Drummond Is then to Mackinaw

Mackinaw Is – tourist mecca

We spent a day at Drummond after clearing customs. The hooha that we had been warned about not re-stamping our visas on re-entry into USA was a non event. The customs officer asked a few questions and stamped our passports with a 6 month visa until February 2016.

We rented a car to go and do some provisioning at the grocery store some miles away and had lunch at Pins bar & Grill (which had a pin bowling alley within the restaurant). After docktails with most of the other boaters (about 7 couples) at the marina we later celebrated our admission back into the USA with a bottle of champagne kindly bought by Ted & Sue.

We made a calm trip to Mackinaw Is with steady, light rain & poor visibility for most of the way. We saw 2 large freighters in the distance and Ted's AIS (an instrument that transmits speed, description, position & ID of vessel ) noted that one of these was 143 metres long & the other 258metres – which is massive.

Mackinaw Island is a sight to behold with beautiful large Victorian style homes and multi roomed hotels, inns & B&Bs all lining the waterfront the largest of which is The Grand Hotel with 390 rooms and a porch of over 1200ft.The era is 1800 with horse drawn carriages and colonial homes surrounded by colorful, perfectly tended gardens and huge hanging baskets lining the street frontages. No vehicles are permitted (except the island ambulance) & everyone moves via foot, bicycle or horse. But with many tourists wobbling about on bicycles having not ridden for many years & children taking advantage of the wide carless streets you need your wits about you. We saw a lady hit by a bicycle, taken away by ambulance and the next day she had her arm in a sling.

This was once a huge fur trading post & later lumber & fishing. Now the industry is tourism with a capital T. An island 8 miles round criss crossed by hiking, biking & horse trails. Last weekend they had 50,000 visitors most of whom arrive by ferry. We are here on a week day and it is busy enough. We took a carriage ride & saw the grand homes, trails, and carriage barns & stables. We visited the large, stately, stone palisade of Fort Mackinaw. Built in 1780 the fort walls contain 14 original buildings with 1880's period furnishings, displays and period costumed guides. Canons & muskets were fired, fife & drums played and silly tourists (including us) taught an old courting dance. We also viewed the governor's residence where many presidents have slept.

We walked along the waterfront past umpteen fudge, souvenir, craft shops, cafes & restaurants with no sign of a Starbucks or McDonalds. The island is very tightly controlled by the powers that be. We choose a reasonably priced place for dinner where we exchanged travel & boat stories after we had finally persuaded the very nice host to turn the music volume down.

At the moment it is blowing 20+ knots so we will wait & see what the weather is doing in the morning & make a decision whether to stay or go.