We had a relatively easy connection to get to Grand Rapids, Michigan
from Sacramento. Joy and I connected in Denver.
Welcome To Pure Michigan greeted the Roys as we departed from Gerald
Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids in our rental car for
Northern Michigan!
Joy and I decided to talk a nice walk along Lake Cadillac after we
checked into our hotel in Cadillac, MI. It was a nice change from
the shit hole called Sacramento!
There is so much history back in the East Coast and Midwest!
Northern Michigan is conservative. They do not let Antifa thugs
ruin their monuments!
For overnight guests, Shepler's Ferry Service in Mackinaw City has a
special lot where one can check in their luggage all the way to their
hotel on the island and park right by the ferry.
Lake Huron is so beautiful and clear!
Joy and I are ready to board the Miss Margy to head over to Mackinac
Island. Mackinac is pronounced Mackinaw.
Here is a great view of the Mackinac Bridge which connects the lower
and upper peninsulas of Michigan. This suspension bridge is about
5 miles long.
The Great Lakes have a lot of shipping traffic too. It is
possible to go from the Atlantic all the way to Duluth, Minnesota via
the Great Lakes system.
Once we arrived on the island, we could see how beautiful the water
was. There is a lighthouse off in the distance here.
The island only has horse drawn carriages and taxis along with
bikes. There are no cars or buses on the island. except for 6
emergency or public service vehicles.
I thought the ferry might have been a time machine that took us back to
the 1800s!
We enjoyed our walking tour of the island and taking in the New England
colonial style buildings.
Up on the hill is historic Ft. Mackinac which was established by the
British in the 1700s.
There was an old church near the entrance to the fort also.
Mackinac Island is known for fudge! We made sure to go visit a
fudge shop on the island. The fudge is made by hand.
Joy and I made sure to buy some fudge to bring back home to California
also.
We decided to walk to the Mission Point Resort after we had lunch and
bought our fudge.
The harbor area was really nice.
This is the St. Anne's Church on the island.
These beautiful flowers were the start of the Mission Point Resort.
The resort had an executive putting green overlooking Lake Huron.
We walked under the shade of these large trees to the lobby of the
resort
This was a cool fountain as we continued our walk.
There was a horse drawn shuttle leaving the resort as we arrived.
After checking in and having our luggage brought to the room, we
checked out the welcome opera!
The welcome opera was on an outdoor pavillion overlooking Lake Huron
with a small orchestra providing the instrumental part of the musicial
performance.
The trio of opera singers did a great job on their rendition of La
Traviata.
Joy is posing with our resort in the background.
The pool was small, but it was nice.
This adirondack chair is calling me!
Yes, it did call me. I loved sitting by the lake with my feet in
the chilly waters.
I felt like a mint julep, but I settled for some amazing lemonade my
wife brought me from the bar since they did not alcohol to be taken out
of the bar area.
The Roys are ready for a fancy dinner at the Grand Hotel! Jacket
and tie are required after 6:30 at the Grand Hotel for men.
We stopped for some ice cream at Kilwin's on the way to dinner. I
worked out extra the week before in anticipation of these calories!
I had Kilwin's Toasted Coconut Ice Cream before in Missouri! It
is amazing so I could not wait to have it on this trip!
We took the horse drawn shuttle from downtown to the Grand Hotel for
dinner.
We passed through the nice golf course of the Grand Hotel.
As we approached the Grand Hotel, we were in awe of this beautiful
property!
Our carriage operator showed us the Jockey Club where had dinner
reservations before she dropped us off at the main building of the
Grand Hotel.
We went up to the Cupola Bar at the Grand Hotel to have some drinks and
take in the amazing views!
Joy and I are dressed in formal attire since a jacket and tie are
required for me after 6:30 on the property.
I ordered a mint julep with Woodford Reserve as my drink that evening.
After drinks, we took in the beautiful lobby of the Grand Hotel.
A harpist was playing live music.
These ladies are waiting to provide a coffee service.
We posed for a picture by this nice chandalier.
We saw this old Hong Kong style rick shaw so Joy had to check it out.
The Grand Hotel had a nice outdoor veranda with rocking chairs.
I loved all the flags on the property! They are not shy about
showing their patriotism!
As we walked to the Jockey Club for dinner we passed another horse
drawn shuttle.
We are seated here at our table for dinner at the Jockey Club.
