Michigan Vacation 2015

 

Needles and I decided to take a vacation, but we didn't want to do all the planning and transportation arrangements that we have had to do with some of our previous vacations so we decided to do a bud trip with one of our local colleges. This year the trip was to Mackinac Island so we were game. My only experience with Michigan was flying through the Detroit airport. (Above is Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse in Mackinac City.)

 

 

We left Sunday June 7th and meet up with our fellow travelers at 7am Eastern. We loaded up on time and started our trek North. The plan was to stop every couple of hours at a rest stop or restaurant. Our first night was spent in Lansing, Michigan at the Causeway Bay Hotel. It was a very nice hotel with very comfortable beds. The next day after breakfast we proceeded on to our destination.

(Above is Mackinac Bridge at 10pm.)

 

The third day we headed down to the pier and boarded a Ferry from the Star Line Mackinac Ferry. Most ferries just take you to and from the island but ours took us on a detour under the bridge for a nice view of the 5 mile long bridge connecting Michigan with the Upper Peninsula.

 

 

We arrived at the island and got in line for of the horse drawn carriage that would take us on a tour of Mackinac Island State Park.

 

Since the island strictly forbids transportation by motor vehicle the most popular mode of transportation is pedal bike. You see hundreds of them lining the streets.

 

Our tour took us by the famous Grand Hotel. Sight of some of the scenes from the movie Somewhere in Time.

 

This is the carriage that took us to the entrance to the park where we switched to a 3 horse team.

 

Arch Rock was one of the stops in our tour.

After the tour Needles and I wandered up and down Main and Market street.

 

The boardwalk down by the Park.

 

Round Island Lighthouse as seen from the City Park and Beach.

 

Day Four we headed across the bridge up into the Upper Peninsula to Sault Sainte Marie and the Soo Locks. We were treated to free home made cookies and Mackinac Island Fudge coffee. Mmmm.

 

We boarded the boat Nokomis and made our way up Lake Huron to the American side of the Locks. We were moored to the side of the lock and waited as the water was gravity feed from Lake Superior into the lock. The process took maybe 30 min. for the water level to raise the boat 21 feet to meet the level of Lake Superior. When the water level was sufficient the lock opened and we moved into Lake Superior. We promptly made a turn and made our way into the Canadian side of the locks for the return trip. We had a group of grade school kids waving and screaming at us to have a good trip.

 

When we return to the port we disembarked and made our way to Sault St. Marie for food and exploring. Needles got the Walleye at Frank's Place and I think it was enough to feed three people.

 

After a couple hours of exploring we headed back to the bus and headed down the road to the Point Iroquois Lighthouse. We meet the lighthouse keeper named Gilly and went up into the lighthouse where the light would normally be. It was a nice view over looking Whitefish Bay.

 

A view of Point Iroquois Lighthouse from the walkway to the beach.

 

Day five started out at Fort Michilimackinac. We were told about the 50+ years and ongoing excavation of the property and was treated to not only a back powder rifle firing but also a firing of the cannon. We also had free time to wander around and throughout the building that have been painstakingly recreated to resemble the original buildings.

We got a tour of Mackinac City which was odd since it was at the end of the trip and then finished up at Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse and got to go up into the lighthouse and see the nice view of the bridge and the Straits of Mackinac.

 

The next morning was day six, we had to set out our luggage for the driver to load our bags. We had our last breakfast at the hotel before heading south to Lansing. We got about an hour south before we started to have some trouble with the bus. The bus shuttered and then coasted over to the side of the road. We sat there for 20 minutes with the bus running and then set off again. About a mile down the road the bus died and we coasted to the side of the road again. Apparently a filter on the bus was clogged and the computer shut down the bus. The driver cleared the filter and then the bus had to run for 40 minutes at idle so the code would clear and the computer would allow us to continue. After it was all done we were a couple hours behind schedule.

We had a very nice time in Mackinac City and enjoyed the company of our fellow travelers even though while the bus was broken down there was talk of using us for bear bait to distract them from the driver fixing the bus.

 

To make up time we decide to skip the out of the way place to eat in Frankenmuth and instead settled for a Wendy's in Grayling. After the lunch stop we made our way to Bronner's Christmas Wonderland and was able to get back on schedule.

 

Our last night was spent in Lansing and we had supper at Finley's Grill and Smokehouse. The food was great and after a nights sleep under sheets that were way too starchy we got home on Saturday June 13th around 4:30pm eastern time.

 

The last picture is a traditional Michigan dish called a pasty. It is beef, carrots, potatoes and rutabaga wrapped in a pie crust shell with a side of brown gravy. The Mackinac Bakery was recommended by our local guide Dick for the best local pastys. They were very good and filling.

We had a great trip minus the bus trouble and we were glad to be able to see a new part of the U.S.

