St. Ignace, Michigan

 “We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us.”

Our first stop on the way home was St. Ignace, a lakeside resort on the shores of two of the Great Lakes, Michigan, and Huron.

We stayed at the Best Western Harbour Pointe Lakefront hotel. Our room was very large and we had a balcony with a partial view of the lake.

On recommendation from the hotel staff, we dined at the Galley Restaurant and Lounge. In addition to the fresh caught trout, whitefish perch and walleye, they have a vast array of dishes to from which to choose. The Gierlaszynski family has owned them since 1976. Delicious food! www.galleyrest.com

We stayed only one night but I would go there again just to do and see the many things available. One is visiting Mackinac Island. You can take one of the three ferry companies: Arnold Transit, Shepler’s Ferry, and Star Line Ferry. Each has their own fleet of high-speed ferries that can take passengers from port to island in less than half an hour.

Mackinac Island is an automobile free island. The ban on automobiles was initiated in 1898. You can get around by foot, bike, horseback or horse-drawn carriage.

There are many things to do on the Island. You can hike in a boreal forest in Mackinac Island State Park; bike on the coastline (they have bicycle rentals along with Electric Amigo and Adult strollers); buy gifts at one of the island’s many shops (4 mini-malls); kayak in the bay; enjoy live concerts; visit art galleries;  or just relax.

Mackinac Island Carriage Tours is the oldest and largest horse and buggy livery in the world. You will start with a two-horse hitch for part of the tour and then onto a three-horse hitch for the remainder.

Gough Livery Carriages offers private carriage tours for up to eight adults. They will pick you up at the place of your choosing and drop you off at your choice of location.

Jack’s Livery Stable offers Drive Your Own Buggies. Buggies are available for 2, 4 or 6 people and are available by the hour. Stable hands give a short lesson on how to drive and then you are off to

explore.

Second night we arrived at Superior, Wisconsin at the Best Western Bridgeview Motor Inn. Nice room and good breakfast the next morning.

We were fortunate enough to discover the Anchor Bar & Grill on Tower Street. Don’t be daunted by the exterior nor the funky interior with the hanging swordfish; several world globes; hard hats, pike pole, life rings etc. It was interesting to see all the paraphernalia around the room. You could spend a lot of time just trying to take it all in.

The menu was also very impressive. 1/3 lb burgers such as sour cream & mushroom; Reuben burger with sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and Thousand Island dressing; or cashew burger made with cashews, Swiss cheese, and the olive burger with green olives and cream cheese, which I chose and was not disappointed.

They also have 2/3 lb Anchor burger or the 1 lb. galleybuster. I am not sure how many people can eat that much but apparently they sell quite well.

Excellent service as well. Check out their complete menu and story at www.anchorbarandgrill.com

Visiting good friends was the reason we stayed 3 nights in Winnipeg and we would not have missed their company or the little we saw of Winnipeg. Winnipeg surprised us in a good way.

Assiniboine Park Conservancy was a delight to visit. More than three hundred of Leo Mol’s works are displayed in the 1.2-hectare park. The park has a gallery, renovated studio, and outdoor displays. Leo Mol, born on January 15, 1915 in Ukraine was an internationally recognized stain glass artist and sculptor. He was known for his sculptures of square dancers, skiers, aboriginals, and wildlife. He also completed more than 80 stained-glass windows in churches throughout Winnipeg. Weddings are often held here.

The forks, a traditional Aboriginal peoples stopping place, has been a place to meet and explore for over 6,000 years. The forks were aptly named as it is at the junction of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers, which connected it to a vast continental network of water routes. It is still Winnipeg’s “Meeting Place” where you can shop at Market, take a guided tour of the Forks 6,000 year history, walk along the scenic pathways, or listen to a live band.

The Market was formed by joining two adjacent horse stables with a courtyard and bridges. There are many shops and food outlets to please anyone’s tastes. A constantly changing array of artisans and vendors also sell their wares at day tables inside the Forks Market and outside on the Plaza.

Once again, I was transported back to Tuscany. The atmosphere was very similar to a restaurant in Florence where the locals ate, busy, and full. Colosseo offers homemade pasta dishes and that is what I ordered. The food (my mouth is watering at the memory) and service was excellent, wine was good and the prices reasonable. When we were paying our bill, the owners gave us two bags of Cannensi rings, a type of biscuit for lack of a better word. They are scrumptious. I was sorry that I did not take pictures of our meals but you can find pictures on their website; www.colosseo.ca  We were fortunate to have found seats without a reservation but I would advise phoning ahead to make sure. You would not want to be disappointed. Phone: 204-284-4977 or 204-284-9865.  Address: 670 Corydon Ave.