We had a great view of the golf course from table.
This was my starter from the prix fixe menu. The chilled shrimp
were good!
Joy and I woke up to a cloudy scene over Lake Huron.
My first order of the day was to find the coffee shop and get my iced
Americano.
We went for a nice walk on the grounds of the Mission Point Resort
after I got my iced Americano.
This was a cool little bridge by the executive putting greens.
The lake shore was really calm and peaceful.
The island had lots of art work displayed outdoors. There were no
Antifa clowns on the island to damage them. LOL.
We saw a horse drawn carriage as we approached the lobby area.
I took a selfie with the horses.
Our breakfast started out with a platter of pastries and fresh fruit.
I got the Michigan Brioche French Toast which was served with fresh
berries and caramel sauce.
We went to Ft. Mackinac after breakfast.
This historic fort was built by the British in 1780.
I am pictured by one of the cannons. Yes, it was drizzling a
little that morning.
This is a block house which was an old fortified building which could
withstand heavy battering while allowing soldiers to fire at the
enemies.
We saw a live cannon firing demonstration also.
Here is a view of the harbor from the fort.
We had Jamaican food for lunch at Kingston Kitchen. There are
lots of Jamaicans who work on the island for the summer season.
The Scotch Bonnet pepper sauce reminded me of my trip to Jamaica a few
years back.
After getting back to the mainland, we drove over the Mackinac Bridge
into the Upper Peninsula of Michigan towards Sault St. Marie.
My wife works for the US Army Corps of Engineers who built and operate
the Soo Locks in Sault St. Marie.
This boat is ready to make the passage from Lake Superior to Lake Huron
via the Soo Locks on the St. Mary's River.
Once the water level is lowered, the boat is able to move into Lake
Huron. There is about a 21 foot drop from Lake Superior to Lake
Huron so these locks are needed.
We drove out to see the Point Iroquis Light House after touring the Soo
Locks in Sault St. Marie.
This is Lake Superior. It looked quite violent with the storm
coming in. I have now seen all the five Great Lakes!
I had a weird sensation that I was being followed in the UP. Oh
wait! Is that Big Foot? LOL. JK. The UP
residents think of themselves as "Yoopers."
We went back to Sault St. Marie for dinner at the Lock View
Restaurant. I tried the White Fish of Lake Superior. It was
not bad for being a freshwater fish.
Joy and I decided to have a night cap at this Irish Pub in Sault St.
Marie.
I was happy to be able to drink in a bar again. Comrade Communist
Newsom of the People's Republic of California shut down the bars,
indoor dining, and gyms due to "Covid." We know the liberals are
doing this on purpose.
I liked this sign at Biggby Coffee. It says if one does not wear
a mask, they will not refuse service since they assume it is for
medical reasons. Masks need to be optional. The government
can not order this action!
We crossed back over the Mackinac Bridge into the lower peninsula of
Michigan and saw both Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.
We had lunch at the Dixie Saloon in Mackinaw City after crossing the
bridge.
Michigan is known for craft breweries. I had a nice blueberry
lemonade shandy which had actual blueberries in it.
I needed to get more Kilwins Ice Cream!
After we left Mackinaw City, we headed back to Grand Rapids. We
did a little shopping before heading to our anniversary dinner at Leo's
in downtown Grand Rapids. The downtown area was safe and clean.
Mr. and Mrs. Roy are seated at Leo's for a nice fine dining experience
for their 2nd anniversary here.
Leo's left a heart on our table since it was our anniversary.
I got the surf and turf for my dinner which included a 6 oz filet
mignon paired with a lobster tail. My Manhattan was OK, but it
did not compare to the one at Catch in Las Vegas a few weeks ago!
Joy and I had breakfast at Bob Evan's in Grand Rapids since the
Doubletree still did not have their restaurant open yet due to
Covid-19. We got some banana nut bread for my dad.
We flew out of Grand Rapids the next day and connected planes at
Chicago Midway Airport. I was able to see the skyline of Chicago
here from the plane!
I was able to get a latte at Dunkin' Donuts Express at Midway Airport.
I saw a vintage Southwest livery plane at Chicago Midway. I love
air travel, and I encouraged people on social media to fly again!
This pandemic is not as bad as people are saying.
I took this picture of Midway Airport from the air as we took off for
California.
I loved seeing a lot of support for President Trump in Michigan!
