Favorite

This is Pere Marquette park on Mackinac Island which is located in the waters between the upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan.

It is my Favorite Place on earth. I feel the most connected to everything there just sitting in the grass and listening to all of the sounds.

The island is very small and mostly a tourist destination, although there is a tiny residential population. It is seven miles in circumference and no motor vehicles are allowed on the island, (except for the lone ambulance and fire truck). Everything is done by bicycle or horses.

Sitting in the park you hear the sound of the horse-drawn carriages plodding by, the sea gulls, the children playing, the water lapping on the shore, the cannon from the 19th century fort that sits up on the hill where they do historical re-enactments, the horn blasts from the ferries bringing people to the island, and the breeze through the many lilac bushes and trees that dot the park. It truly is lovely.

There are lots of things to do on the island, including tours, shopping, nature trails, bike rentals, horseback riding, etc., but I generally find myself in the park with a book for a good part of the day when I am there.

I just can’t think of a better place to be.

Photos by me.