The Wheels on the Bike Go Round and Round...

Wednesday, our last full day on Mackinac Island.

We were ready to leave our room about 11am.  For lunch we dined at the Village Inn. We ate breakfast at this place each morning on our previous trip. Lunch was great. While there we wrote on the post cards for the grandmonsters.

After lunch we walked to the post office. Between the restaurant and the post office we stopped in the shops on Market Street.  We found a potential purchase in one. It was a 'thumbpiano'. We made note but didn't want to carry things with us yet.

The post office on Mackinac Island accepts mail but does not deliver it. You must come to the post office to get your mail. Mailing errand complete we discussed how to fill the surprise of a sunshine filled day.

Back to Main Street and across to the bike rental place. Oh My Goodness...were we really going to do this. Yep, two 60+ year olds who have not ridden a pedal bike in F O R E V E R were going to rent and rides bikes. Here is Claude renting our bikes. We briefly discussed a tandem bike but since we couldn't even strum guitars together we didn't feel we could pedal bikes together. So we each got our own bike.

The guy that gave us our bikes suggested we go to the end of their drive where the concrete had a bit of a downward slant. That would be a better place to start trying to ride. Right there on Main Street in front of all the tourist on The Island. Oh man...prayers were being said that I would NOT fall flat on my face as I started out.

How good it felt to actually stay upright on the bike, a little wobbly in the beginning, but upright and going forward. Yeah us!!!

Our goal was to go to Arch Rock and take pictures from the bottom. We were off.  We actually arrived there in one piece with no falls. However, I now realized I had to stop this bike and get off gracefully. No other bikes around to be crashed into so that was in our favor.  We managed to stop and get pictures.

Claude took on his alternate personality and became the Arch Rock Whisperer.

One of the beautiful things along the coast are the cairns. These are little stacks of rocks left by tourists. Other tourists will come and add to them or build their own. Some are very simple. Some have flowers or feathers added. They add a unique feel to the coastline.

The coastline is beautiful and there is no way to see it except taking this road by bike, walking or a carriage.

We met a nice couple who took our picture with Arch Rock in the background.

The road around The Island is 8 miles long...8 very long miles long. Claude was thinking we might go a couple of miles and then head back. Ahhhh...he forgot he is married to a compulsive lady.  I now knew I could ride without falling off.  I could also stop and get off, not very gracefully, but really, who will ever see me in life again that was on this island today. I figured we could at least go a couple of more miles before turning back. And I was really, really curious about what the other side of The Island looked like.  I suggested we go another mile and stop for a break. Claude was okay with that.

We found a pull off and I walked out to check out the huge bird on a rock stretching its wings. Couldn't ever tell what kind of bird it was because it was just too far out in the water.  However, I did find a seagull by a cairn that I got close enough to zoom in and get a picture.

Along the road was a really neat cairn that was on a rock pedestal.

We got back on the bikes and road another mile and found another pull off. It yielded this beautiful picture of the water through the trees.

As we continued I realized how amazingly clear the water was along the shore. You could see every rock in the water. At our next stop I walked down the hill to the water to get a picture of the rocks in the water.

We stopped at British Landing. There are restrooms and a snack bar there.

I headed to the snack bar for water for Claude and me. The couple in front of me ordered food and drinks.

Claude met me at the picnic table and he started to chuckle. He said, "I don't know if that guy intended that or not but the bird is enjoying his food." I didn't know what guy he was speaking of but I reached in my purse for my camera. A seagull was on a picnic table across the road and was pecking away at a hot dog.

As I turned around with my camera I saw the young man in the couple who ordered ahead of me. He was approaching the table with another hot dog and saw the seagull hauling off the weiner out of the hot dog he left on the table. He shewed off the seagull. When his female companion arrived at the table you could hear her gasp with what had happened. Claude and I could only chuckle.

