One of the fun things to do when visiting Mackinac in springtime is to walk
Main and Market streets and observe the changes.
Storefronts, signage, awnings, and other architectural details continuously improve.
In Book Two Tawny visits her favorite bakery on Main.
She buys an apple turnover to bring to Takoda as a surprise.
But the tables turn….badly.
The reader isn’t the only one shattered. It’s hard for the author to see
bad things happen to her favorite characters.
In Chapter 14, Tawny escapes her fears and the taunts of “Ice Blue” by
daydreaming about her times on Mackinac Island with Takoda. She especially savors
the day he led her to an old horse trail near the northern bluffs.
There are few places more romantic than the Mackinac forest. Imagine a young woman
walking these trails with the man she deeply loves,
wondering if he feels the same.
At times, places like these are beyond our vocabulary to describe.
You can follow these paths on foot or bicycle.
Some fortunate people ride the trails on their own horses.
But best is to walk hand in hand with the one you love.
Soon Mackinac’s forest paths will be covered with wildflowers.
Landscaping – courtesy of Mother Nature.
Up until now, “tweets” consisted of the sweet call of birds in Brighton,
Brevort and Mackinac.
But as the excitement built as we crossed the Mackinac Bridge this weekend,
I realized why some folks “tweet.”
I just wanted to share the thrill with all those who love Michigan’s Upper Peninsula
and Mackinac Island.
So here is a photo taken while driving on the bridge.
To follow my Tweets (there won’t be many, I promise)
you can go to this Twitter address and follow me:
https://twitter.com/BrightonAuthor
It snowed 15 minutes after we crossed into St. Ignace.
This is the address for this particular posting.
https://twitter.com/BrightonAuthor/status/332258719737991169/photo/1
Even though it snowed a little yesterday, May 12th, at Mackinac,
the ferry boats are all out of dry dock now and
busy taking visitors and residents back and forth
from both St. Ignace and Mackinac City.
This photo was taken several winters ago in St. Ignace.
Actually, it is three photos “stitched” together.
Word is that a certain young family cruised over to Mackinac this weekend
and their sailboat was the only one in the harbor.
This photo was taken last year, when they also were the first to dock at the island.
Nothing better than an early glimpse of Mackinac in spring.
Although this is not Yev or “Bossman’s” yacht, it provides a good picture
of the size of some of the vessels that visit Mackinac each summer.
The harbor can accommodate all sizes of watercraft.
One mast this size would be astounding.
This sailing vessel sports two!
That’s the East Bluff in the background. Karl’s father built a home up there.
Oh – who is Karl? Blogger’s error. He’s in Book Two.
Or was that a sneak preview?
Visitors to Mackinac need to venture beyond the village
to truly appreciate the beauty of the island. Many
bike or even walk the eight mile trail
around the island. A wide variety of wildflowers
blanket the limestone rocks from spring to fall.
Tawny and Takoda also loved to explore the trails and paths
winding through the interior of the island.
The rich aroma of cedar pervades the forest.
The trees in the above photo flank a trail leading
to the Grand Hotel’s swimming pool.
Tawny’s kidnapper, Yev, or as she refers to him, “Bossman,”
was pretty confident that the treasures he sought were in the Northern Straits area.
“Dieter or “Steel Rim” provided volumes of research on the subject.
Since Yev operated out of the Caribbean, he realized that a good number of people
from the islands moved to the north country in the summer to work at resorts.
His operatives tried in vain for years to get any information they could on
the possible location of the lost fortune. Yev
was offering a large reward for information, yet
none surfaced.
What a stroke of luck it was for him that Tawny and her mother decided to vacation in Jamaica.
Better yet, the catamaran they chose for a snorkeling excursion happened to have an employee aboard
who knew what Yev was looking for – any clues, especially the source of ancient Indian trading
silver – particularly, the “Cross of Lorraine.”
Although Tawny and Laura selected a catamaran line different from what is pictured here,
these photos give you a good idea of what the craft looks like.
