My Memorial Day weekend at Mackinac Island and the Straits (pix)

[F14CRAZY]

I was dying to take a decent vacation for a while and decided to reserve three nights at Mackinac Island's State Harbor, heading up there Friday and coming home Monday. For those not familiar with it the island is like Michigan's biggest resort/tourist destination. Has about 8 miles of shoreline and sits in Lake Michigan, just east of the Mackinac Bridge (between the upper and lower peninsulas). I kept track of the weather and wave conditions leading up to it, and with "2 feet or less", my Capri didn't have any trouble handling Lake Huron and Michigan.

My girlfriend and I launched the boat at Mackinac City around 3 pm on Monday and then went over to St. Ignace to pick up a couple of my friends that go to Lake Superior State in Sault Ste. Marie, then headed over to the island.

Motor vehicles aren't allowed on the island so horsedrawn carriage and bicycle are the primary vehicles there.

Me at the helm and my gf Maria on the port side. You can see my sweet side panels, cabin doors, and seats (bought the seats, made everything else)

Tying up was a pain with the high docks and poles plus the wakes that the ferry boats throw. Got my yacht ensign and BoatUS flags

my buddy Paige and tulips at Mission Point Resort

Arch Rock

 

[F14CRAZY]

Re: My Memorial Day weekend at Mackinac Island and the Straits (pix)

More views from Arch Rock

There's a lot of really, really nice summer houses

Skull Cave. As the story goes, a soldier took shelter in the cave overnight, then woke up and found he was sleeping on bones of Native Americans buried there

 

[F14CRAZY]

Re: My Memorial Day weekend at Mackinac Island and the Straits (pix)

Post Cemetery. One of three cemeteries in the US where the flag is always flown at half staff.

View from the highest point on the island, Fort Sumter (if I remember right lol)

Me blingin up the glass with Shaun watching (my buddy Paige's boyfriend)

me retrieving Maria's towel that fell in from the bow rail. The slip was 10-15' feet deep

View of the fort from the marina

 

[F14CRAZY]

Re: My Memorial Day weekend at Mackinac Island and the Straits (pix)

I was able to get one of the friendly harbor-hands to take a pic for us. Maria, me, Paige, and Shaun. They stayed for just one night on board before we took them back to St. Ignace so they could proceed on their camping trip. They didn't mind sleeping on the lounge seats. I kept lounge seats for both the seating and sleeping capacity.

Mackinac Bridge

Gotta love finding a canopy and camper top on Craigslist in good shape that's made for your boat

The famous Grand Hotel

 

[F14CRAZY]

Re: My Memorial Day weekend at Mackinac Island and the Straits (pix)

some shots of the grounds. Probably the most exclusive hotel in Michigan

We share some limited grilling skills but I was able to do some dogs

Casting off, taking Paige and Shaun back to St. Ignace

Went back to St. Ignace for a few hours to climb Castle Rock (stairs that go up to this big rock with a view and had lunch at a local restaurant)

Back in Mackinac City we toured the retired (2006) icebreaking ship Mackinac.

 

[F14CRAZY]

Re: My Memorial Day weekend at Mackinac Island and the Straits (pix)

Tried to go out for a sunset cruise. Clouds were blocking the sun but it still looked nice

Nearby Round Island lighthouse

 

[F14CRAZY]

Re: My Memorial Day weekend at Mackinac Island and the Straits (pix)

Oh, and the local Coast Guard "boarded" after I tied back up at our slip at the island and did a routine safety inspection, of which I passed with no violations. It's a really nice place/area to spend a few days in and explore. The facilities are pretty good at the island, Mackinac City, and St. Ignace. The marina at the island was a mere $27/night. It turned out to be a great trip, one I'd recommended and do again

 

[RotaryRacer]

Re: My Memorial Day weekend at Mackinac Island and the Straits (pix)

Wow. Looks like a great trip. I tried to make a similar trip in June of 2008. The weather didn't cooperate for us though.

Where do you call home?

 

[Thajeffski]

Re: My Memorial Day weekend at Mackinac Island and the Straits (pix)

nice dude, now where's the girls in bikini pics

 

[Billdc]

Re: My Memorial Day weekend at Mackinac Island and the Straits (pix)

I grew up in the area and that was a yearly trip, had and aunt and uncle that owned a resturarant in Mackinac city. Do they still have the golf course next to the hotel? I saw a women walking down the street to town hit in the head and knocked her out she went to the ground in a slump. I still think of that when I'm golfing. great pics, looks like it was great weather. Whats the water temp? 50 if that, looks nice, but you can't go in it yet.

