Month: August 2023

Somewhere in Time Day #5 “America is Safe”

by reissmd, posted in Mackinac Island, Michigan

Today is the last day of our trip and we are on our way home. It rained today and we have been so lucky to have had excellent weather up until now.

After breakfast, we headed to the dock via horse-drawn carriage. We sat up front with a great view of the horse team’s butts. The rain stopped long enough for us to board the ferry without getting soaked. We then took the shuttle from the dock to the Pellston airport. If looking at the horse team’s butts wasn’t unpleasant enough it was a dream compared to watching our driver spit his tobacco juice into a water bottle. Is that my breakfast that I feel trying to come up?

The Pellston airport is tiny but must be a prime spot for terrorists. I had an unopened tube of toothpaste in my carry-on that was confiscated. Not only was the tube unopened, I had not even opened the box.

Upon arriving in Detroit and heading to our connecting flight I spotted a traveler wearing a Houston Astros jersey. I had to ask him if he saw the game where they pulled the pitcher after 7 no-hit innings. He did and was in complete agreement with me. Lucky for him he was in a hurry to catch his flight because I was about to unload on him my frustration about the TSA taking my unopened tube of toothpaste. All I can say is that you can all rest comfortably knowing the TSA has prevented the father of 3, grandfather of 4, Assistant Professor of Medicine at UCLA, non-gun owner, non-smoker, non-pill taker, with a perfect driving record, who just reached 74 years old, from taking an unopened tube of toothpaste onto a commercial flight from Pellston, Michigan to Detroit. The whole system is ridiculous.

In addition to hearing about airport security, I thought you might like to see a few interesting pictures from Mackinac Island.

Looking for a job? Do you meet the qualifications?
Open 11:30 am to 9:00 pm and 9:00 pm until 2:00 am. Closed at 9:00 for 60 seconds?
Do you think Dr. Putz is a urologist?
I am not the only criminal TSA needs to worry about. This criminal must have lost a shoe climbing over this fence.
Detroit Airport says “Don’t touch!”
Maybe TSA is right. This is clearly an individual with criminal intent.

See you next time when we are off to ………..

Somewhere in Time Day #4 “Happy Birthday to Me”

by reissmd, posted in Mackinac Island, Michigan

Today is my birthday and thank you to everyone who sent me their well wishes. Also thanks to those who said they were shocked to hear I was still alive. Before I get to today let me fill you in on last night. We had dinner at the Carriage House at the Iroquois Hotel (7485 Main St, Mackinac Island, MI 49757). The place was recommended by Patrice’s sister and we have to confirm this is a great place to go. The ambience was perfect with wonderful views of the lake and a keyboard player entertaining us throughout our meal. We shared our first course which was the Crab Tower.

It looked more like a crab bungalow than a tower to me. Look at this comparison photo.

A tiny pepper shaker puts the “tower” in perspective.

Even though it was small, it was very tasty so I am glad we ordered it.

Goat cheese salad and French Onion soup followed although they were not photo-worthy, they were delicious. Patrice had the whitefish and I had veal marsala. Unfortunately, I was too busy listening to the music to remember to take pictures.

This morning I was greeted by a series of phone calls and texts from my loved ones wishing me a happy birthday. As I have told many of you I am very pleased that these birthdays continue to come, I just wish they didn’t come so fast.

After breakfast, we took a tour of the stables. We learned a lot of interesting facts about the horses and the carriages. After the tour, we were free to wander the area or return to town or the hotel. After a bit of exploring the area, we decided to return to the hotel. Patrice asked me if I knew the way back and I said, “Yes, just walk downhill and follow the horse dung”. This worked well except this person made things a little difficult.

This tour guide told us they take turns removing the horse droppings and today was her turn.

After a brief rest, Patrice had us signed up for a “Behind the Scenes” tour given by the hotel historian. I knew we were in trouble when the 2-hour tour started out with him spending 40 minutes pontificating in the hot sun. Then we finally started to move along only to stop for another 25 minutes to hear about the outside windows, eaves, and gardens. We then moved inside where he started to go over the posters that lined the wall most of which we had already seen. At this point, I had had enough of the so-called Behind the Scenes tour. Also when he told us that the hotel would be putting in a flower arrangement in the design of “The Scream” by Van Gogh I said to myself, “That’s it!” I am not an art connoisseur by any stretch of the imagination but even I know that “The Scream” was painted by Edvard Munch and not Vincent Van Gogh.

If you want to see our guide, here is a 2-minute answer to the simple question, “Where do the employees come from?”.

Rather than getting annoyed at this guy, I should have just recommended that such a fair-skinned person wear a hat to prevent skin cancer.

We leave early tomorrow. Mackinac Island is a wonderful location but I am not sure I can recommend the Grand Hotel. It was a fun place to stay because of its history, but I doubt I would stay here again. They charge a heck of a lot for the rooms and they are nothing special. The staff is very friendly but most of them are seasonal and don’t seem to know what they are doing. That’s okay with me. I prefer a friendly clueless person over a smartass any day.

