Mackinaw City - Part 2

On Saturday, we went to Fort Michilimackinac, which is another fort, and it is actually the original fort before they moved to Mackinac Island.  This year they are celebrating 300 years, so it is a great time to visit, if you get the chance!  They have all kinds of neat things going on.

Stephen really liked this French soldier uniform

This is a huge gun!  Below is more information about it...

While we were there they shot the cannon, which was really cool!

(normally they have soldiers in uniform, but this weekend the focus was on traders, towns people and Native Americans, so that is why a soldier was not the one lighting the cannon :) )

I don't believe I had ever been to this fort before, at least that I can remember.  It was really quite amazing.  They are still doing archaeological digs, and were there working while we were there, which was cool.  They have found over 2 million items at this site over the last several decades!  They have all kinds of buildings and really neat things in the buildings.  Probably one of the best forts I have been to.  They also have several underground exhibits which were really cool, too!

Castle Rock is something Stephen and I both had fun childhood memories of, so we went across the bridge (which we wanted to do anyway) and decided to climb to the top.  Both of us made comments on how we remember Paul Bunyan and Babe the blue ox being so much bigger, and how we remember the climb being a lot more.  Crazy how your perspective changes from a child to an adult :)

The view from the top

That's Mackinac Island way out there :)

We also drove through St Ignace before we headed back over the bridge, and stopped at this lighthouse.  We didn't stay long, because as the day went on it was getting colder and colder, plus whatever type of flies they have around there were HORRIBLE, and were swarming all over us, and even clinging to our clothing. We brushed off and dashed for the car, and still ended up with half a dozen in our car.  Ewww!

A view of Fort Michilimackinac from the bridge

We had a great time, and I am so glad we were able to get away.  It is not very often that we have a clear weekend where we can do something like this last minute!!!!