 

[Huron Angler]

Re: My Memorial Day weekend at Mackinac Island and the Straits (pix)

Nice photos F14, you are making me start planning a similar excursion

$27/night sounds pretty darn reasonable. Did you put up a full enclosure for the night or under the stars?

BTW typically anything east of Big Mac is Lake Huron

 

[75TowerOfPower]

Re: My Memorial Day weekend at Mackinac Island and the Straits (pix)

i grew up stopping at Mackinaw/Mackinac island on our way to our Cabin on Manitoulin Island. I can't tell you how many times I have biked around that island. Just curious, I wonder if they allow backpacking over nights on the island?

The Grand Hotel is super expensive and pretty hard to get a cool room there. Although I think every room in there is decorated differently.

 

[Dkrager]

Re: My Memorial Day weekend at Mackinac Island and the Straits (pix)

Great pics, looks like a great time. Thanks for sharing!!

 

[dingbat]

Re: My Memorial Day weekend at Mackinac Island and the Straits (pix)

Tulips on Memorial Day? Let me that place to the list of places??
Seriously, looks like you had good time with good freinds.

 

[indy440]

Re: My Memorial Day weekend at Mackinac Island and the Straits (pix)

awesome pics, thats for sharing. You look to be around my age, maybe a little older (im 25). We dont see very many younger guys with their own boats around here.

 

[F14CRAZY]

Re: My Memorial Day weekend at Mackinac Island and the Straits (pix)

Wow. Looks like a great trip. I tried to make a similar trip in June of 2008. The weather didn't cooperate for us though.

Where do you call home?

yeah the weather and lake conditions can suck up there. It's kind of hit and miss. I usually check weather underground's marine forecast every day for like a week beforehand. I like in Dimondale which is about 10 miles southwest of Lansing. Family has a cottage in Mancelona which is where I often leave the Bayliner so I don't have to tow it as far

I grew up in the area and that was a yearly trip, had and aunt and uncle that owned a resturarant in Mackinac city. Do they still have the golf course next to the hotel? I saw a women walking down the street to town hit in the head and knocked her out she went to the ground in a slump. I still think of that when I'm golfing. great pics, looks like it was great weather. Whats the water temp? 50 if that, looks nice, but you can't go in it yet.

yup there's a golf course by the Grand Hotel still. My buddy Shaun worked on the island for a summer and said the bass are pretty nice in the ponds lol. The weather was great, 70s every day, not lower than like 50 at night, and no rain until later on Monday. Water temp for the area was around 60f, too cold for swimming but we did see some people trying it

Nice photos F14, you are making me start planning a similar excursion

$27/night sounds pretty darn reasonable. Did you put up a full enclosure for the night or under the stars?

BTW typically anything east of Big Mac is Lake Huron

It's definitely a nice place to visit for a few days. As pictured I put up the canopy (I want to call it a bimini but to me those don't snap to the windshield like mine does) and a camper top so we were entirely enclosed. My gf and I had the cabin while my friends were on the lounge seats

i grew up stopping at Mackinaw/Mackinac island on our way to our Cabin on Manitoulin Island. I can't tell you how many times I have biked around that island. Just curious, I wonder if they allow backpacking over nights on the island?

The Grand Hotel is super expensive and pretty hard to get a cool room there. Although I think every room in there is decorated differently.

it's a nice place to bike...I think I read that they don't allow backpacking/camping though, but I'd agree it'd be a nice place to do that

Tulips on Memorial Day? Let me that place to the list of places??
Seriously, looks like you had good time with good freinds.

a great time indeed. You could tell the tulips were on their way out though

awesome pics, thats for sharing. You look to be around my age, maybe a little older (im 25). We dont see very many younger guys with their own boats around here.

I'm actually 22. I got into stand up jet ski's a few years ago and one day decided I HAD to have a boat and picked one up within the week (does not include the new stringers and deck, sterndrive work, the new seats, new side panels...that was another 2 years in the making)

 

[Chuck1a]

Re: My Memorial Day weekend at Mackinac Island and the Straits (pix)

Cool trip and neat pictures. Thanks for sharing.