My wife and I decided
to spend our 2nd anniversary in Michigan exploring the Great Lakes
region of Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula! Since we
were in the midst of a "global pandemic" due to Covid-19, we did not
have much options for international travel in 2020 so Joy and I decided
to knock out a lot of our domestic bucket list items as Southwest had a
lot of great deals on flights to get people back to traveling. I
really do not think the pandemic is as bad as the liberal media has
portrayed it to be. Furthermore, it is obivious leftists like
California's Governor are shutting down the states to try to hurt our
President's re-election. Joy and I were sick of California!
We could not eat indoors in restaurants, go to the gym, or even get a
hair cut in California! The idiot governor expected people to eat
outdoors in the blistering heat of summer. So, Joy and I decided
to leave California as often as we could during this pandemic.
Our flight from Sacramento took us to Denver where
we connected to another Southwest flight to Grand Rapids,
Michigan. Grand Rapids is in Western Michigan. The flights
were OK, but I missed the usual beverage service with sodas and the
alcohol that was available for purchase on Southwest. My
Southwest drink coupons were ready to be used! It took us about
the whole day to get to Grand Rapids with the time difference.
After arriving into Gerald Ford International Airport, we got our
rental car and drove off to a town called Cadillac in Northern
Michigan. Cadillac is a small city on a nice lake called Lake
Cadillac. Joy and I enjoyed a nice walk along the lake after we
checked into the Hampton Inn. It was nice to have the usual
display with snack options for Gold and Diamond guests at the Hampton
Inn. Moreover, they had their self service beverage stations
still in the lobby. The pool and gym were open too!
Yeah! I could work out on an actual ellipitcal again! Fuck
Newsom! I hate California so bad. Excuse my language.
After our walk at the beautiful park in Cadillac, we headed off to get
some ice cream after we ran into a nice couple who told us where to go
get some great tasting ice cream. The people in Michigan were
super friendly unlike the leftist idiots in Sacramento. Moreover,
the area was so clean and free of homeless people. California has
become a third world state thanks to the liberals. Joy and I got
Chinese take out from House of Hunan before heading back to our
hotel. I was so excited to eat "East Coast" Chinese since I grew
up on this food when we lived in Ohio and Pennsylvania. I got my
gym work out in too that night! We were also treated to a
thunderstorm which is something we almost never see in Sacramento.
The next day, we headed out for Mackinac Island on
Lake Huron. Along our drive up Northern Michigan, we saw lots of
Trump signs! I was so happy to see that much support for our
President! After arriving in Mackinaw City, we found the
Shepler's Ferry Terminal. We were instructed to go the back where
they would take our luggage and tag them so they can be "shipped"
straight to our hotel on the island. Afterwards, we were able to
go pick up our ferry tickets which were included with the $379 room
rate at the Mission Point Resort on Mackinac Island. We were on
the ferry soon and heading back in time to a place where there were no
cars. On our ferry ride, we saw the Mackinac Bridge which
connects the two peninsulas of Michigan.
After arriving on Mackinac Island, Joy and I saw
horse drawn carriages and taxis everywhere as the only way to get
around the island is on foot, on bike, or via these horse drawn
vehicles. We enjoyed a nice walk seeing the old Victorian and New
England colonial style buildings. The movie Somewhere In Time with
Christopher Reeve was filmed on this island in the 1980s. Joy and
I enjoyed some of the famous Mackinac Island fudge too before having
lunch at a local bar. We both enjoyed dining indoors in a
restaurant! I know. This sounds so silly, but we were
deprived in California during the pandemic with no indoor restaurant
dining.
We walked to the Mission Point Resort from the
downtown area. The Mission Point Resort was spread out over prime
lake front real estate. We saw an executive putting course, lots
of adirondack chairs on the lush greens, and the occasional horse drawn
carriage or taxi. After we checked in, we were officially
welcomed to the resort with a live opera on the outdoor pavillion
overlooking Lake Huron! The trio of opera singers performed
selections from La Traviata. I got my Jack and diet soda and
relaxed as I experienced the opera music. They were quite
good. In the backgrounds, there were lots of flowers, the lake,
and the occasional kite flying in the sky. Life was sweet!
We were out of the hustle and bustle of the shit hole one calls
Sacramento, California! LOL.