Snorkeling trips on these sailboats are thrilling. Tourists enjoy rum punch,
snorkeling if they choose, and the thrill of cutting through the aquamarine seas of Montego Bay.
And yes, just as in the novel, some of the crew really do provide soothing
foot massages to relaxed travelers.
In the novel, Todd lives in the Annex behind the West Bluff. For those unfamiliar with the island,
Mackinac’s spectacular West Bluff sits to the west of the Grand Hotel.
Victorian-style summer cottages from the late 1880s
line the street that faces Lake Huron, the Lower Peninsula and the Mackinac Bridge.
As the ferry boats approach the island, the West Bluff immediately
catches the eyes of visitors. But it is hard to grasp the size
of these gems from the lake view. Referring to these multi-storied
summer homes as cottages is certainly an understatement.
You can’t have a book about Mackinac without highlighting the annual sailboat
races that finish at Mackinac Island.
Thrilling, colorful, and stacked with skill, these annual events draw a large
number of participants and many spectators.
In the novel, Tawny talks about the races and Takoda works
as a master boat builder and restorer.
His dedication to the trade helps the reader understand a little more
about the tremendous skills and patience that is involved.
This year the Chicago Yacht Club’s 105th race from Chicago to Mackinac
is scheduled start on July 13.
See: http://www.cycracetomackinac.com/
The Bayview Yacht Club’s annual race from Port Huron to Mackinac
will kick off on July 20th. See http://www.bycmack.com
As you picture Tawny and Takoda climbing the cliffs at Round Island,
these photos will help you imagine the challenge of climbing limestone.
This picture was taken at Mackinac Island which was formed at the same time as Round Island.
Both are part of the Niagara Escarpment. The limestone ridge stretches from
the west side of Lake Michigan in Wisconsin – all the way to the Niagara Falls.
It’s along this escarpment where many caves can be found.
Here below is a perfect example of how a cave could be located on a bluff.
Can’t you just smell the cool dampness? Wouldn’t you explore it?
Not all the climbing was difficult however.
Round Island is straight across the shipping channel from Mackinac Island.
Although it plays a key role in the novel, the island is relatively unexplored.
Part of the Hiawatha National Forest, the 378 acre island is overseen by the U.S. Forest Service.
The Round Island Lighthouse was built in 1895 and has seen turbulent times as well as waters.
Most recently, the Round Island Lighthouse Preservation Society has aided the
efforts of many dedicated fans of the lighthouse, including
Boy Scout Troop 323 of Freeland, Michigan.
Readers – Note the green bell buoy in the above photo.
Tawny swims over to a similar one when Takoda takes her boating and
“twists” those memories to trick “Bossman.”
Shepler’s Ferry Passes Round Island as it departs from Mackinac.
The dramatic cloud patterns surrounding the island never fail to
surprise visitors and delight photographers.
The newer Round Island Passage Light off the west breakwater of Mackinac Island’s
harbor began to shine in early 1948.
This photo gives readers a good idea of how close Round Island is to Mackinac.
Note the Star Line ferry’s familiar rooster tail!
While Northern Michigan faces (hopefully) the last blast of winter weather,
we take comfort in the fact that our tulip bulbs are readying themselves
for their annual burst of color.
Mackinac gardeners understand that our plants need a good dormant rest
in order to thrive in the summer. And nature sure has provided this year!
In the novel, Tawny’s grandparents love gardening, especially on Mackinac Island
which has an ideal climate and super soil (the horses help provide for this).
In the photo above, thousands of glorious tulips line the walkway to the Grand Hotel.
The tulips below grace one of many beautiful gardens at Mission Point Resort.
People have asked how Tawny was taken so easily while on tour of Rose Hall. She saw a familiar face peering out of the secret panel door below the stairs. Who wouldn’t approach? Especially the adventuresome and curious.
Tawny’s grandparents’, the Randolphs, like many others on the island,
first lived there as summer residents. They purchased a small
Victorian cottage down a quiet village lane such as pictured above.
