Mackinac Island

[orthodoc]

Today we drove west from Pennsylvania through Ohio and then north through the Michigan peninsula until we crossed the bridge at the Mackinac Straits and took the ferry from St. Ignace to Mackinac Island.

We're staying at the Grand Hotel in a room with a spectacular view that includes the bridge over the strait and a good deal of the origin of Lake Huron. I haven't ever been to this particular spot; I've traveled west from Sudbury, Ontario, to Sault Ste Marie ('The Soo', as it's called) to visit relatives. It feels slightly strange to be here, so close to Sudbury and the Sault, but on the US side. Mackinac Island is a relatively small island west of Manitoulin Island in Ontario.

The terrain and flora in northern Michigan are reminiscent of northern Ontario but not exactly equivalent. Northern Michigan has northern deciduous forest that includes birches, along with plenty of coniferous cover. It doesn't have any granite, though. I'm used to seeing the Canadian Shield erupting through the thin topsoil of northern Ontario, so it's slightly jarring to me to see the trees without the rocks. The lakes are also missing, in that northern Ontario has lakes every five yards. Michigan seems to save it all for the Great Lakes, the inland seas of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. Fair enough; no one could be disappointed by those.

I took photos as we were on the ferry to Mackinac Island and made our way to the hotel, and I'll post them tomorrow once I get them in order. The island has no motorized vehicles, so all transportation is via horse (there are 500 on the island), bicycle, or on foot. We walked from the ferry up the hill to our hotel, and it was a great experience to see, hear, and smell nothing but living beings making their way to where they needed to be.

Part of our time here will be spent in a medical conference, but I'll post more info and photos as I can. It's a strikingly beautiful place; I'll try to convey at least a little of that.