We are calling this part of our journey, "The Real Thing" and the few months of Rv-life before hand was all just practice. So here is how "Our first REAL adventure" day went...
We had a relaxed start this morning because of the time zone adjustment; three time zones in three days made our 'internal clocks' a little confused. We took it easy eating breakfast and loading the bikes onto the car.
We finally set out toward Mackinaw Island, a 45min drive from our RV resort site, and the clouds dead ahead looked extremely mischievous- not just grey, they were black. We had checked the weather several times and knew to expect showers around 7pm, but we didn't come prepared for a matinee downpour reveal. I double and triple checked my weather app, and it continued to stand it's ground that no rain was to arrive until later that night, so we pressed onward. About 20minutes away from Mackinac and the clouds let loose and proved my weather app a liar...
It pounded rain for about 10 minutes, and then left us with a drizzle the rest of the way. As we pulled into the Ferry Parking, (Oh, did I mention that Mackinac doesn't allow cars or vehicles of any kind on their historic island? EVERYONE must ride a ferry to get there, and it's pretty cool to travel around in carriage, bike, or cart, but also pretty pricey! Be prepared for $100/family and bikes to ride.) the reasons to feel discouraged began piling up, and not only was the freshly washed car getting re-soaked but our spirits were beginning to get dreary along with it. We were hesitant to pay the expensive ferry ticket price while the sky was still sagging. We wandered into a basically abandoned, nearly neglected coffee shop and discovered that there was not a lot in Mackinaw City during off-peak season to keep us entertained, so we had nothing to lose.
Little things continued to eat at my hope and try to steal my enthusiasm, I felt the familiar nag of my girl scouting days calling... "be prepared".. for anything and everything! I believed it too- or at least lived with the disappointments of thinking that was truly possible if only I were better/smarter/more careful. Older, wiser Angie knows that this is impossible, but I was slipping into my pattern and thinking and feeling the sting of how I should have planned better. "I always pack extra clothing and blankets and ponchos- why did I trust my app!" Oh, the cyclical sting of disappointment- making you look back at a missed opportunity only to make the next moment more miserable than the last, and so on and so forth. My fear that my "pearly picturesque adventure was going to turn into a drippy droopy day watching the rain from indoors, and paying an arm and a leg just to do it" was turning into self-fulfilled prophecy. I was letting it eat away at the energy and excitement that every wiser, more prepared, rain-coat-covered people around me were experiencing. I was a becoming a black hole of negativity and the line of bubbling site-seers began avoiding me...and annoying me. HA!
We were loading the 2-story ferry and I hollered "grab the umbrella out of the kid's cart, Fletch", when one of the ferry attendants overheard and said, "oh you won't need that. It's not supposed to rain again for a few hours. You'll be fine." Even tho the clouds were looking grey with suspicion, we walked to the top of the boat and took a soggy seat. A few moments into the ride, and the drizzle began to fall. It felt extra chilling being that we were atop a 40 mph boat. I started to complain that, "once again, I should have trusted my preparedness instincts", when the irony of the situation hit us. Fletch and I laughed as the wind and rain blew away our negativity. We managed to survive the rest of the drizzly boat ride with a good sense of humor.
By the time we got to shore, it was a downpour. We were soaked as we exited the boat and found our bikes. We shuffled along behind the mass of ferry-riders to get to the nearest recommended coffeehouse. I noticed, almost immediately, that there was a foul stench that hung thick in the humid air, but I couldn't pinpoint what it was at first. "Never mind the smell mystery, let's just find somewhere dry to hide." We came indoors, chatted to a few locals about favorite foods spots, guzzled our caffeine (oh, Lord, we thank Thee for Thy bountiful blessings!), and waited out the storm.
Growing in hunger of lunch but wanting to take advantage of the slight clearing in the weather, we hopped on the bikes to do a bit of exploring before the next deluge. Fletch picked a direction and we started the adventure...
I was hesitant, at first, to enjoy myself as I watched men in overalls scoop up piles of horse poop that was now brown slushy spilling across every street. (OH! Duh! That's what that soured alfalfa smell was!) I became aware that the "mud" on the backs of people's shirts from their bike tires splashing was a fouler-mud than I first believed. I was plain grossed out, not to mention afraid of getting stranded in the next flash thunderstorm that could arrive without notice. Still, I was determined to not slip into my old, "play-it-safe" ways, and breakthrough came when I noticed my daughters...
My girls, 3 and 5 years old, huddled together under the umbrella, wrapped in an extra tote bag for mud-protection (because we had no cover for their carrier, and no blanket or jacket in the freshly cleaned out car), and instead of being annoyed that they were getting wet, "muddy", and hungrier, they were smiling, laughing, and making up silly songs for entertainment.
