Vacation

vacation to Mackinaw,MI

We made it back all in one piece last night around 9:30. It was a great week! We left at 5am last Saturday morning and after Breakfast at Cracker Barrel and alot of bathroom breaks( not just for me) we arrived at 2:30 in the afternoon. After unpacking the van and making up all of the beds we headed down to the lake. It was a beautiful day and the water was actually warm. Actually it was in the upper 80's and humid and our cabin did not have air. I was hot and my feet were twice their normal size .I thought I was going to die.( I didn't) Did I mention that our friends the Holdens were there with us? We then headed off to town to get groceries( Super Walmart)and to eat dinner. Sunday was a quiet day. We cooked roast in the crock pot and the kids went for a dip in the lake. Later that night we went on a sunset cruise that a church group sponsors( free). There was a little sermon and alot of music. The trip was cool because they drove under the Mackinaw bridge and all around. The Mackinaw Bridge one of the longest bridges in the country( Maybe it is the longest,I cant remember) It is 5 miles long and is made up of 45 thousand miles of cable.It can move 18 feet in both directions and 12 feet up and down in the wind. ( scary huh) Enough of that,but it is very beautiful. Monday we kinda just hung out and let the kids swim,ride their bikes and plat at the park. The camp ground we stayed at was very nice. Like I said we stayed in a cabin.( I am not a tent camper!!) Tuesday we went on a road trip to the Upper Peninsula.We went to Tahquamenon Falls first.It required a little hike to get there but it was very pretty. By that time we were hungry so Paul and Sarah to us to a little restaurant called the Fish House. It was soooo good. I was going to take a picture of our food but I forgot so I just took a picture of the outside of the place. We all got Whitefish and fries. The waitress told us that it was still swimming in the lake 2 hours ago and that they were just being filleted.Hows that for fresh? It was so yummy!!!!! we then headed to Whitefish Point which is the highest point in the U.P. It had a nice beach but a storm was heading in so we didn't stay there very long. So it was off to Sault Ste. Marie.( soo saint marie) and the Soo Locks. That is where all of the big, gigantic ships travel between the lakes( Huron and Superior) which are at different levels so they have to travel through the Locks. They come in one side and the gate closes and they lower the water level and they go out to the other lake. These ships were like over 1000 feet long. It was neat but the kids got bored because it was such a slow process. We thought we would go to Mackinac Island on Wed. but we woke up to a strong wind in the middle of the night and it never got any better. It was very very windy and cold on Wed. So we decided to sick around at the campground. The kids wanted to go swimming. Keep in mind that it was in the 60's and there was a strong wind which made the lake very choppy and very cold. It felt like ice water.Brrrr. Sarah and I actually sat in our chairs and covered up from our legs to our necks. We were informed by 2 different sources that it was to be chilly and a 60% chance of rain all day on Thursday( our last day to be there)We wanted to go to the island so bad so we prayed that God would change the weather. I want you to know that we woke up Thursday to a beautiful sunny day. The sky was blue and the sun was shining. So we headed off to the ferry boat with our bikes. They want a small fortune to get you there but it was so worth it!!!! If you have never been to Mackinac Island you have to go there!! There are no cars on the island. Everyone either rides a bike or a horse, or in a carriage pulled by a horse. Try to imagine the smell as I got off of the ferry. You got it. Horses and horse apples. It was so cool though. It was stepping back in time. The UPS guy was delivering packages from a horse drawn carriage. The trash wagon was pulled by a horse. And for those of you who are wondering,Yes I rode a bike around the island. 8 miles to be exact and I hiked up 200 stairs to see Arch Rock and then back down again. I think if I was going to go into labor it would've been that day. It was not a pretty sight to see a 34 week pregnant woman riding a bike( pushing it up the hills) so that is why there is no pictures. We walked up to the Grand Hotel where they wont even let you walk on the driveway. and it cost like 12 buck to just walk in the front door. I can only imagine how much it cost to stay there. we ate lunch and dinner on the island and bought some yummy fudge before we left. I got a slice of chocolate walnut,chocolate peanut butter, and chocolate cookie crunch. I am not usually a fudge person. I never eat it but this stuff was so creamy and smooth. The best!!!! We sat around the campfire that night wishing our vacation wasn't over but all good things must end. Friday morning we slept in and packed all of our stuff back in the van( for some reason it didn't quite fit as well) and headed home. My own bed has never felt so good. I hope I haven't bored you tears in this post, but I thought I would give a rundown of all of the fun relaxing times we had this past week. It will now be back to the short boring ones that I am known for.8o)