We got some great seats to a Detroit Tiger game vs Mets from our neighbors and James had a blast there with the merry go round and ferris wheel. The Tigers put on a good show and won the game handily, lots of scoring on both sides. One thing I will never forget about this trip was James eating peanuts, I had assumed that Mary bought them for him, while she assumed that I had bought them for him. As it turned out they were the people sitting behind us, James simply turned around and started eating their peanuts. Both parties laughed and we got them another bag of peanuts. They were from NY and were here to see the new stadium and their beloved Mets.
Category: Michigan
Events in Michigan
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Comerica Park Tigers VS Mets 2007
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Mackinaw Island State Park 2007
Another trip to Mackinaw and a walk through the Mackinaw State Park with highlights like the Skull Cave, the old cemetery’s, and Arch Rock. We usually finish up with the state park by noon then go through the city which has many tourist attractions including a haunted house and several magic shops. Mary and I spent our honeymoon here so it always has a special meaning for us. This year we found a plaque from the movie Somewhere in Time starring Christopher Reeve. The movie was filmed on Mackinaw Island at the Grand Hotel so if you want to see more of Mackinaw Island, rent the movie. Also if you enjoy time travel and science fiction in a non shoot em up way, rent the movie.
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Mackinaw City 2007
Mackinaw City is really getting to be fun with all the shopping areas and fun places to go. There are magic shows in the Mackinaw Crossing shopping complex and also tourist trap stuff like the house of mirrors. A shoppers paradise for sure. In the evening they have a laser show in the complex and if you time your stay right, fireworks over the lake on certain weekends. James has fun playing in the many assorted playgrounds all within walking distance of our hotel. He also enjoys walking on the beach but prefers the beach under the bridge since that is where all the rocks are that he likes to throw in the lake.
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Greenfield Village 2006
There is really nothing better on a warm day than going to Greenfield Village and the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn. This year there was a special baseball exhibit in the museum that we wanted to see. They also play old time baseball at the village using old time equipment and old time uniforms. We split time between the two, plus made our usually visits to the band stand, the covered bridge and such. It is sometimes hard to believe this village is located in Dearborn and not out in the wilderness somewhere. When you drive the train around the park you can see the Ford proving grounds and other Ford property located right next door. We could, if we really wanted to, walk to this place from our home as its only about a mile and a half walk from our home.
Great time was had by all.
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Mackinaw Island 2006
We really enjoy going to this island, the earlier the better. We try to get there before 8am because we pretty much have the whole island (and boat ride) to ourselves. The only people on the boat with us are people who work at the stores on the island. We go up the big hill, past the big Fort, and straight into the State park part of Mackinaw. It always reminds me of the trek Dorothy took to get to the witches castle before the flying monkeys got them. A forest full of mystery and landmarks all over. Three graveyards are here as well, a Protestant one, a Catholic one, and a Military one. Most of the graves here are well over a hundred years old. There is also Skull Cave, Arch Rock, and a scenic view that simply cannot be captured with a camera. In the city you have the Grand Hotel which was the setting for the movie “Somewhere in Time” with Christopher Reeve.
There are no automobiles allowed on the island for transportation. You must walk, ride a horse, ride in a horse drawn carriage, or ride a bicycle. There is a small airport on the island, it is a good hike to get to but we have done it so its possible. However why come all this way to see a small airport?
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Mackinaw City 2006
Every spring we make a trek up north to the straits of Mackinaw and go to the State Park on the Island. Mackinaw is spelled two different ways and both are correct, sometimes you see it as Mackinac, sometimes as Mackinaw. This is due to being occupied by both the French and British who had different spellings for the name. An obvious strategic location along the great lakes, Mackinaw is littered with history including forts, military graves, indian burial grounds, and one of the largest suspension bridges in the world which joins the upper and lower peninsula’s of Michigan.
We had a special treat this year, on the ferry back from the island we drove under the bridge which is something that usually is not allowed. There was a VIP on board which is why they did it, who the VIP was I have no idea.
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Museum Ship Tour Saulte Ste Marie 2006
The Museum Ship offers more than just a tour of her deck. Housed inside her massive cargo holds is a 20,000 square foot museum with over 100 exhibits! The Edmund Fitzgerald exhibit holds the two lifeboats from the stricken vessel. Torn away during the sinking, these lifeboats are two of very few major artifacts recovered after the tragic demise. The exhibit also features an hour long presentation about the events that occurred on November 10, 1975 which caused the tragic loss of one of the Great Lakes’ largest freighters. In addition to the museum exhibits, the Museum Ship VALLEY CAMP displays four 1,200 gallon aquariums stocked with various species of fish from the Great Lakes region. The ship is gigantic, you could kick field goals on the deck and never have to worry about the ball going overboard. I am not sure who is the original owner of this tanker. Its says Republic Steel in some area but I also saw the emblem for US Steel (both are my customers in Lorain Ohio).
A great tour, hard to believe one just like it sank in Lake Superior.
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Sea Shell City 2006
I remember as a kid seeing an episode of the old Adam West batman show where the Joker tied up Batman, Robin, and the Jokers girl friend (that’s why hes the joker) and fed them to a giant clam. The cliff hanger was Robin being eaten by the clam with only his foot sticking out of the clams mouth. Batman broke out of the chains and saved everyone and that night they had clam chowder for dinner.So naturally when I see a sign for a man eating clam I am going to pull over and take a peek. While the clam was not quite that big, it sure was big enough to swallow James. Sea Shell city has a huge variety of sea faring souvenirs and is a great place to visit on the way up (or down) from Mackinaw. Octopus, starfish, alligators, shark jaws, and many other treasures of the deep are here for the taking (after you pay of course). Other man made items such as sea shell lamps and sea shell bottle holders fill aisle after aisle. A fun place to visit.
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Super Bowl 2006
The Superbowl came to Detroit and we took James downtown during Super Bowl week to participate in some of the festivities. James got to see radio row and rode on the people mover to Greek town and then off to Ford Field and a stop at Comerica park (which would be the first time James saw the two new Detroit stadiums). We bought James an official Super Bowl XL outfit, then drove by the Spirit of Detroit to see how the statue was dressed for the event.The Steelers won the Superbowl later in the week which we watched together on TV. One of the other sites I do is called “The Curse of Bobby Layne” and it was interesting that the one time a Superbowl was played in Detroit it would be won by the team Bobby was traded to nearly 50 years ago.
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Harsh Lake George Winter 2006
So you want a nice quiet place on the lake, eh. Want to kick back with nature and get away from the city, eh. Here are some pictures Aunt Criss sent us of Lake George in the winter time. Something tells me the salt trucks and plows won’t be riding to the rescue anytime soon.
My sister Criss emailed these pictures of what a winter is like living on a lake. Thankfully they have television and the internet to help them through it. The other months of the year, they are the envy of the family living on a lake, but in winter time the area takes on a different style of beauty, and I don’t think I like ice fishing as much as fishing off a boat on a warm summer day.
