Mackinac Island, does not get any better than this..............

What a pleasure to be "home".  Mackinac Island has been a favorite for most of my adult life. In my 20's I began to race sailboats and the Port Huron and Chicago Mackinac races end at Mackinac Island. We have won a few races and placed in others, but each race has been a pleasure, again, mostly because of the people. Most of my crew mates have been racing on Epic for 20 years. (I have been racing with Ray and Winnie Adams for 30 years! Yikes!).

Crawdad and Grianan and Sweet Pee (Jim, Dale and Ashley) cruised from Drummond Island Yacht Haven to Mackinac Island. Once we reached the south end of Detour Passage, we were in familiar territory. The Port Huron Mackinac Races in the past would round a buoy at Tobermorey Canada and then the race to Mackinac along the Northern Part of Lake Huron to Mackinac Island! My first race was in 1983, so there has been a lot of sailing along this section of Lake Huron!

Detour Passage Light. I love lighthouses! Can you tell?

We used the lower helm during the rainy day. It is easier to see and we don't have to venture outside. Boo was a "bit" bored.

Buddy was bored too.

We saw a few freighters in the rain.

The Grand Hotel with the longest porch in the USA. The Hotel was built in 1887 by the Railroad from white pine.

The Grand Hotel is surrounded with red geraniums. No dead heads here!

The Hotel has a beautiful swimming pool.

The Grand Hotel in the sunshine the next day. We rode our bikes around the West Bluff and rode down the hill. You can then park your bikes and enter the Grand Hotel porch. If you walk on like you belong at the Hotel, you can see the entire hotel for free.

We took the boys for a ride.

Boo's view of the bike ride.

Mackinac Island in the rain. A lot less people!

The day was rainy, but a consistent light rain can flatten the water and make for a good cruising day - until we reached Mackinac Island. The light rain became a heavy shower and by the time Jim and I were into the dock, we were soaked to our underwear, but we were in the Harbor at Mackinac Island and safe at the dock.

The Island is known for fudge and horse...poop!

Here is where the horse poop comes from.

Transportation.

St. Anne's Catholic Church from about 1820.

Our last day with Kate and Greg from Grianan. Jim has his new hat on that was given to him by the lock master in the Trent Severn.

The flowers are so incredibly beautiful!

Late 1800's construction. Most of the homes were constructed during this period.

West Bluff road that leads down the hill to the Hotel.

View from the West Bluff of the Round Island Light.

Home at the top of the West Bluff.

West Bluff home that I stayed in 20 years ago with a friend. Her family owned the home.

Last dinner with Greg and Kate.

Waiting for our friends Tim and Janet to come in on the ferry from St. Ignace. Janet lives in Sault St. Marie, called the Soo.

Tim and Janet at the Pub with us for dinner.

We visited the Stables at the Grand Hotel.