Winters are long here in Michigan, and I think even if you like the snow and coldness, by February you're really getting the itch for the warmer weather of springtime. For many of us, it seems as though the thaw takes way too long, and we plan getaways, even if only for a little while. That's where this story begins.
In February of this year, a group of running girlfriends and I had a group chat going. Somehow the conversation turned from yet another snowy run to wishes for a little more of an adventure. We needed to get out of here. Between kids' schedules and work schedules and regular life, the getaway would have to be short but epic. I was asked to look into flights to Colorado, and boom, plans started to be made. I found a ridiculously cheap round-trip flight with room for the six of us to fly into Denver, where we would rent a van, stay the night in a hotel, get up really early and climb a 14'er (one of Colorado's amazing 14,000 foot mountains) and finish in time to return the van and hop the flight home that same night. 24 hours of jam-packed fun and excitement was booked and paid for and scheduled for mid-May.
And then you know what happen next: COVID-19 arrived. Not only did it arrive, but it all but shut our country, and the world, down. The pause button had been pushed on our trip, and on nearly all non-essential travel.
So we waited. Colorado in summer sounded like a good plan, until things still were not good here. So we waited longer. Fall in Colorado would be so beautiful, right? But slowly we realized a 2020 trip west was not in the cards for us. Like the all-powerful moms, multi-taskers, and adventurers we are, we dreamed a new dream.
Perhaps this would be a good time to introduce these amazing women. While we are all runners and all moms, we are a diverse group. We come from all over this great state of Michigan, and our jobs range from Dental Hygienist (Misty) to Business Professionals (Brandy and Amy) to Critical Care Nurses (Lisa and Teresa) to stay-at-home mom (Me).
Once all of our kids were settled into their new school routines in these strange times, we started talking about how we could get together without having to make big travel plans. Amy so generously offered up her vacation cabin, having just enough space for all of us. We agreed that a Northern Michigan getaway in the fall would be perfect. Our main goal would be to travel to Mackinaw Island on that Saturday and run the Great Turtle Half Marathon course, but of course that wasn't all we had planned. Also on the list for the weekend was biking, kayaking, hula-hooping, and general shenanigans. We planned food and clothing and arranged work and school schedules and waited for our weekend to arrive.
The first weekend in October managed to work with all of our schedules, and I was excited to get some more time in Northern Michigan during what was turning out to be an exceptionally picturesque fall season. After sending the kids off to school on that Friday morning, I packed way too many clothes, shoes, gear, what-if supplies, and food items into my truck. Oh, and I also had Jason throw my brand new granny bicycle into the back. And then I was northbound, just a wild and free mama excited for a weekend away.
The day was clear and bright and my excitement built as a exited I-75 and headed northeast from there. I hadn't been to the northern shore of Lake Huron since college, and I was looking forward to taking in the sights. My GPS decided to take me on an extra-scenic route, down a weird two track road with no cell service and some super sketchy hitchhikers wandering here and there. I was oh-so-thankful when my tires once again hit the pavement and I was back in civilization.
And then, there was Amy! I had made it to her cute little cabin on the water. She had warned us ahead of time that there would be some big trucks blocking her driveway, but it was a little surprising to see a major construction zone! Much to her dismay, their plans of having a new well put in had coincided with our girls weekend. She assured us that they would be gone soon, and I didn't give it another thought.
Once inside, Amy showed me to my room and I unloaded my plethora of belongings. We sat and chatted, waiting for the others to arrive. Then, after a bathroom break, Amy came out with a look of panic on her face. The once clear water was now brown. The well company had told her that even if they didn't finish the new well by that Friday, they'd finish it by Monday and there shouldn't be an issue aside from some possible brown-tinted water. Of course, when she went outside to ask the workers about it, they had already left for the weekend. Hmmm...
Around this time, Lisa, Teresa and Misty arrived in a packed truck. When I say packed, I mean PACKED. Clothes, shoes, gear, what-if supplies, and food, along with four kayaks, three hula hoops, and three bikes on the back. Oh, and a partridge in a pear tree.
