Day Seven – Mackinac Island

The only plan for today was to head over to Mackinac Island and rent bikes there. We aimed to take the first ferry out there that went under the Mackinac bridge. That meant catching a 9 AM ferry. We also wanted to get there early because the bike stores told me the lines are better before ten AM.

Morning view from room

The boat ride took us close enough to the bridge to get pictures of it however it was once again hazy so hard to get great pictures. As soon as we arrived on the island we rented bikes. Jonas immediately went off on his own and David, Rachel, and myself stayed together. We biked up toward the Arched Rock and after this you could not go much farther due to road closure. Thus we turned the bikes around and went on the path the other direction to the British Landing. There Rachel and David had a snack. I do promise that if you stick to the road against Lake Huron, it is very flat. I highly recommend renting bikes.

David loves a fresh pickle

David and Rachel way ahead of me

After that we headed into the main part of the island to grab a bite to eat. Once again we faced the ordeal of trying to find a place where Rachel and I could eat safely. She ended up ordering a salad, which at this point she is sick of eating. After lunch though we both enjoyed ice cream. I have found my new favorite flavor of ice cream – Mackinac Island Fudge. I don’t think I have seen this in stores near us.

Main Street on Mackinac Island

Horse drawn carriage

Jonas met back up with us at 1:23 and then we caught the 1:30 ferry back to the mainland. We then headed south to Dearborn for our lodging for the next two nights. There was a Chick-Fil-A near our hotel so that is what we did for dinner. After eating Rachel wanted to check out the hotel pool and it was the nicest hotel pool she has been to on our trip. Unfortunately, the hot tub was not working 😦

Back seat passengers

Day Six – Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and Saint Ignace

This morning we left Houghton and started our journey back home. We needed to be in the town of Munising by 11:45 AM to catch a boat tour. We aimed to leave the hotel by 9 AM but actually managed to leave the hotel around 8 AM. The drive to Munising took about 2.5 hours so we arrived to the town with enough time to walk around for a bit.

Not the best picture but this part of MI has a bunch of small mountains/hills in this area

The boat company advertised that they would start boarding the boat fifteen minutes before departure however it was like a Southwest flight in the old days before they issued numeric boarding passes. People had started to line up early and by the time we got in line we were near the back. The line was also in the bright, hot sun. The company had said that it would be colder on the water so the adults were dressed for that weather but the kids were not. This turned out to be one instance when it was good that they did not listen to us.

I love it when they are together

The tour was 2.5 hours. I enjoyed it, relaxing on the boat and watching the lakeshore. Unfortunately it was a bit hazy from the wildfires in the west. Still we were able to get up close to the rocks. We passed one beach that Rachel said she wanted to stop at – Miners Beach.

Cliffs throughout the park

The water really is that color

Lone tree growing on rock

This rock is known as Indian Head

Old wooden lighthouse

After the tour we searched for lunch. David found a place that had very good reviews for gluten free food so Rachel and I walked there. She was so excited to order a pizza sub. We make it to the restaurant and with our luck, they were closed. Fortunately though David had researched gluten free and was able to point us to another restaurant close by where we were able to order something gluten free.

We are not very lucky people

By this point the kids were hot and tired and when we asked them what they wanted to do next they said go to the next hotel. So, that is what we did. We skipped going to Tahquamenon Falls and instead drove to Saint Ignace. Our lodging for the evening was in a family run hotel which was very much outdated. They had real keys to the rooms…green carpeting, etc. However all rooms had a view and for this hotel we got two rooms. That made a HUGE difference with everyone. The kids were excited to have their independence and we were all happy to be able to spread out more.

View of Lake Huron from room

Thus, we checked in and went down to the beach for a little bit. The water was cold. The kids headed back to their room away from the parents and made plans to go swimming at ten and stay until the pool closed at midnight. They also enjoyed purchasing their own snacks from the front desk and enjoyed being by themselves.

Day Five – Houghton and the East

I started the day earlier than the rest of the family. I wanted to drop something off at Michigan Tech for the Summer Youth staff to show tour appreciation for how well they took care of Jonas while he was sick. I also wanted to check out the cafeteria and how they handle gluten allergies in case Rachel wanted to do a summer program here. Finally I wanted to stop at the bookstore to get a souvenir. Like any true college experience I managed to get a parking ticket the short time I was in Wadsworth hall. I was able to get out of it it though as I stopped at parking after going to the bookstore and I explained the situation.

I had the true college experience

Everyone else had a late start. Since Jonas missed three days of one of his programs due to illness I set up a meeting with a counselor from Michigan Tech. She is the woman that helps civil engineering students choose their courses and she meets with prospective students to the school. The meeting was very helpful as Jonas has not had much exposure to the college process and it was a good place for him to start off.

