THE STRAITS OF MACKINAC

In 1671 at the village of St. Ignace on Michigan's Upper Peninsula Father Marquette established his Mission in order to bring the Christian Message to several thousand Indians who inhabited this area. They were primarily of the Huron, Ojibwa and Ottawa Nations. Father Marquette named the Mission St. Ignace in honor of St. Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuit Order.








In 1673 Fr. Marquette made his great voyage on the Mississippi to bring Christianity to the Iroquois Indians in Illinois. During this voyage he became ill and as it became apparent that he was dying he asked his companions to help him return to St. Ignace. Fr. Marquette never made it. He died several hundred miles South of the Mission in 1675. In 1677 some Christian Indians found his grave and returned his bones to St. Ignace where they were interred. This monument marks his burial site.






Two views of the magnificent "Big Mac" as the Mackinac Bridge is sometimes called.
An engineering marvel at the time it was constructed it was the longest bridge in the world.
You can't tell from this benign shot but this bridge spans the Straits of Mackinac where there is some of the roughest water in the Great Lakes. Winter conditions here are unforgiving, and summer is short.

Views of Mackinac Island

The view from the only "highway" in Michigan that does not allow cars. Seriously this is a designated highway that circles the island and it is for bikes and horses and walkers.

The so-called "West Mansions" on Mackinac Island

Mackinac Island Ferries create quite a wake, no wonder the Straits are so "lumpy"

and...

Mackinac Bridge connecting the Upper Peninsula with the rest of Michigan

Mackinac Island Views

An Inuksuk on the shore of Mackinac Island

Remember, I can't explain the geology stuff! Anyway a picture is worth a thousand words.

But that doesn't keep me from admiring the results. I can't believe we hiked all the way up from the road you see at the bottom of this picture

And from the road looking up!

Mackinac Island Marina Views

This was the view from our sundeck, are we lucky or what? Some of these mansions date to the 1890's
Fort Mackinac as seen from the marina. It is a steep walk up that hill.

If we look the other direction we see the lighthouse and the dock master's office.

The Fabulous Grand Hotel

The famous, and fabulous Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island

Open each summer from early May until late October.

When it opened in 1887 you could stay here for only $3.00 a night! Wonder what salaries were back then?

The World's Longest Porch

They call this the world's longest porch

Taxi!

We loved the flags!

Grand Gardens

What a view! I could get uses to this, especially if someone else

was doing the mowing and deadheading

The mane is Daylily!

The Grand Rose Walk looks more like a cottage garden.