While I helped the girls unload and move in, Amy was on the phone with her husband and the well company trying to figure this water issue out. She had quickly discovered that the water wasn't just tinted brown, but it was actually mud and it had filled the pipes and stopped the pump. No. Running. Water.
Hey, no problem, right? We were in a warm cabin, with plenty of food and jugs of water and we were all seasoned campers. We could do this. Amy searched around and found a couple buckets and a big pitcher and we filled them with lake water. We'd use them to flush the toilet as needed. Any embarrassment about who was doing what in the bathroom and when quickly went out the window and was more funny than anything else. It's hard to hide when you've got to go when you have to take a bucket of water with you!
Brandy wouldn't be arriving until after dark, so the rest of us sat around and chatted and had snacks and just enjoyed being together. We talked about school and work and how much COVID had changed everything. Lisa and Teresa had had an up-close-and-personal viewpoint of this pandemic since its appearance here in the United States, and if anyone was deserving of a weekend away from everything, it was those two.
The day wore on and we still hadn't really done anything. We needed to come up with a plan. With just about two hours of daylight remaining, we decided to create our own little version of a triathlon. While Amy put some veggie lasagna into the oven, Lisa, Teresa, Misty and I unloaded the kayaks and bikes from their truck. We had just enough time for a 30 minute bike ride, and 30 minute run, and a 30 minute kayak on the lake.
There was a definite chill in the air and we dressed warmly. The bike ride around her little neighborhood was quite nice and a great little warm up before running.
Up next, we tackled a three mile run, which really warmed us up!
Then it was time for kayaking. I had only ever kayaked on New Year's Day in the bitter cold, so I was looking forward to this experience. Daylight was fading quickly and we hurried to get out onto the water. There was a little island out there, and we made it our goal to paddle around it and back before it was too dark to see.
I was a little chilly and my mittens were completely soaked, but we just had the best time out there on the lake. The colors were beautiful and the lake was calm and quiet. It couldn't have been a more perfect night.
Then, it was time to feast. We were hungry after our little adventures, and we filled our plates and circled up in the living room once again.
Soon, Brandy arrived and our group was complete! We were all happy to see that she had brought just as much stuff as the rest of us. Hey, what can I say? Moms know how to PACK!
She was a little unnerved when we informed her of our no plumbing issue, but it was soon just the way of life for her as it had become for us. Of course we stayed up later than we should have, but we eventually trickled off to our beds and slept.
Saturday morning came early for me, and I laid in bed waiting to hear the coffee pot brewing. Soon I heard Amy moving about and could smell the scent of my life-blood brewing in the kitchen. After a quick stop with a bucket in the bathroom I grabbed some coffee. One by one, we made our way to the living room to eat breakfast and drink our coffee. Brandy had brought some donuts that were quite decadent.
Amy surprised us all with an in-home yoga session on Saturday morning! Paige from Karmic Roots Yoga, along with her guitar-playing beau, met with us for a peaceful and relaxing yoga experience. I think we all needed that time to just relax and gather ourselves after the stressful times we had all been going through, and it was a great start to our day.
And then it was time to get going! There was a scurry of activity as we gathered our gear and dressed in layers and packed extra clothes and anything we might need for the day ahead. We had an hour drive to Mackinaw City. From there, we'd catch the ferry to Mackinaw Island where we would bike the exterior, and then run the interior. Before long, we were out the door.
Due to the Cabin Water Crisis, we knew we wouldn't be able to shower there that night, and we would all desperately be needing one. As we drove to Mackinaw, we scouted out a couple state campgrounds that might have shower facilities still open, and we considered just paying for a cheap hotel and taking turns showering. Ehhh, we'd figure something out later.
Mackinaw City was bustling for a chilly October day, but we timed it right and had just enough time to purchase our tickets and hop on the ferry. Luckily, we were early enough to score seats in the enclosed first floor where we stayed nice and warm on the trip over to the island.
I hadn't been to Mackinaw Island since I was a kid and I was quite surprised to see how built up it seemed, as well as the number of people who had also chosen today as a good day to take in the sights. If you are not familiar with Mackinaw Island, here's a little info: The island was founded in 1780 and is home to Fort Mackinac, as well as several other military buildings and the Michigan Governor's summer home. There are no vehicles on the island aside from bicycles and horse-drawn carriages. It's kind of like stepping back in time, aside from the Starbucks right on the main strip. (Eeeek.)