That’s enough for tonight. Patrice said tonight would be very special. I got very excited with anticipation and insisted she tell me what she meant. She finally did. At 3:00 AM a storm is expected.

Somewhere In Time Day #3 “Exploring Mackinac Island”

by reissmd, posted in Mackinac Island, Michigan

After that huge dinner last night, we decided it was only fitting to start today with a wonderful breakfast. First, we were greeted by this menu and told we could have any and all items listed.

After seeing this I was a bit overwhelmed

For starters we chose the fresh fruit plate.

That thing in the middle is the lychee. Some locals told us how to eat it. Not worth the effort

The fruit plate was good but some of the selections needed an extra day to ripen. The lychee was a challenge. In order to eat it you had to compress the shell to extract the edible portion. Unfortunately, I’m a beginner and mine popped out of the shell hitting the adjacent window before landing on my plate.

For our next course, I chose the chocolate croissant and Patrice the Chocolate Avocado Muffin.

Croissant was good but we’ve had a lot better
Avocado?

For the main course, Patrice picked the quiche Lorraine and I requested an omelet.

Quiche Lorraine for Patrice
Omelet with cheese, onions, and mushrooms for me.

Both were very good. It was a very filling breakfast with a huge selection. But if that wasn’t enough, you might prefer the buffet.

How did I miss seeing this on our way in? Just lucky I guess. Tomorrow might lead to a less healthy series of choices.

Next, we took a carriage tour of the island. This was a lot of fun. Shelly was our guide and her horses were Jane and Patty (not Patrice). Here is a shot of Patty. Does she look anything like my Patty?

My Patty used to have long hair just like this.

We learned a lot of fun facts and saw some interesting sights. For example, I found out that I misled you yesterday. Mackinaw is the English name. Mackinac is the name given by the native inhabitants. It apparently means turtle. Mackinac Island when viewed on a map from the Canadian viewpoint looks like a turtle shell.

Island landmarks included the Arch Rock. See below.

The beautiful Patrice with her travel partner, the famous blogger, Robert.

We also saw some amazing homes. It is hard to believe but these beauties were built in the late 1800s and early 1900s. They are only occupied during “the season” and then boarded up for the remainder of the year. See below.

The flowers die each winter and they are replaced prior to the start of the new season.

Another interesting sight (I will spare you the fort, cemeteries, and churches) was Sugarloaf.

Sugarloaf was nice but won’t make you forget the mountain of the same name in Rio. Check out our blog post from Rio to see the other Sugarloaf.

Our tour came to a close and I asked Shelly if it was okay if I took a picture of my Patty with her Patty. Shelly said it was okay with her. Patty (her Patty not mine) relieved herself after I asked so I took that as a yes from her.

Patty with my Patty.

After the tour, we headed to the parlor for high tea. There, we were once again serenaded by the harpist. She played many lovely tunes including Rachmaninoff’s Variations on a Theme by Paganini. That piece was featured in the movie Somewhere in Time. The music is lovely and that along with the beauty of the hotel and the island as featured in the film is what got us here.

I especially like the end of this video when the couple walks in front of me and says “Sorry”

I suppose that is enough for today. I need to take a rest because soon we will be leaving for dinner!

Somewhere In Time Day #2 “The Grand Hotel, and I Do Mean Grand”

by reissmd, posted in Mackinac Island, Michigan

We left a lovely hotel this morning (The Westin at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport). See below.

The lobby of the Westin at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW)

We then flew to Pellston, Michigan (I never heard of it either), from the Pellston Airport (PLN) we then took a shuttle to a ferry. After a 16-minute ride, we were docked at Mackinac Island. We have also seen the spelling “Mackinaw” and that mystery was soon solved. We were informed that the French originally inhabited this area and named it Mackinac. When the British came they called it Mackinaw. Both are pronounced the same way (Naw not Nac).

After getting off the ferry we were told to walk across the street and get a horse and carriage ride to the hotel. They said that carriages arrive “every 30 minutes give or take a few”. After waiting a bit I looked at Apple Maps and saw that the hotel was only half a mile away so we decided to walk. It is very safe to walk here because the only things you will see on the streets (other than pedestrians) are bicyclists and horse-drawn vehicles. On the way to the hotel, we saw a number of interesting sites.

Hart’s Inn: I don’t know anything about it but it sure looks inviting.
French Outpost: I think they might specialize in stacking turtles here. I am not sure but I will find out later in the trip.

Then we approached this magnificent sight. See below

The Grand Hotel on Mackinaw Island, Michigan

As you can see, the view of the hotel is spectacular. They boast of having the longest porch in the world (I have read it is 660 feet and 668 feet, you can choose). In addition to the outside being a thing of beauty check out these inside shots.

Lounge around the corner from the concierge desk.
A long hallway with shops on one side and sitting areas on the other,

After checking in we lounged around the property which included a stop at the Cupola Bar (the highest point of the hotel). While sitting there enjoying drinks (we had water) and appetizers (we had burrata with tomatoes and warm artichoke dip) you can look out over Lake Huron and chat with your fellow travelers. The bar also has this lovely chandelier.

