Mackinac Island Fun and Antiques Part 2

Yesterday I shared part of our trip to Mackinac Island and some of the cool antiques we saw there.  There were just too many pictures to share in one post.

It occurred to me that I didn't post a picture of the fort itself.  Then I realized I had one from the previous year when I went with my daughter and her friends.  I took this from the ferry, just before we landed at the dock.

In fact here are some pretty stunning views from the fort

Back inside the fort, I'm going to start out with one of my favorite items.  I'm sure it is a reproduction, but it is cool.  Can you spot it?

It's actually three things.  Yes it's the trunks.  Aren't they perfectly awesome?  Even the color is amazing!  I see a DIY in this picture.

The mailbox cubbies on the wall were pretty neat too, and look at that clock on top of them!  I know the purists will hate me, but I would love to see this painted white and antiqued.  If it was truly an antique, I wouldn't do it though.

Around the corner in the Lieutenant's quarters stood this amazing wardrobe.  Okay this is my favorite.  It is simple but elegant, and it looks DIYable.   The picture is bad because I was shooting through glass.

Are these old billard balls not gorgeous???

Look at the beautiful swirls of color in the ivory.

The bath house was built later in the war.  Check out the wood heated, galvanized hot water tank.  

Each stall had it's own claw foot bathtub.  

Again, I'm shooting through glass so you see reflections.  The one room school house was very small, but I doubt if there were many children on the island.   The chairs caught my eye.  They look like some I saw in World Market when we visited our daughter downstate last week.

The last building is the quartermaster's storehouse.  These floors were the first thing I noticed.  They were rough and rustic and painted black.  I'm not sure I would want them in my house, but they would be great on a porch.

The store was loaded with all the things a soldier needed.  It was "slim pickins" for shopping ladies.  Life on the island was pretty spartan back then.  (Sorry...this room was really dark so the pictures are pretty fuzzy.)

I love this desktop organizer.  I need one...now!  The object in front of it that looks like a chair, is really a dolly with a barrel on it.

You can buy these old paper roll holders on ebay, if you want to plunk down several hundred dollars.  But I would love to have one for my packing/shipping area!  The iron thing in front of it was a mystery, but after some research, I believe it is a tobacco cutter.  I thought it was an vintage stapler...like they had staples back then...duh!

We spent a couple hours inside the fort, then had a picnic lunch on the beautiful grounds of Marquette Park which sits down the hill and in front of the fort.

After lunch we hopped on our bikes and took a self-guided tour of the main highlights of the island.  We brought our own bikes over on the ferry ride.  It cost $8 per bike to bring over, so we spent $40, but to rent bikes would cost as much for just one bike for the day.  There are no vehicles on the island except for an ambulance and fire truck.  You either bike, rent a horse drawn carriage (read expensive), or hoof it.  

source: Wikipedia    Author: Eli Duke

One of the most famous natural highlights on the island is Arch Rock. 

The views from here are breathtaking.  The color of the water fades from deep blue to aqua near the shore.  Down below there is a bike path that runs all around the island.  I've biked it several times in the past, but we chose to bike the inner island this time.  

Probably the most famous building on the island, besides the fort, is the Grand Hotel.  Years ago I got to take a tour of it with the Girl Scouts.  It is gorgeous, yet the historical aspect of it has been well preserved.

source: Wikipedia, Author: Dehk

This hairy looking rock is called Sugar Loaf.  It got it's name because it resembled the cone shaped baskets used to pack maple sugar, the popular sweetener of the time.  It is huge!  Tyler is standing at the base of it in this picture...he is 6'4".

The kids had to climb around on it of course...and mom had to take pictures of course!

 There is a hole on the other side that the kids climbed into.  It fit all three of them quite comfortably.

A nice couple agreed to take our picture (we took one of them too).  From our family to yours, if you get a chance to visit Mackinac Island in Michigan, just do it.  You won't regret it.  Oh and don't forget to pick up some fudge from one of the many fudge shops in town.  You won't regret that either!