WEEK 1 – Back from Mackinaw / Mackinac
Posted by roadpoet on July 5, 2009
One thing you have to do in Mackinaw City—no, not buy fudge (although you almost have to do that to!)—stop by the grocery store in town and purchase the latest copy of the Porcupine Press (www.upmag.net) . It’s well worth the four bucks, and even though I’ve seen it sold at many places North of Grayling, this is the only place that has always had it in stock (although on this trip I bought their last copy). It’s about 80 pages of full-color chicanery on newsprint. Think ‘The Onion’ meets ‘the U.P.’ I’d hate for you to pass up the opportunity to read about picking night crawlers, the new iBoob, the old fart gazette, or recipes for pasties & zippy onion relish. My particular favorite from this issue is a prayer: “Dear God: This year please send clothes for all those poor ladies in daddy’s computer” That about says it all….
I stopped in Clare (www.cityofclare.org) for dinner and walked right past the largest cock I’ve ever seen. A little place called Bob’s Lounge has a giant rooster out front, and inside the chicken is impressive too! A great place for a reasonably priced scrumptious meal if you’re ever in Clare. Living as close as I do, I’ll definitely be back. Thanks Bob!, if there really is a Bob behind all that chicken. Maybe I’ll meet him next time.
Making it back to Mt. Pleasant (www.mountpleasantwow.com) in time to get thrown in a friend’s pool, towel dried, and thrown in again; then dive-bombed by a mosquito family reunion while disc golfing, I met friends and the masses upon the hill at Mid Michigan Community College (www.midmich.cc.mi.us) to watch the fireworks across the road at the Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort (www.soaringeaglecasino.com) . Now I grew up around Bay City (www.tourbaycitymi.org) and learned to appreciate a well-developed quality fireworks show, but these were free (Bay City now charges a $1 donation) and outstanding! Did I mention they were free, oh yeah I guess I did.
WEEK 1 RECAP so far: (1) marriage proposal from a stranger; (8) miles of island running; ($free) firework show; (2) times getting thrown in a pool; (1) loud muffler; ($212) for new muffler and exhaust; (8-10) Asians w/o cameras; (1) giant rooster; (17) mosquito bites; too much time on facebook; (1) sports injury-will update status next week; (352) miles travelled—a pretty uneventful first week.
