At the somewhat larger Mackinaw City, we hope to stock up for our future travels into the remote areas of the North Channel. Mackinaw City, like St. Ignace, is a gateway to Mackinac Island.
Mackinaw City is 3 times busier with visitors than St. Ignace. With the advantage of being on the lower peninsula side of Michigan, catching a ferry to Mackinac Island does not involve traffic jams, or the $4.00 toll, to cross the Mackinac Bridge. Mackinaw City is what many visitors would say is a tourist trap; even the Michigan Attorney General agrees. The Lieghio Family, who owns over 20 hotels and many of the restaurants in Mackinaw City, recently has been investigated and charged with “unfair and deceptive practices”. While they maintain the charges are racially motivated due to the Lieghio Family’s Italian heritage, the investigation continues as consumer complaints regarding their hotel operations are uncovered. We do not worry about hotel issues, as we have our own “Floating Hotel” at the Mackinaw Straits State Harbor.
The Canadian wildfire smoke still comes and goes. Some days, we are smoked out, but other days we are in the clear. You just never know…
On the days we were visiting, the Conkling Heritage Park, near the marina, was host to the 29th Rendezvous and 18th Century Trade Fair. I am not sure of the purpose, but lots of folks, on this warm August day, are dressed up in heavy wool period garb and reside in rudimentary tepees and tents for the weekend. While some of them sell your necessary 18th century pewter dishes, wool clothing, and beaver pelts, others are there for the encampment and fun. Occasionally, when you would least expect it, a cannon or musket would fire shocking your heart and jolting your body.
Since our goal of stocking up at Mackinaw City didn’t exactly involve bear furs, fox purses, $9.99 t-shirts, mackinaw city shot glasses or coffee mugs, we decide to rent a car to reach our goal: Walmart. Fifteen miles away in Cheboygan, MI lies all the the goods we need, and more, within the walls of a Super Walmart. I can’t believe it has come to this, but I’m excited to shop at Walmart! $370.00 later, we head back to Prime 11 with a car load of goods, wondering where in the world all this “stuff” will go!
It was a short stay in Mackinaw City, but we had fun being tourists and enjoying the sights, but maybe not the sounds so much. 😉
Tomorrow we will travel to Mackinac Island and complete the trifecta of this area!