Events of Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Today we explored Michigan’s first state park, Mackinac Island. Our day began with a lovely, but sadly rather ordinary breakfast of cereal. Then we cleaned up around the RV, packed up backpacks with lunch and extra clothing (which came in very handy later), and walked down to the campground office to catch the free shuttle to the Shepler’s ferry dock. After about a fifteen-minute wait, we boarded our ship – the Hope.

Once aboard the upper deck (which is outdoors), we were kindly warned that we would get drenched if we sat there because of the high winds crashing the waves up against the sides of the boat. And yet we stayed. We did indeed manage to get quite wet, and Daddy, who had the outward-most seat, was first to want to go down into the more sheltered part of the boat. Gradually, we all joined him, and then had a grand old time watching the waves crash against the sides of the boat and send up a huge spray of lake water – all without getting wet

 

Once we arrived at Mackinac Island, we headed straight for Mackinac Island Bike Shop, the bike rental place for which we had received coupons while purchasing our ferry tickets. There we were fitted with three tandem bicycles (the bicycles built for two people). After Mom made sure that we all had properly fitting helmets, we were off – Mom in front and Abby in back on one, Daddy in front and Lindsey in back on the second, and Ben in back and me (Caitlin) in front on the third.

The reason we had to rent bikes was, first and foremost, because we didn’t bring our bikes with us on the trip (Where would we put them anyway?). Second, because in 1901 automobiles were banned from the island because they spooked the horses and this law has remained in place since. People get around on the island by bicycle or on foot, or by horse drawn carriage. I was amazed when I realized that I was seeing fewer overweight or obese people on Mackinac Island. Actually some of the tourists were still fat, but the workers and regulars on the island, not so much. This led me to an interesting conclusion: perhaps this difference is triggered by the methods of transportation adapted on Mackinac Island. I am proud to say that we chose the healthiest option of getting around the island. Imagine how much healthier Americans would be if cars were abolished all across the country and everyone had to walk, bike or use horses.  Not only would people be a lot healthier, but we’d also save so much money, because we wouldn’t have to pay for gas or expensive automobile repairs or anything!

Now back to the tandem bicycle riding. Mom and Dad had ridden tandem bikes once before on their honeymoon (where they learned that mom doesn’t like to be out of control). Given their prior experience, they were off quickly, trailing Abby and Lindsey respectively behind them and without a problem. For me and Ben, however, it was another story. I have now decided that riding a tandem bike requires a talent that I did not have this morning when I first got on the bike. However, now, I am proud to say, I do have that talent. But we did not really get off to a smooth start

 

Our supposedly leisurely bike ride began with a whole lot of wobbling and even more tipping. We couldn’t keep the bike upright long enough to get our momentum going. And it didn’t help that we were biking through the busiest part of town, with pedestrians, carts, crazy bike riders and horses and carriages everywhere. And we were laughing so hard that we couldn’t breathe. We passed many an amused passerby, and one such entertained lady pointed and exclaimed loudly, “They can’t even get started!” I was glad to be the entertainment in those people’s days, even if it meant that I was thoroughly embarrassed.

Once out of town, however, we stopped at the visitor’s center to learn more about the island and where to stop on our bike tour of the island. We found out the main “highway” around the island was 8.2 miles and full of interesting nature walks and historical sites to see.  I found that when I had gotten off the bike, I was wobbling so much I almost fell over just standing up on solid ground! I really didn’t think we would be able to bike eight miles on that thing. But after exploring the visitor’s center, I got my wobbles out, and Ben and I got back on the bike, counted, gave a mighty push, and were off without any problems!

 

Our first stop along the island loop was a hike up over two hundred feet of stairs to Arch Rock. Abby, Lindsey, and I opted to stay below and watched the tandems, while Ben, Mom and Dad climbed to the top. While we waited for their return, we sat on the rocky beach and gazed off across the vastness of Lake Huron, the waters of which were so many beautiful shades of blue! According to an eyewitness, Arch Rock was nice and impressive, and there was lots of space underneath. After we’d biked a bit further along the path, we turned around and looked back, and the girls were able to get a lovely view of it from down below.

Our next stop was a nice little nature trail that showed us the wetlands of Mackinac Island, along with a lot of the other vegetation on the island. We saw poison ivy in person, but no one touched it, so we’re safe! Also, we learned about a unique type of conifer tree that turns yellow in the autumn and then sheds its needles, unlike any other conifer tree, also known as evergreens because they stay green, even in winter.  

 

Then we biked on to the far side of the island, where we found a lone picnic table along a beautiful stretch of beach, just before mile marker four. After we biked on for about half a mile, we decided to turn around and have lunch there. So we parked our tandems, unloaded our lunches and ate tortillas, cheese, ham, minneolas (like oranges, but better!), carrots, iced tea, and water.