I saw it as a "GROW UP MOM" moment, and took a lesson from my girls, who were being so much more gracious and mature than I felt at the moment.
That was the last straw: if they can make today great, then so can I! I was determined to hunt out the beauty and I was going to let the rain play it's part, rather than wish it away.
We biked around the entire island, and saw the most dazzling sites! I would have missed so much, if I had let the rainstorm frighten us away. I'm so glad that Fletch and I pressed through and fought for the today's beauty! Mackinac Island is captivating and gasp-worthy (truly!) at every turn. After biking through a magical misty green forest, to turn down a little dirt road there would be the most darling, well-manicured tudor, farmhouse or cottage. The Colonial and Victorian architecture and history of the island is enchanting and if you have any sort of imagination: as you ride around it's grounds a novel unfolds before your very eyes. Stories and characters full of their own enticing adventure can't help but call you deeper into your own.
The highlight of the day, for us, was around 4:30 that afternoon. We had been biking in the sporadic drizzle for a few hours through the thick of the trees and were enjoying the misty magic of nature in the rain. It was a perfect bike-riding temperature and we lost ourselves to the magic of discovering a new place. So much mystery and charm in this new town that we were completely distracted from the previous fears of the next big downpour.
We came out of another winding dirt path that was well-covered with dripping trees, and as we looked ahead, we noticed a narrow clearing with a sparkle and glimmer on the other side.
We biked through the opening in the trees and came to a glistening beach that was almost too bright to look at directly. We'd been hidden in the shadows all day and the sun stunned our eyes that it took us a few moments to adjust. With hardly a cloud in site, the sun made everything on the beach come alive: the sky blue, the birds chirping, the shells and smooth white rocks glistening, the waters shimmering and clear as blue crystal. We had been in a protective tunnel of dark drizzling trees, that we had not realized that the sky was clearing of it's doubts. It was now a warm, freshly washed, and beautiful day! A priceless treasure for a few overindulged wanderers that came out for an adventure and almost let 'fear of getting wet' spoil the whole thing. What shameful fools. haha (Don't worry, we're learning our lesson- even tho we're slow learners, so be prepared for more "duh moments")
We spend a while skipping rocks and finding seashells with the girls, and then loaded back on the bikes to discover what other adventures the island was hiding.
A few steep hills upwards, slippery slopes downward, historic sites and we were back at Main Street ready for our lunch that was now dinner. We stopped at the Seabiscuit Cafe to order food to-go. Wonderful conversation at the bar, friendly service, a clean place to wash our hands and then back onto the bikes to get to our ferry. We arrived at the ferry with about a half hour till the last ride of the day, so we picnicked on the pier, watched the boats come and go, and the clouds roll back in. A perfect ending to a day at Mackinac Island! (By the way, the food was delicious- We recommend the Lobster BLT and White Fish Reuben).
No downpour on the boat, although the clouds regained their menacing stares. Since the clouds were still filled with empty threats, we stopped along the shops in Mackinaw City to grab some fudge (Evidently, fudge is a big deal out here-and I'm all about following traditions if they involve chocolate) for our drive back to our Glamping site. As we drove home, we enjoyed the downpour as we knew our bikes could use the bath.
Everyone got a thorough scrub down back in the RV, and we're all feeling washed of our bad attitudes too... I'd love to say for good, but I'm sure the next adventure will have another hurdle and I'll be learning this lesson in trust all over again.
Although, surprisingly, Emery and Lissy maintained a supernatural sweetness all day... I have never been prouder of (and more pleasantly surprised by) them as they made the best out of every twist in the day's plans, snuggled with one another in their traveling tight space (rather than the usual "stop touching me- she crossed over the line!" situation), and thanked us for the fun adventure tonight during bedtime prayers. I'm grateful for these pint-sized teachers in my life.
Fortune Cookie Thought: Nothing ever goes like you expect it, but that is what adventures are all about. If you want safety and a feeling of security, you can stay home and try to prep and plan the adventure away.... although I've found that adventures have no boundaries and invite themselves indoors too. hehe I have lived the life of religious preparation and planning, and experienced the side effects of regret and disappointment that comes alongside. Perhaps, being prepared with a relentlessly positive outlook is what is most important when it comes to preparation. ;)
I was happy to come home completely worn out from making memories with my loved ones. This was a day worth fighting for, and I am hungrier than ever to see what else America (and beyond) has to offer, if we aren't too cowardly to seek it out. We shall see, we shall see...