A Stroll Along the Shore . . . and Down Memory Lane 9/22/09

At the end of yesterday’s blog, Ted and I had come off Scott’s Shore Road onto M-185, a very short distance from the 3-mile marker, which meant we had about 2 1/2 more miles to what would be the race finish line in front of Mission Point Resort.  We were previewing the course of the Oct. 24 Great Turtle Half Marathon and 5.7 Mile Run/Walk. 

The water on Friday was at its bluest – actually two shades of blue – a kind of robin’s egg hue at the shoreline, where the water is shallow and a deep, deep ocean blue further out.  The wind was up, and the whitecaps were curling over into the rocks on the shore.

 

Last year, and again this year, we have noticed these stone stacks that seem to pop up anonymously long the coastline.  It seems that visitors to the island (and maybe residents also) enjoy building these rock sculptures and leaving them as an innocent statement of “I’ve been here and left my mark.”  Some are quite elaborate, others simple – like these we saw today.  All show a real skill in the art of balance, with tiny rocks and even pebbles used to keep the stack upright and prevent it from tumbling.

 

 

As you walk along M-185 (clockwise toward town), you have Lake Huron on your left, and either meadow, marshland, woods, or cliffs on your right.  At one point along our route, there was a stand of windblown trees that looked to have suffered through several harsh winters.  At some point in time, a large boulder had been jarred loose on a ledge or cliff above and had started down toward the water.  Instead of making it all the way to the road, it had been snagged by two trees, which continue to hold it in place even now.

We were almost to Arch Rock when a buggy coming our way graciously stopped so I could snap a picture.  It turned out to be one of the island’s favorite horses, MacGyver (who our grandchildren loved and fed carrots, apples and marshmallows to this summer), and his faithful friend, Pooky the cat, out for an afternoon ride.

 

Arch Rock was in silhouette as we passed.

Just before you reach Mission Point, you pass Small Point Bed & Breakfast, a little out-of-the-way inn, with a beautiful wraparound porch shaded by huge lilac bushes.  This just happens to be the childhood home of one of my readers, Irene, from California.  The house was moved in 1959, when Irene was 11,  from its original location on the Mission Point property to where it sits today.  It was bought and transformed into a bed & breakfast after her family left the island.  If you would like to watch a marvelous video, created by Irene, of the house’s move down the road, you can go to http://beta.SnapGenie.com/EJ35QIG8.  The video tells in still pictures, and with Irene narrating, the story of how the house was raised off its foundation and moved to its present resting spot.  Irene has done a fantastic job of telling this story and giving some real insight into what it was like to be a little girl growing up on the island in the 50’s and 60’s.  For all of you Mackinac Island history buffs, this is a real “find”, and I am so excited that Irene shared it with me and gave me permission to pass it along to my readers.

As we approached what will be the finish line of the race, we had to stop so a bride could cross the road to the gazebo on the front lawn of Mission Point, where her groom was waiting.  What a perfect ending to a wonderful day on the island!