We did it. We left the confines of our home and took our first cruise in almost three years. I was a bit hesitant and anxious. But we chose a cruise that stayed close to home, sailing the Great Lakes between the USA and Canada. It was a cruise I had been thinking about for years. This seemed like the perfect time to take it.
Two of my favorite stops on the cruise were islands that are adjacent or within Lake Huron. Both were the home of the Ojibwe nation, but one is in the United States and one is in Canada.
Mackinac Island
Years ago my husband and I lived in Michigan. We heard over and over again that we had to go to Mackinac Island. We never made it there during our two-year time. But it has been on our list of places to see ever since. We had a most delightful day!!!
I will start by telling you that the original native Ojibwe name was Michilimackinac. When you say it, you realize that the name Michigan was also a native name. It means Big Turtle, because the island is somewhat shaped like a turtle. The entire island is just about eight miles around. So it is easy to walk from one place to another.
In July we found out why people love it so much.
First, there are NO CARS on the island! The only transportation is foot, bicycle or horse drawn carriage. WOW. (Fire engines and ambulances are an exception.) It is interesting to go around an island on an open carriage. When we got off the ship, very close to downtown, we were loaded up into a carriage that had about 20 people. This took us on the first part of the ride, through the downtown, past the Grand Hotel, and to a place where we were transferred to a larger carriage drawn by three horses for our tour through the park to the historic Fort Mackinac.
Second, there is the GRAND Hotel. It is pretty darn Grand. With its stunning Victorian décor; the large veranda with excellent rocking chairs (yes I checked them out); ice cream parlor; excellent views; the Grand Hotel lived up to expectations. I especially loved the sign that said after 6 pm all men must wear jackets and women must wear dresses. To be honest, I would never stay there because my husband would not want to dress up each evening.
However, we did go the Gate House Restaurant that is part of the hotel and had a delicious lunch sitting outside and enjoying people watching and horse watching. There is a little stone church across the street from the restaurant that we also visited. It is actually called the Little STONE Church.
Third, there is lots of history surrounding the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the lives of the Native Americans and how the changes from French to British to American impacted the First Nations Peoples, especially the Ojibwe nation, which is also based in Canada. We spent an hour or so walking around the Fort and we even got to see a cannon fire.
After we at lunch at the Grand Hotel, we walked into town to visit some of the sites, including the Biddle house which is now a small museum about the impact on the Native Americans.
We had an excellent time walking around the downtown, doing a bit of shopping, and finding an ice cream store for my husband. Mackinac Island is known for its many fudge shops. And we did enjoy the free samples. But we stayed strong and did not purchase any. I could only that that with eight days left on the cruise, it would be too tempting.
Manitoulin Island
The other Island we visited was quite different. First, it is in Canada. Manitoulin Island is also known as Ontario’s Island Retreat. Its original Ojibwe name is Manidoowaaling, meaning the Spirit Cave, which we did get to see. It is a big island, over 100 miles long. In fact, it is the largest island in a fresh water lake, Lake Huron. In the island of Manitoulin is the largest lake in the largest island in a fresh water lake. That would be Lake Manitou in Manitoulin Island in Lake Huron. But there is also Treasure Island, which is the largest island in a lake in the largest island in a Great Lake. But it was not in Lake Manitou. I LOVE these descriptions. They should be part of a children’s song!!!
The island was also first inhabited by the Ojibwe people, who still inhabit much of the island. But it was also the site of the first European settlement in Canada.
We docked in Little Current, which is the largest city on the Island. It has been a resort town for a while and has many bed and breakfast accommodations, much like Mackinac Island.
We visited the Ojibwe Cultural Foundation, which was a great experience. My husband was concerned that it would be ‘hokey’. But it definitely was not. The young man who met us at the Center gave us a great presentation about the First Nations and the Island. He explained what we were seeing in the museum section, which really was fascinating. We then went to a work area where people can come to work on their crafts like beading and porcupine quill art. We also met with a young woman who explained the sacred herbs such as sage and how they are used.
Finally we were welcomed to an outside theater where we got to see authentic First Nation dances and the drummers. I so enjoyed this experience. My favorite were the jiggle dress dancers. Finally we were invited up to dance with them and learn a bit. I had to get up there. One of the dancers stepped with me and showed me how to do it correctly!
We did notice along the way that the cities in the USA were much smaller than the cities in Canada. But then I had an enlighten moment. For the Canadians, these cities were among their furthest southern border, while for the US these were at the northern border. Makes a difference when you take in this factor.
We loved our island experiences in Lake Huron.
zicharonot 