The Quilted Turtle

Glorious

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 21:26:00 +0000

While I'm sure hollyhocks grow all over the place, they are quite common in the gardens on Mackinac. I love them, but I don't have any at my house because they need six (or more) hours of sunlight to blossom, which I don't have. So, instead of growing them myself, I admire them in other people's gardens.

Street Legal

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 00:54:00 +0000

If you were on the island this week, you may have gotten the rare opportunity to see a motorized vehicle. Lots of people visiting the island get frustrated when they see something like this because they think cars are completely banned on Mackinac. They aren't. During the summer they only come out only when absolutely necessary - fire, EMS, the electric company's bucket truck, etc.

This house had a blocked sewer so there was no choice than to call in the big guns to dig up and replace the sewer line. You see, the law on Mackinac Island is clear: everything that can be done by horsepower, must be done by horsepower. Generally, the work requiring vehicles happens after the tourist season during the winter months, but some things, such as a clogged sewer, can't wait until the season ends. The law is also clear about the "health, safety, and welfare" of the island's residents; if a motorized vehicle is needed for an emergency, it is going to be allowed.

Non-emergency vehicles, other than those used by public utilities, must be granted a Vehicle Permit by the City Council. They are easy to get as long as what you need it for can't be done by horses. A moving truck, for example, is not going to get a permit. You can move your household to the dock with a dray and then load the truck on the mainland. Is it more work? Sure, but it's one of the things we accept as part of living on Mackinac. The only time Allen and I have needed vehicle permits was when we built our house. We needed one for both the truck and the crane; two jobs that definitely couldn't be done by horsepower!

One Guess

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Sat, 08 Aug 2026 00:04:00 +0000

I'll give you one guess about where I went this week. The photo above is your first clue. Not enough? OK, here's another one:

Still not enough?

Any thoughts yet?

How about now?

That's my mother-in-law, Janet, by the way. She wanted a traveling companion to go to her family reunion, I had time in my schedule, so I got to add a new state to my "traveled to" list.

OK, here's your last clue:

You guessed it, we went to MAINE!

And a word to the wise for you: don't go to the LL Bean Flagship store on a rainy day. Everyone, and I literally mean everyone, visits when it rains. It took us at least 15 minutes just to find a parking spot!

Good Morning

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 11:39:00 +0000

The quiet before the first boat always puts a smile on my face.

This is the Way, at Least for Me

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 23:54:00 +0000

I love living on Mackinac. Sure, some things are more complicated than they would be on the mainland, but to me, it's well worth it to live on here.

Take donations for example: When my family is done with things that have plenty of life left, I try, whenever possible, to donate them to places like the Gold Mine or the Hope Chest. My mainland friends often keep a box that they slowly fill as they find items they no longer need. When the box is full, it gets placed in the car and dropped off on their way home from the grocery store. Since I live on an island with no cars, it's not that simple for me. It's much easier for me to collect multiple boxes, store them in the basement, and then donate them en masse, once or twice a year.

The 14 boxes above were this summer's donation. It took a little planning* so the dray could pick them up and have them to the dock by 8:00 am for the boat, but it felt good to give all those things a second life somewhere else. (Plus, I appreciate being able to help the Gold Mine and the Hope Chest with their missions; they both do important work in the community which I am happy to support.)

*The planning involved checking the weather to be sure it wasn't going to rain, calling the Service Company a day or two before to arrange pickup, and then having the boxes outside by 6:00 am.

Smoky

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 13:23:00 +0000

Mackinac Island awoke to a blanket of smoke today. It's a minor inconvenience for us - no views, stay indoors if possible, etc. - but for the folks up in Canada, where the smoke is coming from, I can't even begin to imagine what they're going through.

General Sherman

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Sun, 12 Jul 2026 15:27:00 +0000

The General Sherman Tree, in Sequoia National Park, is the largest known single-stem tree alive on Earth today, by volume. (Apparently there are taller, fatter, and older trees, but since the 1930s wood volume has been the standard way tree size is determined.)

This tree is a big tourist attraction (pun intended) at the park and there were many people waiting to get photos with it. (We waited in line between a family from India and a father and son from the Netherlands.) I was so impressed with how patiently everyone waited for their turn to gather behind the sign for photos. There was no grouching, no line cutting, nor general unpleasantness among people; everyone just happily waited their turn, and many groups took photos for each other. It really reminded me just how lovely people can be.