Murano glass chandelier

After a little more hotel exploring and chilling in the room, it was time for dinner. For dinner, at the Grand Hotel, men and women must wear formal attire. Here is a shot of me in my blazer.

Very handsome, no?

Patrice wore an elegant gown with a plunging neckline that caused everyone to turn their heads to get a look. She won’t let me publish it because our children might see it.

For dinner, we had the “red” menu. The hotel rotates menus (red, green, and yellow). For appetizers, we chose wild mushroom risotto and melon and Parma ham.

Mushroom Risotto
Melon and Parma Ham

Next, we had Corn Gazpacho and White Asparagus soup.

Corn Gazpacho
White Asparagus Soup

Salads followed. We had heirloom tomato and cucumber salad with buffalo mozzarella, mint, and peach vinaigrette.

Heirloom tomato and cucumber salad with buffalo mozzarella, mint, and peach vinaigrette.

The entrees were beef tenderloin and pork chops.

Beef Tenderloin
Pork Chops

For dessert, we had their signature dessert called “Grand Pecan Ball”. We also had vanilla bean crème brûlée. I wanted to try the crème brûlée to see if it was as good as what I make.

Their “signature dessert” Grand Pecan Ball was excellent
Creme Brûlée. I have to admit, it was better than mine.

After that full meal, I told Patrice it was time to work out. Unfortunately, the gym was closed. So after finishing the blog, it is time to go to sleep. We have another fun day ahead.

(Patrice here, he said nothing of the sort in regards to going to the gym. We didn’t even look).

Somewhere In Time, Day #1 “Play Ball”

by reissmd, posted in Detroit

Today Patrice and I started a vacation to Mackinac Island in Lake Huron (yes, Michigan) for a celebration of my *** birthday. Why go all the way there to celebrate? Good question but I am not sure I have a good answer. In 1980 there was a romantic movie entitled “Somewhere in Time” starring Christopher Reeve (aka Superman) and Jane Seymour (aka Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman). The movie was filmed at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island and the location looked like the perfect retreat for a loving couple.

So we decided to make a visit to the island but due to flight schedules, we needed to spend a night in Detroit before heading to our final destination. Once I realized we needed a stop in Detroit I immediately started to think about baseball. As luck would have it the Tigers are in town and we got to add ballpark #22 to our list (just 8 more to go). Patrice and I couldn’t be happier about this bonus. Let me rephrase that, I couldn’t be happier about this bonus.

In order to include the ballgame we needed to take the early 7:15 AM flight from LAX to Detroit. So we headed to the airport at 5:30 only to find out that our flight was delayed and departure time was moved to 8:45 (eventually leaving at 9:02). The flight to Detroit was smooth but we had to hustle to check into our hotel, get the rental car and drive to the stadium. We thought we still had plenty of time to get to the stadium but the wait at Avis Rent A car was absurd. There were about 15 people lined up at the “Preferred Member” counter. It took us about 40 minutes to get a car and then we were off to the stadium. Traffic was light so we entered the ballpark just in time to see the first pitch.

The game was amazing and heartbreaking. The Houston pitcher, Framber Valdez, had a no-hitter going through 7 innings. Earlier this month (August 1st to be exact) Valdez no-hit the Cleveland Guardians. I was really excited about the game. It reminded me of when I took my son, David to watch Fernando Valenzuela pitch a no-hitter against the St. Louis Cardinals in 1990. David was so excited he didn’t want to go to the bathroom even though he was hopping around in discomfort. I explained to David that Fernando couldn’t give up a hit when the Dodgers were batting so we took a break at that time. Similarly, tonight I headed to the bathroom in the 8th when the Astros were batting (Patrice didn’t have to explain that to me). I returned in time to see that the Astro manager had pulled his pitcher. I tapped the guy next to me to help me understand this. He simply replied “Pitch count”. Well, the relievers let the game slip away, giving up 4 runs in the bottom of the ninth, sending the Astros to defeat. I am a huge baseball fan but if you are not going to let us see a no-hitter how do you expect fans to get excited about a game. I have gone to hundreds of baseball games in my life and have only seen one no-hitter. That was a very special night with my boy. Tonight could have also been very special except…….

I am unclear why this pitch count nonsense has taken hold. I don’t know any specific statistics but seems to me like pitchers are still getting injured with great frequency. Shohei Ohtani just torn his ulnar collateral ligament. Clayton Kershaw seems to always be missing games because of injuries. When pitch count discussions come up I like to remind people of the 16-inning game between the San Francisco Giants and the Milwaukee (now Atlanta) Braves in 1963. The Giants pitcher (25-year-old Juan Marichal) threw 227 pitches and his opponent from the Braves was the 42-year-old Warren Spahn who threw 201 pitches. Tonight’s pitcher (29-year-old Framber Valdez) threw 114 pitches.

I might have been disappointed tonight but Patrice was very pleased. She read a good portion of her book and the game ended in 2 hours and 35 minutes.

My apologies to my blog followers. I like to make the blog humorous but tonight I just had to rant. Sorry, I will try to do better tomorrow.