Every winter the ice freezes on this water between Mackinac Island and St. Ignace. The residents on The Island take their old Christmas trees and line the path where the ice is frozen deep enough to travel over.  This ice bridge is used by the residents to go back and forth throughout the winter. This picture actually has Mackinac bridge going over to St. Ignace on the right end. That is a long ice bridge folks!!

By now we were over half way around the island and we were ready to being the last leg of our journey.  Our next stop would be at Devil's Kitchen.

I hiked up and down the shore a bit for a few more pictures.  I watched several of the ferries cross in front of the Mackinac Bridge. These were coming from St. Ignace. One of them was a Star Line Ferry which is the kind we took. Love these because of the big rooster tail they make as they speed through the water.

I was also able to walk down a bit and get pictures of the light house near Mackinac Harbor.

We got on our bikes for the last leg of our journey. We didn't know we would have one more surprise stop. 

We are cruising along and Claude's cell phone rings. I couldnt' believe it.  What was more amazing is that he was reaching for the holster to answer the phone. 

At about that time his bucket hat blew off his head. I told him to keep going and I would pick up the hat. I stopped and got his hat, tucked it in the basket on my bike and started pedaling again.

As we got a little further I saw Claude's bike start to swivel and he wasn't getting it under control. He went to the side of the road and the bike laid over behind a tree. He didn't hit the tree. I hurried on to catch up and see if he was okay.

The obsurd biker in one of those bikes you lay back in passed us again. I say again because that was his third lap around the island while we were trying to finish our first. He did not stop to help, I just heard him say, "Looking good." 

I caught up to Claude and he was in a heap with his leg under the bike, no cell phone in sight and on top of rocks under the tree.  Hayden would have said, "Pa is a mess!"  Hayden would have been right.

Claude was in such a position that he couldn't get out from under the bike enough to get something to lift himself up with. My arm helped with that and we managed to get him standing. He was not hurt and could move. I found his cell phone and it was working fine. We got the bike up and it was in good shape. Then Claude cell phone range again. Claude finished his call and then we were on our way again.

We made it into town and turned out bikes in.  Claude found a bench on which to sit.  His knee was sore and he was concerned he may have twisted it funny. He sat and I shopped.  I went back to the other side of town and purchased the thumbpiano and found a couple of other things I liked in other stores.

Then I headed back and found my hubby standing where I left him. We sat back down on the bench and watch people for a bit. His knee was sore but he walks with no limp and seems to be okay.

I was ready for dinner. We shopped in Doud's which is The Island's only grocery store. Small but the only one they have. We wanted to get some rolls and juice for breakfast since we would have a very early start to make the 8am ferry to the mainland.  Purchases made we found Sinclair's Irish Pub for dinner.

Sinclair's is a family friendly pub that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. This was a good choice and I can now vouch for their leek soup. Yummy!! 

The really cool part was our server. He came to the table and we ordered soda. I had my first Mountain Dew since being on The Island. They do not carry Dr. Pepper or Mountain Dew in any other store except Sinclair's Irish Pub.

After our server left I said to Claude, "He really reminds me of Todd."  Todd is Nissa's fiancee.  Claude heartily agreed.  I prepped Claude that I would have to ask this server some questions. Claude doesn't do that kind of thing but I do.  Just wanted him to be prepared.

Our server returned and I told him he really reminded me of Todd. I asked him if he was Native American. He smiled at me and said, "About half." We had a wonderful discussion and he told he his family was originally from the Canadian branch of the Chippewa's.  He was a delight and we really enjoyed visiting with him. It only confirmed more to me that he could be Todd's brother. He commented he was a Gemini and that means twins so maybe...

As we left the store he came outside and said, "Would you like to take a picture for Todd to see?"  I said, "Sure" and grabbed my camera.  Claude and he posed.

What a great day. Claude and I are both so happy we biked around the island. We have had a great time on Mackinac Island. Next time we probably won't bike but we learned we can rent a carriage for two people and Claude could drive us around the island, just the two of us!!

Now for some rest before an early rise and hopefully a car that will get us to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan!!!