Shutterfly Vacation Book

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Alaska Vacation Videos

Alaska Vacation 2014

I am the one that usually writes up our vacation so this year Needles thought she would do this one. If you would like to read about our recent trip click the link below.

                                                                Alaska Vacation 2014

European Vacation Day Ten

Day Ten, June 13th.

We got up and headed down stairs with our luggage in preparation of our return trip home. The bus took us to Charles de Gualle airport and we proceeded to check in with our eticket and passport. We then made our way through immigration and security and then off to our gate to await our flight. When we boarded we were lucky enough that all of our group were seated together so Needles was able to exchange seats with one of our group so that we could set together on the long 8 hour flight from Paris to Detroit. I watched a couple of movies and Needles slept and played games on the console in the back of the seat. We were fed 2 meals and I think they asked us if we wanted something to drink every 30 minutes of the flight. I tried to sleep because I knew I had a 3 hour drive once we arrived in Indy but was unsuccessful. When we arrived in Detroit airport we had to go through customs and the security again before making our way to the gate. We had a 4 hour layover before our next flight. about an hour and a half before I went to check the boards and noticed that they made a gate change and we were now at the complete opposite end of the airport. Luckily the airport has a tram that whisks you away to the other end and saves some wear and tear on our already soar feet. Our plane was delayed and arrived a little late but we were able to board quickly and the short 1 hour flight to Indy was over before we knew it. After grabbing our luggage and saying goodbye to our fellow travellers we made our way to the shuttle pick up. We waited about 30 minutes for our shuttle and were returned to our waiting car for the last leg of the journey, the drive home. We did stop by the Wendy's in Marshall to grab some food on the way home. We arrive in Lawrenceville around 9pm and we had to do some grocery shopping as we had very little at the house. A quick run through Walmart and out the door we were finally able to go home. When we arrive we were greeted by our cat Tugger. He meowed and meowed upon seeing us. We called family, cleaned the house and put away our things before deciding to go to bed after a 22 hour travel day. Tugger continued to meow and bang on our bedroom door so Needles got up and laid with him to settle him down. I think Tugger is somewhat back to sorts and I think we are getting things back on track at the house, ie. laundry and yard work. We had a wonderful time but I am glad to be home.

PS. There is a few things that I found odd while traveling in Europe.
1. No large beverage glasses unless it's beer.
2. No ice in anything.
3. No wash clothes for bathing.
4. France, what can I say it's France.

Miles travelled, 9100 roughly not including the Ring of Kerry and other trips.

European Vacation Day Nine

Day Nine, June 12th.
We got up somewhat early and headed via the Metro down to the Eiffel Tower.

We got in line for tickets to the top. After about a 30 to 40 minute wait we were through the line and in the tram making our way up.

We got to the second level and it was a bit crowded to say the least. We got in line for the final elevator to the top. We stepped out to the crowded top platform and was able to see Paris from only a perspective that this amazing structure could give.

The louvre museum as seen from the top of the Eiffle tower.

All the massive structures that we have been seeing from the ground looked like toy miniatures. The vast vistas that was Napoleon dreams made into reality were more easily seen. After our Eiffel adventure we walked past the Les Invalides and across the Pont des Arts Bridge over the river Seine. We noticed all the locks and was told that it was lovers you write their names on the locks, lock them to the bridge and throw the key into the river. Of course there was a guys selling locks so we purchased one and locked our lock on to the bridge and threw away the key.

We made our way to Tuileries Garden where we got lunch at La Terrasse de Pomone . I had the Croque Monsieur (ham and cheese sandwich) and Needles the Special (a cold cut meat sandwich on french bread). We sat in the garden and soaked in the atmosphere all the while being eyed by the huge common wood pigeons awaiting an opportunity for a scrape of food. The group decided to split up to pursue different agendas so we went with Bernard our host past the Luxor Obelisk to Montmartre via the Metro at Concorde.

When we arrived we began to scale the multitudes of stairs not the funicular (tram) to get to the top of the hill and see Basilica of Sacre-Coeur and open air art booths. There were allot of portrait artists and several using different medias to showcase the sites of Paris. Montmarte is known as a bohemian art district which has seen characters in the past such as Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso, Claude Monet and Van Gogh. After our visit we made our way back to down the stairs which were much easier to navigate back to the Metro and to the Tuileries Garden.

We got some ice cream and a Volvic citron (citrus flavored water) and rested our feet on the park bench before we had to meet up with the other at the Louvre. We arrived at the Louvre and awaited the rest of the group as they were running a little late. We entered the Louvre through it iconic glass pyramid and down into the foyer. We made our way down the wings to the art and sculptures we wanted to see with our limited time there. This was a stop that I had been anticipating. The chance to see famous works of art that I had been seeing on television shows and in art books my whole life.

