Island life is so refreshing. Once we stepped on the upper deck of the ferry, it felt as though time slowed down. The extended ferry ride took us under the Mackinac Bridge. The early morning sun rays showered the “Mighty Mac” as we passed under. Although the transport from the city to the island was relatively short, it felt like we were going to a far-away place. We were stepping back in time to a slower pace where urgency was not a factor. Walking and biking are the only two modes of transportation, so that is exactly what we did. Bike rentals were plentiful, but we had done our research for the best deal. And so it began, I was getting on a bike for the first time in thirteen years. The old saying, “once you know how to ride a bike, you will never forget,” did not apply to me. I had a rocky start, but with time (about the time we were done riding) I got the hang of it. I was able to make some other people laugh along the way, so at least I had that going for me. M-185 is the only state highway to ban motorized vehicles. It runs the 8.2-mile perimeter of the island with mile markers. We set out for a leisure day pedaling. We stopped to take little hikes to various nature forms and to lookout points for a photo opportunity. Our goal was to enjoy the day and the sights the island had to offer; breaking a biking record was far from a priority. With some biking mishaps on my part and stops to make memories, our ride lasted about two hours. Our next stop on the island was Fort Mackinac. This took us to the nineteenth century. We saw demonstrations of the workings of war instruments, weapons, and maneuvers. The specific era was right around 1812. Jennifer and I were able to sashay down the dance line with two handsome soldiers, and it was fun to take part in an old-time Rose Dance. A tour of the fort followed. This historic ground brought an element of learning to our vacation. Lunch time soon rolled around, so we ate at The Tea Room in the forts, which is owned by the Grand Hotel. We ate while overlooking the bay and enjoyed the cool, summer breeze. The last stop on the island brought us to the Manoogian Art and Photography Museum. It was a nice end to our island life excursion. We saw historic renderings of the island and personal interpretations of iconic locations. It was interesting to me to be able to recognize some of the places in the pictures and compare them to the way we viewed them in current time. Some places looked different, while others remained absolutely unchanged. The time had come to board another ferry to come to the mainland. We had a little time to kill before it left, so the obvious option was to hit the shops. We got a few things and proceeded down the pier to wait at the docks until boarding. Reflections were exchanged between Jennifer and me. It was agreed that our day riding bikes on Mackinac Island was exactly what we needed and such a breath of fresh air. Stay Curious, Kayla ©Inquisitive Perspectives 2016
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