• Monday-What'sUP July 3 - 09:42 am

Mackinac Island is one of the most unique Islands you'll ever visit, since there are no motorized vehicles allowed. Bobb Farrell was there and snapped a picture of some unusual bikes parked in front of the Murray Hotel. I bet their owners are all inside enjoying some samples of fudge! I'm not sure what this old style bike is called, but I'm thinking they must be difficult to get up on and even more treacherous to come down off of. Don't worry though, if you're unable to walk or ride a bike to get around over there, you can always take a horse drawn taxi and hear the clip, clop of the horse's hooves on the roadways. Bobb's second photo was taken from the vantage point of old Fort Mackinac, which overlooks the marina and entryway to the Island by boat. A view like this from behind the fortress walls, makes it worth the money to pay the entrance fee, not to mention the history lesson as you tour the fort.

Love it all!

The road to a friend's house is never long...peddles & hooves do just fine!

These bicycles were called "penny-farthings", because of their resemblance to the relative size of pre-decimal system British coins, the penny being much larger than the farthing. It was also called an "ordinary" bicycle because power from the pedals was applied directly to the axle and not transmitted through a chain or other means of transmission.

This is a guy here in Lansing who rides his penny-farthing bike around the west side of town. It is a wonder to me how he gets on and off that thing. He must have very strong leg muscles to keep it going. I am always amazed when I see him peddle by.

Mackinac Island has always been one of my favorite places to visit. To see some of the island's sites when I last visited there in 2004, please check out: http://gallery.pasty.com/smitty/albuq74/

Oh, give me a home....

Hmmmmm... as a former bike racer, and someone excited about this Saturday's Tour de France prologue, I'm feeling happy about the Pasty Cam's last two pix. Do I detect some cycling fans in the Copper Country?

We had lunch at the Murray Hotel Memorial Day weekend! Don't remember seeing any bikes like that out front.

At about 9:30 this morning, we had a view of the Grand Hotel and
Mackinac Island from Big Mac. What a wonderful weekend with
family and friends. Good food (including Copper Country
strawberries and Marquette County blueberries), good times, a
sauna bath, the song of the white throated sparrow and a chance to
sing the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" at the end of the service at
Faith Lutheran Church (National Mine).

As much as I love the UP I've never been interested in the Island. Althought I really like the movie "Somewhere In Time", I'll probably never go there 'cuz I can't walk worth a darn, nor ride a bike and I'm too cheap to hire a surry or whatever they call those things. Looking forward to my visit to the bridge tremendously tho, at the end of this month!

Great pictures Doug!

I love Mackinac Island. My husband brought me there last year for the first time in my life. We are heading back there for my birthday with a bunch of friends,I cannot wait!!! Thanks for the great photo!!!!