The Tin in Mackinaw, Pt. II

(Contd.)

We arrived to colonial Fort Michilimackinac about five minutes before Fort Fright started.  Since we had already purchased our tickets ahead of time (while we taking pictures of the lighthouse and bridge - and questing for my poster - earlier), we got to jump into the shorter, pre-paid line.  After a few minutes of waiting, they started letting people in, so our timing was just about perfect.

Unfortunately, the weather was not.  It was super windy, so despite the fact that it wasn't necessarily cold out, the wind cut through your outer layers like nobody's business.  It was a very, very unpleasant trek from the visitor's center to the fort. . .

Our regiment of elderly tourists marches on Michilimackinac

Don't feed the Hessians.

Some French Fur Trader (personally, I found it far too cold out for a history lesson. . . and I'm a frickin' history teacher.)

Approaching the outer palisade 

Zombies and Regulars at the front gate

Anybody lose a canoe ? (You have NO idea how badly I wanted to crawl under this thing for warmth. . .)

Opening the gate for our horde of tourists (we were among the first ones into the fort.)

Hey, cool name, Peyster.

Okay, so I don't really know what any of this buildings are off the top of my head, so you're not going to get a lot of historical description throughout this particular blog post, you have my apologies (again, history teacher.)  I mean, they did give us a map with all the building names on it, but I don't have it in front of me at the moment.

This lady just walked continual laps along the parapet of the wall.  I think she was supposed to be a ghost bride or something.  As cold as it felt, and as crazy as the wind was, there was no way in hell you could have paid me enough money to do this.

Some pretty high-tech scaring going on in Colonial Michilimackinac. . .

Okay, so I do remember this one - it's a church.  Built on top of the original.  Bunch of dead bodies found buried underneath it. . . or something.  I don't know, we walked in because it was warm and we needed a break from the wind.

They fly the Union Jack over the fort, as it was primarily under British control for most of its existence (or so I'm led to believe.)

This dude in the red hat was spinning tales about French werewolves in the fur trade.  Seriously.

You guys ever see that hood movies from the '90s, Dead Presidents?

There aren't any bathrooms in the fort (not a lot of indoor plumbing in the 1700s, people), so at one point in time Kris and I walked back towards the Visitor's Center to use los servicos.  The clouds had cleared up just enough to give us some pretty bad-ass photo ops. . .

Restrooms

This is actually Kris' real resting face.

Back in the Fort

Captain of the 8th Regulars - and his creepy zombie homeboy - still manning the front gates

Inside one of the officer's quarters

How creepy would this be if these ladies were ghosts?

Checking out the map/itinerary of the fort's attractions, trying to stay warm

There was a long line outside this random building, so being sheep Kris and I decided 'it was legit,' and hopped on in.  It ended up being a not-at-all scary 'haunted house,' but at least it was warm inside.

Heading back to the van, after a cold and windy evening in Fort Michilimackinac

A second attempt with my phone instead of the SLR (taking night shots without a tripod frickin' sucks. . .)

Back in the hotel, with the Great Prize of the weekend.  We ended up picking up a few souvenirs in Mackinaw City, but this one was, by far, my favorite. 

The next morning, one last look out at Lake Michigan and/or Huron before packing up for our indirect drive south back to Midland

Kris and I detoured slightly on our way back south, taking the famous Tunnel of Trees (along M-119, shown here), which is considered one of the most scenic drives in all of Michigan.  Unfortunately, while it was still a very beautiful drive through the country, it was still a little too early in the fall for my liking:  I could have done with less green and more fall-ish colors in the foliage.  Two more weeks and it would have been about perfect.

- Brian