The family enjoyed weekends and summer vacations there,
while their real home was in St. Ignace, where their son, Roy,
Tawny’s father, attended school.
But after Mr. Randolph retired, he winterized the
cottage and created a beautiful year-round home.
Tawny always loved visiting them and when her mother was
temporarily transferred to Germany, Tawny was thrilled to move in.
Of course that meant she had to attend the small high school on
the island. Little did she know how what an amazing and, sadly,
threatening future she faced.
And so the story begins…..
Readers have asked for more photos of horses on the island.
Of course, because Mackinac is all about horses – those privately owned, those enjoyed
for an hour or two by visitors, and those who work hauling supplies.
And are they loved!
Just as Tawny loved her “Tamarack,” the people who work with the horses
on Mackinac treat them as cherished friends. They know their personalities and
little quirks and take great care of them.
In the above photo, the Grand Hotel team stands proudly in front of the historic hotel.
This strong team knows how to maneuver the busy streets, haul tremendous weights with ease,
can back up into tight corners and put in a hard day’s work.
Anyone interested in the horses of Mackinac should not miss the annual Festival of the Horse.
Please visit:
When the Tawny’s grandparents, the Randolphs, were young, they had to cross the Straits
of Mackinac by car ferry. That’s because the Mackinac Bridge
didn’t open to traffic till 1957.
The bridge will play a major role in Book Three of the Trilogy. Unfortunately,
the events that take place there will not resemble the peaceful scene above.
The Mackinac Bridge is the longest suspension bridge in the world, if you
measure between cable anchorages.
The total length is five miles, though it doesn’t seem that far when you drive across.
The folks who walk across it on the annual Labor Day Bridge Walk
probably feel a little differently about the length.
You can learn a lot more about the bridge at:
When Tawny was younger, she kept her horse, Tamarack, behind her grandparent’s home
on Mackinac Island. But when her father was killed in Afghanistan,
life took a sudden turn and her world began to fall apart.
As she and her mother began to heal and rebuild their lives,
Tawny eventually returned to riding. Since horses and bicycles are the principle
means of transportation on the island, many residents keep horses in corrals behind their homes.
There are several well-maintained stables on the island. Visitors can rent horses there.
St. Ignace’s yacht harbor is easily seen from a distance now that a
new lighthouse is installed at the end of the public pier.
The city itself is important to the novel. Chief’s Tribal Police Station is located north of St. Ignace.
When Chief travels to visit Tawny’s mother, Laura, on the island, he either takes the Star Line ferry or
hitches a ride on the Coast Guard’s launch.
.
In this photo, the Star Line ferry leaves the Railroad Dock and turns toward the Main Dock.
The landscape of St. Ignace changed forever in the predawn hours of August 3rd, 2012.
The foundation of the old railroad track elevator for the rail ferry “Chief Wawatam”
(seen on the left side of this photo) gave way and
left a pile of iron and timber rubble in its wake.
It was a distinguishing feature and historical remnant on the city’s waterfront. The actual
historical figure, Chief Wawatam, and his heroic actions are mentioned in the novel.
One of the novel’s most romantic scenes takes place at Mission Point Resort,
but not in the springtime.
It just seems the right time of year to lift our spirits with
signs of springtime, while we are waiting for the northern snows to melt.
A very happy Easter to all who are following this blog!
If you live in Michigan you know that the tulip plants are just starting to break through the soil.
The good news is that you still have time to plan a trip to Mackinac to revel
in the island’s beauty in the springtime.
The Grand Hotel gardens feature thousands of beautiful tulips.
As for the novel, could you have a story that takes place on the island without a scene featuring the Grand?
In the story, Chief realizes there might be someone working there, a friend, who could help him solve
the mystery of Tawny’s disappearance in Jamaica. Their interesting conversation
takes place in the Grand’s Audubon Room – a warm
inviting room that no one visiting the Grand should miss.
Independent publisher located on the Keweenaw Peninsula
Homeschooling family on an adventure of a lifetime
Mackinac Postings 