in the movie, as he is standing in front of his barber shop. There was no one else in the shop when Sue and I visited there, and he talked to us at length about his involvement with the movie, and did not hesitate at all to have his photograph taken beside the movie poster he has prominently displayed inside. Although I didn't remember every scene from that movie, I definitely remembered the street scene that showed a billboard advertising Parrish Shoes, because the name Parrish is part of my family history. So I was delighted to get to see and photograph the famous advertisement, still in excellent condition, on a brick wall in Keene, New Hampshire. As far as movies I have seen that have made me VERY MUCH want to visit a particular location, but which I have not yet had an opportunity, I would nominate the hit movie, "Mama Mia." I watched it recently with my step-daughter (so I guess in our case, it was "step-mama mia") and was captivated by the beauty of the Greek Island where it was filmed. Through a search on the Internet, and an article on Wikipedia, I learned that the island where the wedding chapel scene takes place (which is situated at the end of a very steep path, high on top of a mountain, overlooking a brilliantly blue sea) is Skopelos, home of Agios Ioannis Chapel. I have been considering a trip to Patmos, the Greek Island where the book of Revelation was written, so maybe I will plan on a stop at Skopelos, as well! Perhaps by setting the goal of visiting the Agios Ioannis Chapel, it will keep me motivated to stay physically fit, because it appeared to be quite a climb to the top! Enough dreaming about future trips, it is time for some weight -lifting exercises, because like my scuba instructor would always remind me when I complained about the heavy tank I had to carry when scuba diving---"If you can't tote it, you can't float it!" I guess the same principle applies to floating away to Greek Islands! Miles of smiles! Tricia