We got to see works like theVenus de Milo, the Mona Lisa and Raft of the Medusa to mention just a few. We saw works from Picasso, Rembrandt, De Vince, Rodin, Raphael, and Michelangelo. It was all very aw inspiring to be in the same room with these masterpieces. We only had an hour to spend in the museum since we had a scheduled diner in the Latin Quarter.We all got on the Metro to make our way to the Latin Quarter for Diner. The group was a little late in leaving so we were in a bit of a hurry to get to the restaurant. We all loaded onto a very busy metro car and unfortunately some of our group wasn't sure which stop to get off at so unwisely one of the gentlemen was yelling back in forth to the group which stop to get off at which in my opinion set up the following incident. By drawing attention to the group that we were tourists and what stop we were getting off at, I think he made us the prefect target for a pick pocket and two young girls pick pocketed two women in our group as they were exiting the metro. One of them only got their passport wallet pulled from their purse, but luckily it was attached with a lanyard and nothing got nicked. The other person however got their wallet lightened by we know at least 100 Euro or more. The group took the incident in stride and we continued on to our destination but a little more alert to who was around them. For diner we ate at Le Marmiton de Lutece and we both started with an avocado salad and for the main course, Needles had the beef bourguinon and I had the grilled turkey breast. For dessert Needles had the chocolate mousse and I and the creme brulee. We enjoyed our evening and headed back to where we started our day, the Eiffel tower to catch a night river boat ride up the Saine.

We got back to our hotel after 11pm and still had to prepare to head make to the states the next morning.





European Vacation Day Eight

Day Eight, June 11th.
After such a late night this morning was a killer. We had to be at the bus by 5:30 am and at the train station by 6:00am for a 8:30am train. We stumbled out the door of our hotel with sleep in our eyes, luggage in one hand and a bagged breakfast in the other. We got to St. Pancreas station and Needles and I wander across to street with Trevor to King Cross station to visit Platform 9 3/4 which is famed in the Harry Potter books and movies.

We did a quick photo and back to our station to await our travels on the Eurostar. We decided during our wait to grab some coffee and food. Finished just in time for our guide to notice he had read the tickets wrong and our 8:30 am trip was going to be leaving in about 10 min. We grabbed all of our luggage and ran to security and up to platform 2. We made it on the train, stowed our luggage and found our seats.

The train was amazingly fast and quiet. I however didn't like when we went through a tunnel your ears felt like they were going to pop. Occasionally there would be a roar past the train which was another train traveling in the opposite direction. It was neat to see a full length train pass by in a matter of 2 to 3 seconds. The overall trip to Paris only took a little over 2 hours.When we arrived at the Metro station it was literally a matter of seconds before a Gypsy approached our group looking for a hand out. We pulled all of our luggage into a group to best keep our eye on it while several went for a bathroom visit. After meeting our guide Corena, Trevor went to look for our bus and we headed out for our guided tour of Paris. The city was very congested and a times 3 lanes of traffic had 4 lanes of traffic. Motorbikes and scooter were everywhere dodging in and out of traffic, horns honking and tire screeching all the while we we trying to be guided through the city.

Our 3 hour tour ended up being a little less and our guide wasn't very impressive. We stopped at a coffee place and most of the group went in a placed their order at the bar and then set down in the outside seating. It was only after this we were instructed by our guide that this was the only shop in Paris we could do this.Traditionally if you order from the bar you then take your food or drink to go and are charged a to go price. If you want to set you set yourself and have a waiter come to you. Therefore you are charged differently for eating in. Also we were told that in order to avoid hardship of communicating with others in Paris the first word out of your mouth should be Bonjour or Hello. If you fail to do this the person might act like they don't speak English or give you the time of day. Pretty much after this I was content to just pack it up and head home. We drove by several of the iconic Paris attractions such as the Place de la Concorde, Champs-Elysee's, Arc de Triomphe, Arc de Triomphe de Carrousel, Eiffel Tower, Les Invalides where Neapoleon is entombed, Notre Dam Cathedral and last but not least the Statue of Liberty.When we got settled into the Median Hotel Porte de Versailles and then went to a bakery across the street to grab a quick bite to tide us over until diner. We got a salad and some sort of sandwich with ham, gravy and cheese. It was very good and you could tell the bread was fresh.

 





 We travelled via the Metro since we had a scheduled diner in the Latin Quarter at a reataurant names Cafe Latin. We had salad, duck breast in a honey and xeres sauce with sauteed potatoes and Tart Tatin, upside down apple pie. I enjoyed the food but Needles mentioned the duck was tough and this was not her favorite meal. After wandering around some more we ended our day with a trip to Shakespeare's and Company Book Store before returning to the hotel.