After lunch, we had a quick photo shoot, and then we switched up the tandems a bit. Ben tried being up front of our tandem, and found that he did not have that amazing, astounding, remarkable, wonderful, incredible talent which I possessed – he he he! He would say he couldn’t do it because the heavier person is supposed to go in the front, but since I only outweigh him by ten pounds I do not find that excuse plausible.

 

Then Mom and Abby switched, so that Abby was in front. It was an effort in futility. They hadn’t changed the seat heights so Abby couldn’t reach the ground and Mom couldn’t fully bend her knees and had to hold her feet out to the sides, trying to help Abby right the bike. If you know Abby, it will seem quite naturally like her typical behavior that, when she could not control the bike, she freaked out, screamed, screeched, yelled “Mommy!” squeakily, and then ran the tandem into Lindsey, who was taking a video of the hilarity (by holding the camera vertically and then switching to horizontally after Abby bumped into her).

After this comical episode, we biked through powerful gusts of wind to the British Landing. We read up on our history here, about how the British landed there in the beginning of the War of 1812, and then snuck up on the American Fort Mackinac from behind. The poor Americans hadn’t yet received word that they were at war with the British which added to the surprise. Seeing that they were outnumbered in a fight they didn’t even know they were in, they immediately surrendered.

Our next stop was another nature trail, during which we discovered other types of vegetation, including some wildflowers that are native to our beautiful state of California! While we walked, a gorgeous orange and black Monarch butterfly floated around us and then landed on a flower just long enough for Ben to take a picture! 

After the nature trail, we biked on to Devil’s Kitchen, a rock formation where the limestone had crumbled away over time, leaving caves in the once rock-solid wall. It was fun! 

Then we biked on – passing a small snake crossing the road in front of us – and stopped again just before we got into town again. Lindsey and Mom and Dad did a little bit of shuffling around on the tandems, so that now Lindsey rode in front of Abby, and Mom rode in front of Daddy. We were surprised by how quickly and naturally Lindsey took to being in front of a tandem after having ridden three-quarters of the way behind Daddy. 

Then we rode into town, returned the bikes and dipped into a few fudge shops for samples, found Ben’s lost sunglasses, and then walked up a huge steep hill to get to Fort Mackinac. On the southern bluff overlooking the majestic Straits of Mackinac is the stately stone palisade of Fort Mackinac. Inside the fort walls are fourteen original buildings filled with interactive displays and period furnishings. 

Once safely inside the fort, we found that we were just in time to see the end of a rifle-firing demonstration. After that and a quick visit to the restroom (in which we learned about the flush toilets that replaced the old-fashioned privies and outhouses of the fort), we went up to the top of the fort wall to watch the costumed soldiers fire the cannon. While we waited, we ate our granola bars as we stood at the edge of the wall, right by the cannon, which was the best spot for us to be, because after the cannon went off, we looked over the wall and watched the people down below jump in surprise. Bicycle riders swerved, walkers looked up at the sky wondering what in the world was going on, and the horses stood perfectly still, not at all affected by this evidently typical noise.

After the cannon blast, we took a walking tour with Justin, who was in full military costume. He showed us around some of the original buildings revived to look as they might have in the peak period of the fort. Just as our tour came to a close, it began to rain, so we headed into the post commissary to experience the audiovisual program Heritage of Mackinac, otherwise known as a film. We enjoyed a quick snack of pretzels in the theater, even though we weren’t supposed to eat in the theater. Mom excused this by saying we weren’t really IN the theater – we were only five feet away from it and standing in the entrance. 

After the film, we visited the guardhouse, the officers’ wood quarters, the tea room, the officers’ stone quarters, the post hospital, the west blockhouse, the officers’ hill quarters, the north blockhouse, the schoolhouse, the soldiers’ barracks, and the post bathhouse.

My favorite stop was the post hospital, in which the images of the old-fashioned post surgeon of the fort and a modern-day nurse were projected onto the wall next to the bedsides of three unfortunate patients with tuberculosis, rectal cancer, and a broken tibia and fibula. The 1880’s post surgeon spoke first about what he did to ease the patients’ pain and ailments, and then the nurse followed up with the real story according to modern-day medicine and how the same illnesses might be treated now. It was very well-done. Another fun stop was the kids’ quarters. There, a video led us through a session of gun training, and we typed messages in Morse code to an adjacent room. There was also a chance to dress up and play the old-fashioned games that the children of the fort might have played.

After we’d finished exploring the fort in the cold wet windy rain, we returned to town and got more fudge. Then we ate a snack of cheese, crackers, and grapes. 

Because it was raining and windy for the ride back home in the ferry, it turned out to be quite the adventure. We didn’t even bother going on the upper deck; we’d had enough wetness for one day. We felt the waves’ crash against the sides of the ferry. It was almost like a roller coaster ride, because the waves were so choppy.

After our peaceful shuttle ride back, we changed into dry clothes, turned on the heater, and prepared and enjoyed our dinner of ravioli, salad, bread, and my special gooey fudgy brownies for dessert. After dinner, we cleaned up, unpacked, and then had some chill time before we headed for bed, tired after a long and exciting day.