GuideAlong

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 23:42:00 +0000

Two years ago when we visited Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, we discovered the GuideAlong app. I don't work for this company, nor am I being compensated by this company in any way - my family just really, really enjoyed using it, so I thought I'd share.

The app itself is free, then you purchase the tour, or tours, you want. The Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park Tour cost $25.00, and Yosemite was $20.00 - but they were worth every penny (or nickel, now that the penny has been discontinued.)

The app was easy; it uses your phone's GPS location to signal the app to start the audio tour when you reach a specific location. Each one of those white dots represents an audio file that opens, automatically, when you get to that spot.

We loved the tidbits of history the narrator (we named him Adam) shared with us as we drove. The best part was, he had great information we wouldn't have known otherwise. He clued us before important turns came up and even suggested stops we didn't know about. His tone was funny and engaging and all of us, from the Baby Boomer to the Gen Zers, enjoyed the tours. The one and only downside was, when Adam started talking, all other conversations in the car stopped. If you find regular interruptions to your discussions irritating, this is not the app for you. Otherwise, I highly recommend it. If you are planning a road trip, it's worth taking the time to check out GuideAlong.

Waybound at Yosemite

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 13:22:00 +0000

Waybound Yosemite was our next stop after picking up groceries at Wal-Mart. Waybound is attached to Tenaya Lodge, but at Waybound, everyone has a private little cabin - which was perfect for us since we were a group of 11. Yep, eleven of us, three generations traveling together. (Grandma, her children and spouses, and our children, plus spouses (and a spouse to be.) We're all very lucky Grandma wants to leave her children and grandchildren with incredible memories.

The food was great, and Brett (the manager) took very good care of us. He was an absolute doll!

Janet (Grandma) loved drinking her morning coffee from her porch with a view of the river and the kids* loved the cabins, the s'more fixings at the fire pits, the archery,

and tootling around in the golf cart.

Waybound was a great spot for us to have some fun and spend time together as a family!

* I call them "kids" but they really aren't kids anymore; they're all between 20 and 26.

Independence Day

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Sat, 04 Jul 2026 14:20:00 +0000

Wishing you a beautiful Independence Day from Mackinac Island!

Giant Sequoias!

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 02:22:00 +0000

Giant is right! These trees are huge!

Allen found the perfect hike for us. At four miles, round trip, the hike up to the Muir Glen of giant sequoias was long enough for us to feel like we did something, but not so long that we'd be dragging on the way back.

Or should I say it would have been perfect if the campground where the trail begins hadn't been closed. Well we didn't let a silly thing like a closed sign stop us, we parked across the street, ducked under the gate and walked to the trailhead instead. (We made sure to note the sign said, "Campground Closed," not "Do Not Enter," so we felt it was ok to proceed.)

As we walked through the campground we kept seeing these gigantic pine cones, so of course we had to get pictures with them. (One guess which of us are the cutups of the family.) We later discovered they were from sugar pines.

The hike was gorgeous.

There were numerous landscape changes,

each one prettier than the next.

Halfway to the grove the trees opened up and we found ourselves on a granite dome with a lovely view.

Unbeknownst to me, my nephew planned to propose to his girlfriend on the trip - and the dome ended up being the prefect place for him to get down on one knee and ask. (I didn't get any pictures because I had no idea the proposal was coming. Luckily, that was the moment when we met up with the only two other hikers we met that day, and they offered to take a group picture for us.)

Aren't they cute?

Not long after leaving the dome we found ourselves surrounded by giants.

We were completely awestruck by the sheer size of these endangered trees.

Reading about them doesn't really prepare you for just how gigantic, giant sequoias really are. Nine of us were able to get a little more than halfway around this one - halfway!

We'd read that the oldest known giant sequoia came in at over 3,200 years old and it made us wonder, just how old was this tree?

In October 2021, a fire came through this sequoia grove. Many of the trees were scarred by fire, but they survived, and thrived, since these trees need the heat of forest fires to open their cones. This one was burned through, yet it is still growing.

We would have spent the entire day exploring the grove, but other adventures were calling. We had to bid the trees farewell and start the trip back to the car. We all did well until we got back to the campground, because the last mile through the campground was all uphill. For a few of us, fatigue, altitude, and the incline made that last mile, by far, the hardest mile of the day. It was worth it though; seeing those majestic trees up close, was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I'd rank it right up there with visiting the Pyramids of Giza and the Anne Frank House.

Wuksachi Lodge

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 01:54:00 +0000

My mother-in-law, Janet, loves to travel. She has a bucket list of sites she wants to see and places she wants to stay; and this year that list took us all to Sequoia and Yosemite National Parks.