After that meeting we went to the Outdoor Adventure Program to return the bike and see if they had a bigger one. Unfortunately they did not. So Jonas was in an awful mood. I asked him if he wanted to go back to the hotel for a couple of hours by himself, with the understanding that he would come back out with us later and he said yes. So I picked up Rachel and David and we headed to the Kestner Waterfront park of Houghton. This is a nice park that has kayak, paddeboard, bike rentals onsite. It also has a volleyball court, walking paths, and a playground that is known as Chutes and Ladders.

The playground

Rachel played on the playground and then she and David rented a kayak for an hour. It was pretty windy so while they went one way easy, it was harder coming back.

Kayaking

After they kayaked Rachel went in the water at the beach for a few minutes. Then she told me she wanted to go somewhere with rocks to climb and a beach.

At this point we returned to the room to pick up Jonas and David and I both researched places to go. We finally decided to drive an hour east to the Joseph and Mary Lizzardo Nature preserve.

We pull up to the preserve and at this point I realize I have left the bag with the change of clothes for everyone back at the hotel. Luckily though the wind was strong enough that the kids did not want to get into the water. It was once again a place I could have sat at all day by myself just enjoying the view.

I love this picture because of David trying to ruin it in the background

After we left the preserve we stopped at the nearby Esrey park. This had a neat staircase that took you to the top of rocks and then had rocks you could climb down. There were plenty of picnic tables and grills available for us. There was a small gazebo like building at the top of the rocks with two benches. Another place that I could have spent the day just sitting there.

I heard Jonas coughing. I found him climbing up this…

Look how clear that water is

Path at the top

Great place to sit and enjoy the view

Something was going on with my camera here but it’s the only picture I have with just Jonas and I

On the way back to the hotel I was tasked on figuring out dinner. This took a while as reception can be spotty. The family finally settled on the Border Grill which is a Mexican restaurant. I went there to order instead of doing it online because of our food allergies. Everyone seemed to enjoy their meal so it was a good choice.

After dinner I returned back to the laundromat. Yes, our hotel had machines as well but I liked the laundromat as the doors locked and did not open until the wash/dryer was done. So I could put our wash in and then head out to run errands and then come back. Between the washing and the drying I was able to fill up the car with gas, vacuum the sand out of the car, and go shopping at Walmart for car snacks/lunch food.

Tomorrow leave the Houghton area. Thank goodness our room had a small room to the side otherwise I think we all would have been miserable. If we come back to this area I would make sure we had a cabin rental somewhere. We could not do that this year because our plans were so much in the air.

Day Four – O Kun-de-kun Falls

As I sit and write the entry for day four I was thinking back to the fun things we did. Then I remembered the true day. We started the day heading to the Outdoor Adventure Program of Michigan Tech to rent Jonas a mountain bike. This itself was an adventure…

First, there is a lot of construction going on in the town right now. So it seems every where we need to go we need to follow a detour. Anyway, the website said the building was at the main trailhead. Well, since we are not from the area, I thought the trailhead was somewhere else. We arrived there and it was apartment buildings. From there I tried calling the number on the website. I kept getting a voice message regarding winter skiing. Thus I continued searching for this office. I found an address on the corner of Townsend and East street. We go there and it is a house that seems deserted. However there are signs out front that state “OAP Parking – 30 minutes”. So we knock and no one answers. At this point I called the University Recreation Number and they forward me to the OAP number and this time someone answers. I ask them where they are and they say “at the trailhead” so I ask for more directions. The people there were not aware of street name the office was on…it is located off a gravel road. On the map, there is a street name but I guess the people working there did not know it.

So now we have finally reached the OAP office. They have a large mountain bike, however their systems are down. They finally just have me fill out something on paper and signing that. Super. Now we spend a half hour getting the bike into the car. We finally get it in and then decide we don’t feel comfortable driving an hour or two with the way the bike fits in the car. So we take it back to the hotel and Jonas is disappointed as he had wanted us to bring his bike with us when we came to pick him up. He agrees to go riding later that day when we return from our adventures.

The original plan was to drive west to go to Copper Peak for Jonas to mountain bike and me to wait there with him while David was going to take Rachel to the Black River harbor area to see a suspension bridge and for Rachel to go swimming. However, this was a two hour drive and we were all grumpy from the morning bike experience. David knew of another place to stop…

Thus we stopped at the O Kun-de-Kun falls. This was a 1.3 mile hike which ended at a waterfall. There was also a suspension bridge crossing at the bottom. However we did not cross it because people had told us that they had been stung by wasps when they crossed. The kids played on the rocks for a little bit before we hiked back to the car.

Top of the falls

Suspension bridge

Almost behind the falls

Jonas standing above me

Snake!

At this point Rachel was frustrated as she wanted to go swimming somewhere. Jonas just wanted to ride a bike. I suggested we drive to the town of Ontonagon which has a beach and if anyone wanted something to eat they could get something here. Thus Rachel and Jonas had a late lunch and then we found a beach to hang out at for a little bit.

