Heading Out on an Adventure!

 

Other than our 4-day weekend to Hocking Hills back in June, Ryan and I haven’t had any time off since our anniversary trip last December. I don’t think either one of us realized how tired we were, but it was a complete joy to get a few days away over the course of the past week. We actually planned this trip well over a year ago and have been looking forward to it ever since!

                I looked in my journal from last year to see when this idea was born, and it was August 3, 2024. I had posted on the blog about wanting to someday do the Mackinac Bridge walk (which happens every year on Labor Day) and Lynnette texted to see if we wanted to join them for it this year. YES!

                So we planned, and I carefully hoarded vacation days once my new job began, and this past Saturday, our time away began!

                We packed up the car and headed out, and we were so thankful for a beautiful day to travel!

                We are just about an hour and a half from the Michigan line, but I almost missed the sign! Ryan and I were deep in conversation, when all of the sudden he yelled “SIGN!!!!” I fumbled in slow motion to get the camera ready, and somehow I made it!

                We did stop at the rest area to get a picture with their courtesy sign, too.

                Lynnette and her family arrived in Michigan a day before we did, and she texted as we drove to tell me she hoped I was prepared for pictures, because the flowers were beautiful. CHECK!

                I also took a turn driving so Ryan could nap. The drive was really easy, and I appreciated that. No cities of note for us on this trip!

                We stayed in St. Ignace. For those of you who might not be from around the Midwest and don’t know what is found where…the Mackinac Bridge spans five miles in between Mackinaw City (in the lower peninsula of Michigan) and St. Ignace (in the upper peninsula of Michigan. Crossing it in our car wasn’t as scary as I thought it might be.

                It is a toll bridge, so we had to pay when we crossed into St. Ignace. (It’s $4.00 for a regular vehicle if you are planning a trip and need to know.)

                Also for those of you who may be planning a trip…We stayed at the Breakers Resort and really loved it. Our room was comfy and had a great view of the lake. (All the rooms at this hotel have a water view.) Our room had a little fireplace under the TV, a balcony that was perfect for watching sunrises, and plenty of room. The only bummer about the whole stay was that the hot tub was broken the whole time we were there. (I even bought a new swimsuit JUST for the hot tub. Sadness.)

                After we got settled into the hotel, we ventured toward the downtown area in St. Ignace and met our friends! It had been about a year and a half since we last saw them, which is just way too long. We wandered through the marina and picked out our favorite boats. 😊

                We also went for pizza together at BC Pizza, and it was a fun place with patio seating and games in the yard. (We also had a mini photographer who had fun snapping pictures of us before we were ready. They were funny!)

                Our night ended with a really great fireworks display that we could see from our balcony!