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Mike Forrester's Blog – May 2009 Archive (10)

Top things to do and see on Mackinac Island - Part 1

Mackinac Island is enjoyable for many reasons - the primary one being the relaxing atmosphere created by the absence of automobiles. But Mackinac Island has been a favorite place to visit for more than three centuries. Ever since Jean Nicolet passed through the Straits in 1634, visitors to the area have found Mackinac Island a wonder of nature.

Such a wonder of nature in fact, it was named our nation's second national park in 1875. Conservation efforts have preserved much of the island's… Continue

Added by Mike Forrester on May 31, 2009 at 6:00pm — 6 Comments

Memorial Day and Mackinac Island Magic

This holiday, I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. There are probably a handful of places that truly represent America and Mackinac Island certainly must be one of them. You can literally cut the nostalgia with a knife - probably a fudge knife.

I have commented here that my first impressions of the island were that this was Main Street USA. Walt Disney… Continue

Added by Mike Forrester on May 23, 2009 at 3:47pm — 3 Comments

1953 home movie captures the sights of Mackinac Island

Finding archival film of Mackinac Island is always a treat. This home movie, shot in 1953 during a three-day visit to the island, captures the sights and sounds of the day. The Mackinac Bridge is noticably absent from the film since construction did not begin until 1954, though many scenes appear much today as they did then.

The footage is available for license by The Travel Film… Continue

Added by Mike Forrester on May 16, 2009 at 9:16am — No Comments

The Mackinac Island Blog page on Facebook is live

If you are a member of Facebook, you can now visit our page there for a summary of our blog posts and Twitter updates. You can visit the page here: http://tinyurl.com/o5fntg

Added by Mike Forrester on May 15, 2009 at 5:48pm — No Comments

Trying something different

Arriving on Mackinac Island is sometimes an adventure. I like that. You can’t just drive to it. It takes a bit of planning and checking of schedules to make sure that the ferry is running or Great Lakes Air is flying.

For many of us that don’t live in Michigan, it can be an even bigger adventure. For my family, it usually involves catching a flight to Flint. We then rent a car and make the drive up I-75 to Mackinaw City or St. Ignace and then catching the ferry. We’ve also flown to… Continue

Added by Mike Forrester on May 14, 2009 at 12:00pm — 3 Comments

Google Maps takes a closer look at Mackinac Island

There's something about studying a map that delights me. For years, it was most often looking at a large folding map. Then I discovered a map store that carried DeLorme maps and Gazetteers. The new level of detail was fantastic. Then came the internet and Google.

Few internet tools excite me the way Google Maps or Google Earth does. No longer are you limited to looking at lines on paper. Now we can view satellite imagery in great detail and even street level views in select… Continue

Added by Mike Forrester on May 11, 2009 at 8:30pm — No Comments

'Somewhere In Time' Collector's Edition DVD

If you've ever wondered what it took to get 'Somewhere In Time' to the big screen, I highly recommend purchasing a copy of the Collector's Edition of the movie. This version, released in 2000, not only includes the feature in it's original widescreen presentation, but a wonderful documentary that chronicles the making of this Mackinac Island classic.…

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Added by Mike Forrester on May 10, 2009 at 9:00am — No Comments

Have you sent a postcard lately?

The first week of May was National Postcard Week. Yes, I missed it too, which is somewhat surprising because I’m a big fan of postcards. For as long as I can remember, I would find the perfect postcard while on vacation, buy it, write a short note with the date and then mail it…to myself. Two or three others would go to family members or a friend, but the real joy was getting home and finding the postcard in the…

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Added by Mike Forrester on May 9, 2009 at 8:42am — No Comments

Impressions of Mackinac Island from the 1830's

I stumbled upon an article by Larry B. Massie that contained a great collection of writings by female authors that visited Michigan and Mackinac Island during the 1830's and 1840's. Entitled 'The wildest and tenderest piece of beauty that I have yet seen on God's Earth,' most of the authors were traveling on steamships that were a rare sight in the Straits of Mackinac just a few years prior.

First appearing in the July/August, 1995 issue of Michigan History magazine, the article is… Continue

Added by Mike Forrester on May 5, 2009 at 9:30pm — No Comments

Mackinac Island State Park sites open this week

Taking a step back in time is one of the reasons people visit Mackinac Island and on May 4th, the first of the area's historic attractions, Historic Mill Creek Discovery Park and Colonial Michlimackinac will open for the 2009 season. This is the centennial year for the 25-acre Michilimackinac State Park.

Fort Mackinac opens on May 5th and the Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse in Mackinaw City opens on May 11th.