Just Plain Fun

The last couple of posts have been about long flights and I still need to tell the story of our July Fourth flight to Boston, Martha’s Vineyard and Lewiston, Maine but you need to keep in mind that between these epic journeys, we generally fly someplace every 2 weeks.  Some of these are informative (the Ford Museum in Dearborn or the Air Force Museum in Dayton).  Some of these are “always wanted to go” to, like the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.  Some are just plain bizarre (like Jolene wanting to visit the “World’s Largest Truck Stop” in Walcott Iowa (no, I haven’t succumbed to THAT one yet).  But every once in awhile, there is a trip that is just plain fun.  This is one of those.  First, if you’re not from the Midwest, a geography lesson.  Mackinac Island is a little dot of land between the upper

and lower peninsulas of Michigan and is spitting distance from Canada. It is only 3.8 square miles in area and motor vehicles on the island are prohibited…except for airplanes. It is known for the annual sailboat race from Chicago to Mackinac, a competition for America’s Cup class sailboats. It is also known as the site of the movie “Somewhere in Time” with Christopher Reeves and Jane Seymour. It has the only state highway in the country on which motor vehicles are banned (M185). This highway is 8.3 miles long and encircles the island. It is a VERY cool place to go but not terribly accessible, (Google maps shows it as 7.5 hours by car) and it can be very expensive ($32 to bring you and your bike on the ferry (after you’ve driven 7.5 hours). Alternatively, you can rent a bike for $45 for the day). Now, naturally, no one is going to drive 7.5 hours to Mackinac and then turn around and drive back, you’re going to stay a day or two, aren’t you? While you’re there, why not stay at the Grand Hotel, perhaps you’ll run into Jane Seymour? After all, a Category 1, described, as “small interior view guest room” is only $500 per night double occupancy. You could probably score a lesser-known room for oh say $350 per night but, you get the idea, not cheap.

Well, I cooked up a way to enjoy Mackinac Island at minimal cost (of course we NEVER talk about the cost of the flying itself).  I took the back seat out of the plane (4 bolts, 10 minutes) and piled two bicycles back there.  For those of you old enough to remember the television show “Then Came Bronson”, we call this picture, “Then Came Jolene”.  Alternatively, if you remember the Marlon Brando movie “The Wild One”, we call, this, “The Mild One”. 

But I get ahead of myself.  The flight to Mackinac was a wonderful flight all along the Western shore of Lake Michigan, like this.

It’s about 3 hours but REALLY scenic, like flying in the Caribbean. The first time we went there, I was flying along for 3 hours or so and the GPS was telling me the Island was 3 miles in front of me; so at 130 miles an hour, I should have been maneuvering for landing but I couldn’t see an island big enough to land on. It was then that my co-pilot’s voice came over the intercom. “So, when are you going to maneuver to land?” I responded, “I would but I don’t see an island big enough to land on.” She said, “That’s Mackinac, right in front of us.” I told her, “No way but okay, I’ll teach you a lesson.” So I started to maneuver “as if” there was a runway on the island she was pointing to. A minute later, as I lined up on the island, a runway appeared as a slice through the trees. I exclaimed, “Holy crap! There’s a runway on that island!” Jolene came right back with, “Oh no, there couldn’t be because that would mean you were wrong.” (No damn respect for the Pilot in Command.)

Well, we landed. Unpacked the bikes, rode into town and had lunch at the Yankee Rebel.

After lunch, we rode up to the fort for the view.

A little history. The British built Fort Mackinac during the Revolutionary War because the location was strategically important. It is built on the highest point of the Island overlooking the harbor and the Straits of Mackinac. During the war, it changed hands a few times. At the beginning of the War of 1812, the Americans were solidly in control of the Fort and commanded the harbor and the Straits. It was then that the British cheated. They landed their men on the northern side of the island, walked up behind the Americans in the Fort who were busily watching the harbor, and tapped them on the shoulder. The British held the Fort until the end of that war and then returned it to the Americans, laughing the whole while.
From the Fort, we took M185 for the ride around the Island. The views are spectacular. Like this.

On the way back to the airport, we rode past the Grand Hotel to catch sight of Jane Seymour (no such luck) and those paying $500-$800 per night (now we were laughing).

The flight back was every bit as scenic as the flight there.

And if you’re curious just what the back of a Cessna looks like with two bikes crammed in:

Like I said, a day of just plain (or should I say plane) fun!