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Mackinac Island, Michigan, is a beautiful island. Located in the Straits of Mackinac, it's about 8-9 miles in circumference.
There's the actual town of Mackinac Island, where the ships dock. Since 1898 (I think), there have been no motorized vehicles allowed on the island (for consumer use, at least) as they scared the horses.
Your modes of transportation are one of three:
1. Horse (and carriage) as a taxi, personal rental, or part of a tour (for about $30/adult). Or, just rent a horse for $50/hour/horse.
2. Bicycles. For rental all over the place in town.
3. Your two feet.
The town of Mackinac Island. Its Main Street -- the first thing you see after passing under the portico from any of the ferries -- is actually Huron Street. One parallel street behind, you have Market Street. There are a number of other streets in the town, too, all easily walkable (obviously). Since this is basically a tourist resort, you'll find about 80% of the establishments in town fall into one of the following categories: fudge shops (12 different companies have fudge shops here), bed & breakfasts, bike rentals, or restaurants (pizzeria, bar/saloon/burger joint). The only eyesore on the island is a Starbucks. It disgusts me to no end. If you intend to spend the night on the island, be prepared to have your wallet lightened substantially, especially in season (Memorial Day to Labor Day).
For overnight accommodations, the most famous place on the island is the Grand Hotel, which has the longest covered porch of any building in the world (660 ft./200 meters). It'll set you back over $400/night. There's no air conditioning. It was built in 1887 and is perfectly imperfect. They finished it in three months. Even to wander the grounds, you have to pay $10 per their signage. On a sunny summer day, it's beautiful, especially with all of the flags flying along the porch. If you aren't inclined to pay through the nose here, the B&Bs, during summer, would probably set you back around $300/night, but don't quote me on that. (The more frugal folks -- like me -- stay in Mackinaw City, slightly expensive, but reasonable, and take day trips to the island.
Speaking of "in season," Mackinac Island has less than 500 year-round residents. Yet, I think they clear 2 million tourists a year. The majority of them come from May-September.
To support that massive influx, there are 600 horses on the island in summer, but only about 200 stay on for winter.
More than the horses, they can't survive without a temporary summer workforce. On the island (and also in Mackinaw City and possibly St. Ignace), you'll find the majority of summer workers are eastern European. They stay until the end of September. This year, I bumped into Turkish, Polish, Montenegran, Serbian, Kosovan, and I'm not sure which other nationalities. Expect to meet some incredibly friendly and happy Europeans.
What's the history of this area? Recent (1600-now), is about all most people focus on. It was originally Native American land, then the French arrived, followed by Brits, and finally Americans.
As a result, there are forts around. Michilimackinac (in Mackinaw City) was the first fort, from the Brits, then Americans. Then the Brits relocated to the island (more strategic) and built Fort Mackinac. While at Fort Mackinac, they also decided to build a more rudimentary fort on the highest ground on the island: Fort George (which the Americans renamed Fort Holmes).
The forts were eventually in the Americans' hands and Fort Mackinac was garrisoned until 1895. So here's your fun trivia: Yellowstone National Park was the first national park created in the U.S. (and world) in 1872. The second national park in the U.S.? Mackinac Island, actually.
The island was a national park (as the parks were actually administered by the military prior to the creation of the Department of the Interior & National Park Service) and it was maintained as a national park until 1895 when the federal government trimmed back a bit and stopped having an active presence on the island. (At this point, the island went to the state and the entire island is now basically Mackinac State Park.)
As it's a state park, you'll find the majority of the island is actually natural -- lots of woods and beautiful walks and trails. Should you have a little wanderlust to get away from the town, you'll find the following:
1. A small airport in the middle of the island.
2. Two 9 hole golf courses (Jewel & Wawashkamo), though you could be creative and call it one where the front and back nine are a bit away from each other.
3. Cemeteries: Protestant, Catholic, and Military. (The military cemetery is one of only 5 in the nation that are permitted to fly flags at half mast year-round due to the unknown soldiers buried here.)
4. Hiking trails that lead to Fort Holmes, Skull Cave, Arch Rock, and other areas on the interior. (Skull Cave is very underwhelming in its current condition, though its history is interesting.)
Among the buildings in town that don't fall into one of the generic categories mentinoed above, you'll find at least 4 churches, the old fur trading store, a police station, a U.S. post office, a school, an old county courthouse (not current as Michilimackinac County no longer exists), an art museum, and a yacht club.