I went down to put my feet in the lake after the
opera performance. The resort had chairs right on the beach
area. However, I soon learned how cold the water was! Lake
Huron is beautiful and clear, but the water is not super warm. I
was craving a mint julep with the backdrop of this vintage high end
resort, but the bar tender would not allow alcohol to be taken out of
the bar area so my wife brought me a good lemonade instead.
We had dinner reservations at the Jockey Club that
night so we had to change into our formal wear since the Grand Hotel
requires proper attire after 6:30 PM. I took a jacket and tie
when I was told the dress code when reservations were made. There
was a horse drawn shuttle from the Mission Point Resort to
downtown. In downtown, I was able to get my favorite toasted
coconut ice cream from Kilwins before we continued onto the Grand Hotel
via their horse drawn carriage shuttle. As we approached the
beautiful classic hotel with the large veranda and lush grounds, we
were both really happy we made this trip! The carriage dropped us
off at the main entrance. Afterwards, we went to the top of the
hotel where we enjoyed some drinks at the Cupola Bar. This bar
overlooks the lake. I did order a mint julep here with Woodford
Reserve. Joy and I explored the super posh Grand Hotel afterwards
and enjoyed walking around the beautiful property.
Our dinner at the Jockey Club was nice, but we were
both tired and still adjusting to the three hour time difference so we
ended up taking most of our dinners and the dessert to go. The
restaurant called a horse drawn taxi for us to take us back to the
Mission Point after dinner. We did try the dessert once we got
back into our room.
The next morning, we enjoyed a nice walk around the
lake front at the Mission Point Resort before breakfast. I had a
great iced Americano from the coffee shop at the resort. Our
breakfast was included in the $379 room rate. I was very
impressed with the food and service at breakfast.
We explored the historic Ft. Mackinac after
breakfast. It was drizzling a little, but we still got to see the
cannon firing demonstration. The British built this fort, and
they handed it over to the United States many years after the
Revolutionary War once the border between the US and Canada were
finalized. The blockhouses in the fort reminded me of what I saw
in the Canadian Maritimes last summer.
Joy and I had a great lunch at a Jamaican restaurant
in town before we caught the ferry to get back to the mainland.
Once we got back to the mainland, we drove over the Mackinac Bridge
into the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The Upper Peninsula was
mostly wilderness. Our drive took us up to the US-Canada border
in Sault St. Marie. We checked into our Hampton Inn before
exploring the Soo Locks. These locks allow ships to sail between
Lake Superior and Lake Huron on the St. Mary's River. There is
about a 21 foot drop from Lake Superior to Lake Huron so these locks
are needed to allow ships to pass. We had traveled through the
Panama Canal before, but this was cool to see the locks working up
close. The US Army Corps of Engineers built these locks in the
1800s which shocked me since I did not think they had the technology to
do this back then!
We went out of town afterwards to go see a
lighthouse on Lake Superior. The weather got worse that afternoon
as the rain came in. Lake Superior looked very violent too!
We enjoyed some local Whitefish for dinner at the Locke View Restaurant
in Sault St. Marie before getting a drink at an Irish Pub in
town. I was super excited to be able to drink in a bar
again! California bars were shut down still.
The next day, we crossed back into the lower
Peninsula. We had a nice indoor lunch in Mackinaw City. I
also got to try a local beer too. We continued down to Grand
Rapids where we did some shopping at the outlet mall. My company
was rewarding me with lots of gift cards during this Work From Home
(WFH) time due to Covid-19 so I ended up getting another pair of Nike
shoes. I have more shoes than Joy! LOL.
Joy and I enjoyed a nice romantic dinner at Leo's in
downtown Grand Rapids that night for our 2nd anniversary! We
walked around the downtown area first. Both of us were amazed at
how safe it was! Downtown Sacramento and many other California
cities are not safe at night! The dinner and service at Leo's was
great. After starting with some oysters, I had the
gazpacho. Then, my main entree was the filet mignon and lobster
tail. We skipped dessert since we had our sweet treats earlier in
the day in Mackinaw City.
As Joy and I celebrated our 2nd year together as man
and wife, we enjoyed the Great Lakes. I think Mackinac Island
needs to be on everyone's bucket list! How did we hear about this
place? Our first trip post-Covid 19 was to Reno to hang out with
a bunch of our friends. One of the couples we are friends with
had been here before so they gave us the idea to do this trip for our
anniversary!