Mackinac Island

Monday July 27
We took the ferry this morning to Mackinac Island - masks compulsory. The trip only takes about 25 minutes - the one we took was one which takes a bit of a detour to take you under the Mackinac bridge which links the Lower and Upper peninsulas of Michigan. Opened in 1957, the 26,372-foot-long (4.99 mile bridge) has the world's 24th-longest main span.(Picture in extras). Once we got off the boat, we went to Starbucks to pick up a coffee and breakfast sandwich, and took it to eat in the park below the fort. We then went to drop our bags off at our B&B a little further along the road - it was too early to check in properly. We had passed a bike rental place just before getting to the B&B, so we went back there to rent bikes - Roger and I choosing a tandem. We set off on the coastal road, stopping after a mile or so to climb all the steps up to Arch Rock shown in my collage. It was a gorgeous day, with beautiful cloud formations, constantly changing. We enjoyed a wonderful ride around the island, stopping numerous times for photographs (!), and then we took some of the interior roads and tracks through forested areas. We passed several fabulous mansions during the day, with gorgeous gardens, and finally came to the Grand Hotel, built up on a bluff with a wonderful view. At the near end of the Grand Hotel, there was an ice cream parlor, so we figured we deserved a reward for our cycling! By this time it was late afternoon, and we returned to our B&B where we were able to get into our rooms. Laura did some more work, while Roger and I went for a bit of a walk, partly to get some pictures of a couple of churches, and we also happened to pass a store where we bought some wine to enjoy on the balcony back at our accommodation! In the evening we ate out at a Jamaican restaurant - seemed rather a random find for northern Michigan! The food was excellent, though we decided the service was Jamaican style - rather slow and laid back!
(Extra photos of the bridge, a church and our B&B)