Born in West Va.  I moved to Michigan when I was 8 and attended school from 3rd grade till I graduated college there….a few years after that I married and left but for most of my formative years I was in Michigan.  I retuned there off an on for years—but most recently it has been forever since I returned as most of my friends and relatives are else where or come visit me.  Our goal was to scatter my parents ashes as we promised we would and  which we did the summer of 2017

While I never missed the weather of my adopted state I did miss the efficiency—I went from well organized and great intra-system to the amazing jumble that is politics and organization or mostly lack there of in my current state….I exchanged tornadoes for hurricanes….and kept peninsula surrounded by water–In Michigan I had the Upper Peninsula while in Florida the Panhandle.  Both had nice beaches, but only one had water warm enough to swim in—if the sharks didn’t get you first…..I mean no place is perfect right?

And I continue to stay in Florida for the wonderful winters (where you swim in the pool to avoid the wild life) and don’t have to worry about ice and snow any time of the year….

We need to continue to make the case that Michigan is where you ought to be. Jennifer Granholm

We stayed at Tee Pee Camp Grounds—it’s compact but the bathrooms are great, the beach is nice and has a great view of THE bridge and there’s a small store, basket ball hoop, volley ball court and the local ferry services provide free shuttles to and from down town where you can catch a ride, but I’ll tell you more about that later.

This area of Florida is a beautiful place to be in the summer time–I have no desire to be here in the winter but I’m sure that lots of others might not agree with me.  Mackinaw City is a fun place to wander about….lots of shops and restaurants–there are all manner of things to do in the area and they even have some spooky items to

entertain the kids or the kids in those of us who maintain adulthood as a cover up.

And you can catch cruises from daytime to sunset and all manner of things in between.  Though I didn’t go on it I did notice an interesting pirate ship out in the straights and according to their site:  It’s the:  Good Fortune Pirate Ship! Together they talk as pirates and dance as pirates and search for the sunken treasure in the straights of Mackinaw.  

I’m actually forced to write about Michigan because as a native of that state it’s the place I know best. Jim Harrison

Our first full day there was a visit to Colonial Michilimackinac

Colonial Michilimackinac

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We were here a long time ago with my parents:

so that made it all the more special in that we were doing it again many many years later in our quest to scatter their ashes in a place that they enjoyed.

The fort here is totally reproduced and staffed with people who dress and talk to the history of the fort.  We very much enjoyed our day here….and the re-enactments as well as the people continuing to dig for the ongoing knowledge of the place.

I do know that I love placing my stories in Michigan because, if you collect all the ideas, it turns the whole state into one kaleidoscopic, frightening place. Michigan as house of horrors. Josh Malerman

The second day I took advantage of that free shuttle and caught a ferry   https://www.sheplersferry.com/  to Mackinac Island https://www.mackinacisland.org/visit/activities/—-a wonderful place where there are hundreds of bikes, many horses and no cars allowed.   It’s a busy little island but it won’t be for much longer–the horses are taken further south for the winter and you get around on snowmobile—no boats as in the dead of winter the straights are frozen–or you fly to the rest of Michigan….an d they tell me it gets cold here—really really cold and only about 200 or so people live here year round.

This was another place that I had visited with my parents, we had wandered around the town and then went back to the main land, but this time I took the tour  http://www.mict.com/ we were on a 2 horse cart for the first part—our particular cart had a particular import as one of our horses was known for the amount of farts and their length she produced.   Then I switched to a 3 horse cart and went into the outback of the island which included 3 cemeteries, one Catholic, one protestant and one military all situated along (both sides) a short expanse of the road.  There were also some interesting stone formations including a stone bridge with a great view of the lake.

Eventually I found my way back to the Ferry and homeward bound.  It was a great day and one I would certainly recommend to anyone who lives or who is visiting Michigan.  Oh wait I almost forgot the fort that’s also along your horse cart tour….it was an American Fort and the British attached it capturing it with only (reportedly) one volley—why so easy you ask–well you got to come here and find out.  Oh by the way that volley was the first shots fired in the War of 1812!!!   http://www.mightymac.org/fortmackinac.htm

When people think about Michigan, they usually think about cars. Sander Levin

So the area is full of history and beauty and has all manner of waterways and rock formations and all that—I was glad we came as I had forgotten why my parents wanted their remains to be scattered here—-in the years between our time there and our final destination of our quest to meet my parents wishes I’d forgotten a lot of that….camping again–even in a pop up rather than a tent reminded me why I prefer hotels—Poor dad he could teach me how to take pictures and we shared that and our love of reading and all but he could never convince me that sleeping on the ground was what was enjoyable in life….I guess two out of three ain’t bad huh daddy?

I don’t get back to Michigan nearly as much as I’d like to. Sherilyn Fenn

check out these moment so far in Season 3 to make you stop and think:

and Jamie as Dun Bonnet

I think we’ve got outstanding teaching in Michigan classrooms. John Engler

I understand that NASA reported that there’s new evidence of water on Mars. I’m here to report that we still don’t have any evidence of affordable gasoline in Michigan. David Bonior

The air is so fresh, the land untouched, and there are so many untraveled paths to explore. There truly is no place like the UP and when you’re there, life seems slower, simpler. It is how life should feel. I know that no matter how long I am gone from it, I can cross that bridge and feel at home and at peace. I could go on and on about the wonders and beauty of the Upper Peninsula, but I will never do the land, or the people, justice. I highly suggest to everyone out there to venture over the bridge and experience the UP, because unless you’ve been there, you will never understand.