I was born in the upper peninsula of Michigan (the part near Canada that is not part of the mitten) and moved to Texas when I was one year old.
Growing up, we vacationed at a very special place in Michigan called Mackinac Island. I've been telling Rick about it for the last ten years and FINALLY, we made the trek up north to visit along with our dear friends, the Cordells.
Brian and Sara and kiddos live in Cincinnati, so the drive was manageable for them to meet us in the mitten state.
Northwestern Michigan is GORGEOUS. I am wondering why we take residence in Dallas during the summer given the temps are a nice 75ish up north. The Great Lakes water is crystal clean and the little harbor towns are perfect Americana.
Our trip was far too short, but we made the most of our quick days together. The little towns of Harbor Springs, Petoskey, and Charlevoix all border Lake Michigan and are perfect for playing on the beach (the water is very cold!), eating your weight in ice cream and fudge (which I did), and strolling the perfect little main street shops along the way.
We LOVED getting to know little Will. He was adopted from China in March and we couldn't believe how well everyone has adapted. Will is 3.5 years old and did not know English before March. His vocabulary is incredible and I was so impressed with how great of a sister Maggie already is with her new little brother.
Why OH why must Palmer's favorite ice cream flavor be CHOCOLATE? Vanilla would make life a lot easier...
The Mackinac Bridge connects Michigan to the upper peninsula. It is the longest suspension bridge in the western hemisphere (8614 feet) and our ferry to the island took us right under the bridge for a closer look.
Mackinac Island is a special place with no cars. The only transportation is by bicycle or horses.
Palmer is strong on his bicycle and he and Rick regularly ride over at White Rock. But, we were still a little hesitant about taking him on the 8-mile trail around the island. We decided to give it a shot with the thought that we could always try to hail a horse taxi if we get stuck on the opposite side of the island...
I have never been prouder of our little bicycler. He rode the 8-mile route without complaining pretty easily. Along the way, we stopped occasionally for a little dip in the water or for ice cream and Palmer was a rock star the entire time.
A little fun on the island:
Between biking and eating lots of fudge and ice cream, I think it's safe to say we hit all of the hot spots on the island. The famed "Grand Hotel" as seen in the old Christopher Reeves movie, Somewhere in Time.
Back on mainland, the guys and kids rented a boat in Charlevoix while Sara and I did a little shopping.
Such a fun trip and we are already planning a longer and more thorough return. We love you, Cordell family!!
-Bethany
Growing up, we vacationed at a very special place in Michigan called Mackinac Island. I've been telling Rick about it for the last ten years and FINALLY, we made the trek up north to visit along with our dear friends, the Cordells.
Northwestern Michigan is GORGEOUS. I am wondering why we take residence in Dallas during the summer given the temps are a nice 75ish up north. The Great Lakes water is crystal clean and the little harbor towns are perfect Americana.
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