Fort Mackinac, by the way, is actually in town and the price of admission is $13.50 as of this writing. They have soldiers in period uniforms do weapons demonstrations (rifle, cannon), and have all of the buildings maintained to the time of its use (1875-95 or so). Some of the views of the town, Marquette Park, and cove with its two lighthouses are nice. Is it worth $13.50? I don't think so, but hey...if you're only here once, you ought to have a look, especially if the weather's nice and sunny.
During the summer, you'll find that June is the best time to come for flowers -- so many lilacs that the air smells more like flowers than horses. There are also the two boat regattas (Port Huron to Mackinac & Chicago to Mackinac) that end here in the straits. I believe those are in May or June.
All in all, there's a good reason that Mackinac Island is usually voted one of the ten best summer getaways in the country. It's unforgettable and, more than that, it's relaxing. Even with the excessive crowds. I know I haven't covered everything, but it's certainly enough to give you a good idea.
This is how we generally keep the back of the Oliver, as a full size bed (instead of as a 4-person dinette).
OOAK Tuesday Taylor
Reroot by Lolaxs... This doll does not have the rotating scalp, but I requested she be rerooted with two hair colors (pink & blonde).
Fashion by Dean Reen's Mini Modes. Shoes by Mego.
195/365
Alright, folks - my daily posting is about to go on a 11 or 12 day hiatus. Kathleen and I are going to be driving and camping in and around the New England area, and I'm exceedingly excited to get out of town. As far as the 365 project goes, I'll still be taking photos, and I may even get the chance to upload a few from the road, but most will wait until I get back to go up.
Until then.
Strobist:
1 sb600 camear right, bare, 1/2 power, through 43'' shoot-thru umbrella.
Triggered with Cactus V4s.
This leader class version of Jetfire is the first of this larger size class in Transformers Generations. This toy representation of the original G1 Autobot flyer is quite big. Pictured in robot mode.
While not perfect, he is a step up from the original voyager class Classics toy. His look and details are a step up, just his build quality and hollowness are detriments. Also the tacky red chrome chips off right out of the package.
His backpack can be removed and rotated, as well as his extra weapons. Unfortunately removing his arm guns shows hollow forearms. He also can remove his mask to have his original cartoon face.
I may one day strip the chrome and repaint him to match the box photos.
Dans : La Canadienne : le magazine du Canada français, v. 8, no 1 , octobre 1923, p. 14
Éditeur : Compagnie de publication Continentale
Genre : revues
Cote : PER C-149
Lieu de consultation : Grande Bibliothèque – Collection nationale
Lien vers BAnQ numérique : collections.banq.qc.ca/ark:/52327/2225348
Depeche Mode | Ahoy | Rotterdam | 30 November 2009
Some videos here:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqGkmJ9MboE
www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzcA1bbkEKM
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQFKFkwzOow
These are not great quality, just like the photos they were done with a pocket camera
that had big problems with the bright lights, but still a nice memory :)
Setlist:
www.setlist.fm/setlist/depeche-mode/2009/ahoy-rotterdam-n...
Sideswipe's Corvette Stingray mode driving around.
For this custom I tried a mid-weathered look, like the CGI renders of the character.
After studying some pics of the real car, I realized it's not actually chrome as I first thought, it's just silver with a few chromed parts and details, which I replicated here. Soon I'll upload more pictures of those details!
Thanks to the portrait orientation it is possible to use basic phone functions. However it's fair to say, mainly due to its width, that it is not the most comfortable phone to hold (people with large hands may find the opposite though(.
Ratchet gets the inevitable deluxe class redeco of Ironhide and joins the Classics/Universe line. Here he is in ambulance mode.
His alternative mode looks a bit better than his partner, with the white working a bit better with the puzzle pieced exterior.
This is my new body. A old Minolta 404si. I bought it on the fleamarket in copenhagen. My Minolta 85mm F1.4 D G is really nice on it and the focusing sounds of those two babys are amazing funky.
2 Strobes
Camera left on 1/16 YN-406 thru umbrella softbox
Camera far right behind a full powered window
Depeche Mode
Global Spirit Tour 2017
San Siro Stadium Milan, Italy IT
27th june 2017
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Depeche Mode at the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand on 27 August, 2013
Review at Twin Cities Daily Planet
Picture per day number twenty
Transformers Generations Arcee in her car mode.
After decades of waiting for an official G1 Arcee, we finally got a great representation of the female Autobot with this toy.
Her design and features are a step above most of the recent Generations releases. She can pose quite well with all her accessories.
To me, this probably will be my defacto Classics Arcee over other third-party releases I have.
I have the Takara-Tomy version of pre-order, and it remains to be seen which one I will prefer.