Our first stop on this grand adventure was Wuksache Lodge, located right inside Sequoia National Park.

Sequoia National Park was breathtaking. I'm a Michigan girl through and through, and while I can't imagine not living in the midst of the Great Lakes, I can appreciate the beauty of the mountains. In this part of California, they're gorgeous. When we landed in Fresno, the air quality was so poor we couldn't see the mountains, but once we left the city, the smog disappeared.

Wuksache Lodge was a lovely spot. It was in the high nineties (about 35 C) when we left Fresno, but up in the mountains it was in the high seventies (about 25 C.)

The buildings have the feeling of a historic hotel, but they were actually built in the 1990s.

The hotel is located at 7,050 feet. Mackinac Island has an elevation of about 600 feet, so we were concerned the elevation might bother us. Thankfully, we were all OK.

The food was great (especially lunch), the rooms were clean and well maintained, and the staff was quite helpful. When my son's roll-away bed was delivered, the staff person apologized, "I'm sorry it took so long," he said, "I'm new and I don't know where everything is yet."

"No worries," we told him, and let him know we would happily make up the bed. Later on, when we tried, we discovered he'd given us 16 pillow cases instead of sheets; too funny! Comfy beds were important - our first hike in the Sierra Nevada Mountains started at 7:30 the next morning.

Getting There is Half the Fun

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 03:45:00 +0000

Lots of people wonder what people who live in a vacation destination do when it is time for their vacation. For us, it means visiting other vacation destinations. It's our chance to remember what it's like to see amazing things for the first time. This year that meant a trip to California. (A state none of us had visited.) After traveling by horse-drawn taxi, a ferry boat, and by car, we boarded a plane in Traverse City.

Except for a few crying children, a four year-old seat kicker, and a short delay, we landed in Fresno without incident. (Luckily, I'm one of those people who can often tune those noises out; the rest of my family, not so much. But the flights were short...) Thankfully, the car rental's computer system decided to start working again five minutes after we arrived at their counter and we were on our way. (We were a little worried because it was 10:30 pm and we thought we might have to come back when they opened in the morning - at 7:00 because, "We can only hold your reservation for 24 hours." Thankfully it all worked out.) My husband is not a fan of traveling by air, so I was thrilled that we had no major hiccups.

If you've never been in the Fresno airport, they have a really neat display of a sequoia grove to walk through on your way out. They were fun to look at, but I'm looking forward to seeing real ones!

A Lilac a Day, Day Twenty

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 19:16:00 +0000

This will be my last lilac post for 2026. While the lilacs are starting to fade, it's because I'm going away for a little while and won't be able to take any more pictures.

I'll tell you all my trip when I get back!

A Lilac a Day, Day Ninteen

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 22:11:00 +0000

Marquette Park's lilacs always look perfect...

A Lilac A Day, Day Eighteen

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 21:29:00 +0000

I love Mackinac mornings. First thing, before the first boat docks, it's calm, cool, and quiet.

A Lilac a Day, Day Seventeen

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 20:17:00 +0000

You can't avoid seeing lilacs on Mackinac Island this time of year. They are literally everywhere!

A Lilac a Day, Day Sixteen

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 20:16:00 +0000

It's hard to be grouchy walking past a lilac bush in full bloom!

A Lilac a Day, Day Fifteen

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 13:13:00 +0000

My neighbor's lilac trees are so heavy with flowers, the branches can't hold the blossoms up!

A Lilac a Day, Day Fourteen

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 01:09:00 +0000

We've reached the point where, sometimes when you're out and about, the smell of lilac just hits you as you're riding down the street.

A Lilac a Day, Day Thirteen

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Sat, 13 Jun 2026 13:04:00 +0000

This year quite a few of the Island's businesses upped their lilac game. There is some super cute lilac merch for sale this season.

A Lilac a Day, Day Twelve

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 22:59:00 +0000

These white laced lilacs grow around the State Park sign on Doud's Corner (the corner of Fort and Main.) They don't have a strong scent, but they sure are pretty.

A Lilac A Day., Day Eleven

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 00:54:00 +0000

These lilacs on the East Bluff looked just beautiful as I walked home last night.

A Lilac a Day, Day Ten

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 22:48:00 +0000

This year I've noticed just how much better the lilac trees in full sun look than the more shaded trees. The full sun trees definitely have more blossoms.

A Lilac a Day, Day Nine

noreply@blogger.com (Liz) — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 17:28:00 +0000

Each day the Island seems a little busier...