Day: September 4, 2010
St Ignace Deer Ranch 2010
On our way back from Mackinaw Island we realized that outdoor activities were really going to be curtailed due to the oncoming storms so we grabbed a quick bite to eat, hopped in the car, skipped past the high wind escort on the bridge, and got James to the deer ranch. James certainly remembered it from past years because when he went in he did not say hi to the teller but instead said “crackers please”.
The cost for going through the deer ranch is $5 per person plus carrots and crackers (we got a dollars worth which was plenty) so for a relatively low cost James had a lot of fun. About the time he finished, the first drops of rain were hitting St. Ignace so we got out of there just in time.
Mackinaw Island City 2010
One of the best main streets in all of the United States. Complete with the famouse fudge shops, haunted houses, magic shops, carriage tours, and tons of souvenir shops. James insisted on another ice cream cone so he could keep up his energy, Mom went browsing for new clothes, and Dad checked out the haunted house and magic shops on main street.
Something new we found was a Haunted Mackinaw Island Tour, which we did not go on but we put on the schedule for next year. James did very well this day and was rewarded with a couple toys, a megaphone that changes your voice (It reminded me of one his Grandpa had in Michigan), and a mouse game where you “bop” the mouse with a rubber mallet and the computer tells you how well you did.
Macinaw Island State Park 2010
Each year we travel through the State Park and always find something new along with old reliable sites (like the arch rock). This year there were several first’s. James went for the first time without a wagon so he had to do all the walking by himself. Another first was going up a stairway we found in the woods that took you to the highest elevation point on the island, the pictures really don’t do it justice.
We stopped at the little rest area which is North of the Grand Hotel as we were exiting the State Park. James always gets an ice cream and Mary has a chance to check out some of the souvenir shops there. In the center is the collection of horse drawn vehicles including the hearse (which they still use when someone dies).
The key to a successful day at Mackinaw Island is to get there early, before the crowds. This year we did very well at avoiding the crowds and the weather held off for us till we were finished. The boat ride home is when the weather made a turn for the worse but our day was already complete by then.
