Michigan State Parks|Travel

6/1/2023 On the island we got off into the main quaint and pretty touristy area. No motor vehicles here, just horse-drawn carts and carriages. The island itself is an NHL and a State Park. Hosting the northern headquarters of John Jacob Astor's American Fur Company until the 1840s, the island's key role in the early fur trade was secured by its location at the center of the Great Lakes region. Luckily, the bugs were nowhere to be found here, which we were very happy about. From where we landed, we walked about 10 minutes up a gentle hill to the Grand Hotel NHL, which we had seen while still far from the Island on the ferry. Built in the late 19th century, this white clapboard structure is situated on a bluff overlooking Lake Huron and has been called "the American dream of ‘a summer place’." We did get some nice photos of the magnificent building, but were shooed away from getting too close, as apparently there was a convention with VIPs going on. Oh well - it would have cost us $10 just to check it out inside anyway. Heading back into the main area, we found our next goal - ice cream. At Kilwins, we both got big waffle cones with excellent ice cream, and enjoyed hanging out watching people go by while getting messier by the minute with melting ice cream and super crunchy cones. Checking out the time, we realized we could catch the 3:30 ferry, so we walked back, got on line, and waited only a few minutes for it to come in, drop its load, and pick us up.

Grand Hotel from the ferry

The state sign for the island ...

... and Main Street

Grand Hotel NHL ...

... with state sign

Me and Ken outside the hotel

A look on Main Street ...

... and the other direction

The Park VC

Looking back to ...

Fort Macinac

6/1/2023 Only a few minutes from the ferry we stopped at Fort Michilimackinac NHL. Part of Mackinac State Historic Parks, this is an 18th-century French, and later British, fort and trading post at the Straits of Mackinac, now preserved as an historical museum, with reconstructed wooden buildings and palisade. What we didn’t know was that it closed for entrance at 4, and we arrived at 4:09. Luckily a nice lady Ken asked was willing to let us in. We walked along the lake, passed a nice canoe display with a guide in trapper costume reaching the very nice reconstruction fort palisade, where we checked out the many very nice buildings within. At 4:30 we saw a musket firing demonstration, then pretty much had to head out as it closed at 5.

The entrance to the fort

Ken photoing ...

... the NHL plaque

Views of the Lake ...

... and Mighty Mack

Interpretive signage ...

... and nice costumed guy

Cannon over the Lake

Really nice reconstruction

Great details ...

... including wood pile

More of ...

... the period buildings

Detail of the walls

Interior setup ...

... with Ken

This way to ...

... the parade ground

Musket demo

Ready ...

... aim ...

... fire!

Reconstructed village

Archeological dig

6/1/2023 In St. Ignace we stopped at the St. Ignace Mission NHL (and Marquette Mission Park SHS). This was the location of a mission established by French priest Jacques Marquette, and the site of his burial in 1677; the chapel here was moved from the second 1837 mission.

The state sign for ...

... the Mission

Setup for ...

... a nice 360

Ken photos ...

... the NHL plaque

Jacques Marquette ...

... out front

6/11/10 From there continued east through Copper Harbor to Fort Wilkins Historic State Park. Here we walked around the very nicely restored and reconstructed 1870s fort. Most of the buildings had historic vignettes and info on fort life and mining.

The park sign

A nice panorama

The requisite view

Fire when ready!

Detailed reconstruction

Me photoing ...

... the diorama