Family Vacation: Mackinac Island

Who wouldn't want to explore an island with a sign like this??

Horses and bikes everywhere...no cars allowed on the Island!

Loved this sign!

Enjoying our snacks from the Cannonball snack shack.

This gorgeous road ran for 8 miles, all around the outside of the island. No cars allowed!

Outside the Grand Hotel!

Family Vacation: Mackinac Island

Once we got on the island, we wasted no time getting on our bikes and peddling around. We hit fun spots like Skull Cave and Arch Rock ... the sun was shinning and the sky was SO blue! What a gorgeous day!

Fort Mackinac...we toured the fort and had lunch there

Arch Rock

Family Vacation: Mackinac Island

I will have several posts about Mackinac Island, because it was just so beautiful ... it was our favorite day of vacation, and we waited and waited for the sun to come out all WEEK LONG for this day. This first post just covers the boat ride over. We took our bikes...and our chihuahua. (He proved very popular on the island, with people stopping us to pet him or take pictures of him in his smart little bike basket (which Nathan so kindly made for him, with a padded lid and everything, to keep him comfy on this trip). The boat ride took about 30 minutes, and was a blast. The kids got slightly bored, so we gave them my camera and told them to take photos. So a few of these are their pictures....

Making our way onto the Arnold ferry.

Lucca is ready for adventure!

Our brave, intrepid explorer!

Our bikes....in "steerage" ... shot by Rhylah

A shot by Asher, of something he found interesting. Gabe took the shot of the ropes, just below.

The Grand Hotel, from the water.

and....closer still.

Family Vacation: Day #5

We went to the Mill Creek Discovery Park, where the boys did a whole adventure tour, where they got to walk on a tree bridge, go down a huge zip line and climb a rock wall. Rhylah and I stuck to the ground, and had fun walking some trails. Afterward, we all walked the trails and we had a moment of nervousness when we thought we heard something growl in the forest. (The tour guide had recently told us about seeing bobcats in the area). But we made it alright!

We got to see a really neat demonstration where this guy showed us how a lumber mill works.

The old Mill.

Sunset over Lake Huron

Family Vacation: Day #4

The view from our little campsite in the morning.

Mackinaw Bridge in the fog.

Today we drove up over the Mackinaw Bridge into the U.P. to do some hiking at Tahquamenon Falls. It rained BUCKETS. But everyone was in a great mood as we got a good look at these spectacular falls!