Day 1: 7/9/11

Gavern Family Summer Vacation 2011 -

Trip to the U.P.

First stop on the road trip was a stop in Mackinaw City where we shopped for fun gifts, fudge and caramel corn. It was also the first stop on the 2011 Gavern Family annual Miniature Golf Tour. Nick and Frank took day one of the tournament holding a 3 stroke lead on Alex and Denise. After dinner we ate dinner at a little Italian restaurant filled with mounted wildlife from the Great Lakes. It was an odd combination to be eating stromboli with the eyes of large Elk heads looking down at us.

Nick took us across the Mighty Mac Bridge into the U.P. where we traveled to find the secrets of the Mystery Spot. Our tour guide Carly demonstrated the oddities of the gravitational field around the Mystery Spot. We climbed on walls, stood at crazy angles and got a little nauseous.

After the Mystery Spot we continued up to Sault Ste. Marie where we checked into the Longship Motel right across from the Soo Locks. We settled in and prepared for day two of our U.P. Adventure.

Day 1: By Denise

After a beautiful drive to Mackinaw City we stopped to play fudgeyville visitors. We went in and out of most of the souvenir shops, bought a little fudge, caramel corn and a few trinkets. We then headed for our first miniature golf course to begin the annual Gavern tournament. It was a decent course and Nick and Frank beat Alex and I by 5 strokes. Not a great beginning, but considering that Alex and I usually start out ahead and have never won I thought this might be a good sign.

After the game we had dinner and left town to visit the Mystery Spot, which continues to be a mystery even after our visit. We had a personal tour, and though it was silly, it was still fun and I would recommend it to anyone who crosses the bridge. Much to my family’s disappointment I was not nervous crossing the bridge and I did not crawl onto the floor of the car as we crossed.

After the Mystery Spot we headed to Sault St. Marie and our first mom and pop motel. We thought staying at old-fashioned motels would give us a flavor of the U.P. and so we stayed the first night at the Longships Motel, which was directly across the street from the Soo Locks. Our accommodations included ship blasts a couple of times during the night as the ships came in which definitely added a taste of the city to our stay.