The actually let me take their picture together!

Rachel changed in the car and made the guys stand like this while she changed

We arrived back at the hotel around 5:40 and Jonas promptly took the bike out to go riding. He gets on the bike and declares that it is too small for him. He is over 6 feet 2. This was the largest bike they had. So we get the bike back into the car and drive back to the OAP center which the website says closes at 7. Once again luck is not on our side. The place closed at 6.

Thus we headed back to the hotel. For dinner Rachel wanted the same thing she ate Friday night, the Studio Pizza. So I went out, picked it up, and returned back to the room. We ate dinner in the room, then went to bed.

Day Three – Copper Harbor

This morning we told Jonas we would pick him up at ten AM at Michigan Tech. Was he ready then? Nope. He did not leave the building until 10:30 AM. I asked him if he has seen my text from the night before and he said he did but he chose to ignore it…

He was so happy (kidding) to see us

You could tell the boy was tired the minute he got in the car. In addition to being tired, you could smell his shoes a mile away. His phone had broken the day before, and I mean completely broken. The screen had been broken for a while but in addition to that the touch was not working. He has had his phone for almost four years. I suggested we go to Verizon to get a new phone but he did not want to do that at first and he complained about all the suggestions of things to do I had. Thus I suggested the family split up for an hour. David took Rachel to walk around downtown in Houghton and I took Jonas back to the hotel where I was able to convince him to go to Verizon and then after that to join the family. I have still yet to ask him much about the program as he was so tired I didn’t want to irritate him more with my questions.

Someone was happy to find a gluten free cone in an ice cream store!

Once we got the phone situation fixed we headed an hour and ten minutes east towards Copper Harbor. Rachel fell asleep on the way and Jonas was on the verge of falling asleep. When we got there, Rachel spotted a playground. Jonas wanted to rent a bike at this point but he just seemed so tired I did not feel super comfortable with that idea. I was able to convince him to come to Fort Wilkins with us even though he had been there before.

Thus next we headed to Fort Wilkins. This fort was built to help keep law and order during the copper rush. The first part of our visit was spent looking for Jonas who managed to walk so far ahead of us that we lost him. Once we found him the girl was complaining that she wanted to visit the playground. I was frustrated because I just wanted to look around. At this point Jonas went back to the car and David took Rachel to the playground and I was able to enjoy the fort. Once I returned back to the car everyone seemed to be in a better mood.

Lake Fanny Hooe

Fort Wilkins

Fort Wilkins

Next up we headed to Horseshoe Harbor. I picked this place to visit as it seemed like there may be some rocks for the kids to climb on. Additionally, to access it you had to go on a dirt road for two miles. This stop seemed to be a hit with the kids. Jonas at one point went pretty deep into the water so that he could climb “island rocks”. Rachel was mad she was not wearing a swim suit and said she wanted to come back to this beach. I enjoyed just sitting there and watching the kids and enjoying the water. It was also not very crowded.

Yes Jonas swam from one rock ledge to another

Kids getting along? This stop was worth it

Another rock area he got to

I don’t know what this is but it was on me for a while and I remained completely still

Horseshoe Harbor view to the right

After Horseshoe Harbor we headed up Brockway Mountain lookout. This is a drive that takes you up the mountain and gives you great views of the surrounding areas. We did not do the whole drive, we just went up to the highest point and then turned around.

At the top of Brockway Mountain

South of Copper Harbor

North of Copper Harbor

Our final destination of the day was the Devil’s Washtub. We were following directions I had taken screen shots of and I was pretty sure we passed it. We then came across a picnic area and we decided to stop. As Rachel and I were exploring one area of the picnic stop, David pointed out something we missed. It turned out we had stopped at Devil’s Washtub!

Area by Devil’s washtub

Area by Devil’s washtub

Devil’s Washtub

Devil’s Washtub

At this point it was 5:20 PM. The family unanimously decided that for dinner we would get take out from Joey’s seafood and bring it to the hotel. Both kids fell asleep on the way back to the hotel. We did not get back to the hotel until after 6:30. I ordered dinner and then went to the grocery store while we were waiting for the food. Picked up the food, ate dinner, and then I went to the Loads of Fun laundromat to do wash. Both pairs of Jonas’s shoes really stank, but after doing wash I think the worst of the stink is behind us.

The boy passed out

The girl passed out

Laundromat on a Saturday night

Lift bridge in Houghton

Mont Ripley ski hill in Hancock

Initially there were complaints from some people about driving to Copper Harbor but I believe the whole family had fun. We rapidly learned that the cellular data service is spotty in this part of Michigan. I am glad I had taken some screen shots of some of the places I wanted to stop at, otherwise we would have never have been able to find a couple of these places. This part of Michigan though is really reminding me of Maine. It is beautiful and there is so much to do in the area. The kids would be happy going back to Copper Harbor tomorrow if they could (but we are not…I have other plans for us).