As a home educating family, our vacations were always extremely full adventures with lots of opportunity for learning along the way, no matter where we were headed.
Our children eventually attended public school and two of our three daughters are now working and entering their adult years.
In July my husband and I took our first vacation as a couple without any children as we traveled to Oshkosh WI to join our youngest daughter Becca at EAAAirventure 2018, a huge aviation convention. She traveled there on her own for the EAA Air Academy, an aviation camp for young people from all across the country.
Since we had the time, hubby and I decided to explore new territory. He had been wanting to see the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum located in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula for quite some time so we planned a whole Michigan adventure for ourselves.
I will say that while our time to ourselves was wonderful, it was also bittersweet for me. As a home educator at heart, I had such a strong urge to teach and share everything that I was experiencing and learning with my girls, who weren’t there. That was the only stain on the whole trip, and it is the primary reason why I want to document it here, so our girls can share the experience and learn from it.
Otherwise, it was glorious!
We traveled up through the eastern part of Michigan past Detroit to Mackinaw City, the northern most tip of the lower peninsula of the state. We have talked for years about visiting Mackinac Island which I had first heard about in the movie Somewhere In Time starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour. (My husband just watched the movie for the first time with me!) The island has no motorized vehicles on it and it’s definitely on our wish list of places to visit. We just couldn’t squeak in the extra day this trip for the visit, but hopefully next time!
Also, one of my homeschooling goals was to take my children to all 5 great lakes. I got them to three: Ontario, Erie, and Michigan. Neither my husband nor I have seen the other two, so our stop in Mackinaw City allowed us to check Lake Huron off our list.
We entertained ourselves collecting beach treasures, touring the Visitor’s Center and the Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse, shopping, and eating ice cream.
If you ever find yourself in Mackinaw City, head over to 707 N Huron Ave to the Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association/Gift Shop/Visitors Center and say hello to the precious lady who works there. We’re pretty sure her name is Susan. Tell her Jerry Anderson the aviation artist and his wife Sheri said hello!
The shop has some great books, gifts, and a restored Fresnel lens.
As for the Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse, it was well worth the admission! We toured a small museum, the lighthouse keeper’s home, and the attached lighthouse.
Our tour guide to the top of the lighthouse was this dear, lovely young lady dressed in period clothing with her hair swept up into a soft bun. We asked about her name and she told us it was Sarah. My husband quietly turned to me and said, “Of course it is. It couldn’t be any other name.” Sarah perfectly fit her. As I was writing this he just said, “It’s hard to picture her out in the real world wearing jeans and a t-shirt. She doesn’t fit in this era.” She was really sweet. Look her up when you’re there.
All of this was within sight of Mackinac Bridge, which we would later take to our next adventure in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The bridge looks like it disappears into the water. So much so that we were really wondering if the other half was an underwater tunnel allowing boats to pass, but it was just a perspective thing.
That’s it for part 1 of our Michigan/Wisconsin 2018 adventure. Next we’re off to the UP to meet some “Yoopers.”