We hustled to a bicycle rental place where we were fitted with bikes our size. Our order included: four regulars, a big and a small. I was the big. I'm always the big.
We decided to ride around the lake clockwise, and we filled up our baskets with all of our extra items we had brought. The day was a little overcast but the lake was calm and beautiful. I was thankful I had worn mittens because it was still a little chilly, even in early afternoon. Once we got a little further from town, the bike traffic spread out and it was so nice and peaceful.
The bicycles were rented by the hour, and we conveniently finished our eight mile ride in under an hour. After paying our fees and returning our bikes, we rented a couple lockers to stash anything we didn't want to carry or wear for the running portion of the day.
Our plan was to run the Great Turtle Half Marathon course and make it back in time to catch the last ferry at 8pm. We had about five hours to get it done, and it seemed like plenty of time. The first few miles were on the same paved path we had just finished biking, but in the opposite direction. We trotted along, happily doing what we runners love to do the most. I have to admit, we did look a bit like a strange gang with our black masks and our backpacks on and well, running. I mean, people were biking and walking, but I didn't see anyone else running out there.
After a few miles, we turned off the paved trail and headed to the interior of the island. Aside from the occasional pile of stink left by horses, we seemed to have these trails nearly to ourselves. Although I had never run this race course before, several of the other ladies had, and Brandy had actually won the half marathon a couple years ago! Today, I'd be following their lead as I had no idea where I was going. It turns out though, even with the maps we had and the maps posted on the trails, nobody really knew where we were going. Every time we'd come to a trail crossing, we'd regroup and discuss which way to go.
Here and there we'd run into others walking on the trail and we'd stop and help them figure out where they were, too. At some point we realized this was taking much longer than we had planned. We stopped to check out the governor's summer home and the fort...
and the arch...
And then we decided that maybe we should just start making our way back towards town. It would be better to be a little early than to rush and possibly miss that last ferry. So we didn't hurry, but we did decide to cut a few miles off of our half marathon route and get safely back to town.
At some point, we realized that we'd actually be back in town to possibly make it onto the 6:30pm ferry. Once we realized this, the race was ON. Now we did look like a bunch of crazies running fast past the church that was just dismissing, and through the town still packed with people.
We sprinted to the lockers, grabbed our stuff, and quickly headed to the dock. The line was long. Like, really long. I had a sinking feeling that the boat would be full just before we got to board. But the people kept filing on. I watched the first level fill, and then the second, and then the top started to fill. We all made it safely on board and headed up the stairs. We couldn't sit all together, but we found seats on the very top level. It was going to be a chilly ride home.
And boy, was it ever. We pulled down our hats, pulled up our buffs, zipped up our jackets, and crouched over in our seats to block the wind. Sweaty and wet combined with the wind of the moving ferry was not a pleasant experience. Luckily, the ride was over in about twenty minutes and as soon as we were able, we exited the boat and made our way to the car.
We were cold, stinky and hungry. And I think in that order. Our first priority was finding a place to shower. We searched for a hotel, even a dive, but couldn't find anything for under $300 a night. We definitely didn't want to pay that for just an hour or so. Then, as we were heading out of town, we spotted a KOA sign. Maybe we could sneak in there and shower. Lisa and Teresa were KOA members and we figured campgrounds wouldn't be too busy this late in the season. As we pulled in, there was a big sign posted that said "CAMPGROUND FULL. PLEASE CALL TO CHECK IN." Lisa told Amy not to stop and just drive on in. We quickly realized that nearly everyone here was in a camper-no tents. And then we realized the showers were in the main building, right up front. We were hoping for a little spot tucked into the trees where we could duck in and out unnoticed. But we pulled up to the main building anyway and Amy ran in to scope it out. She quickly returned and told us to grab our shower bags. We grabbed our stuff, headed through the main bathroom area and to the shower room door. As we stepped through, we found six, SIX, clean, empty private shower rooms.
Like the ninjas we were, we took the hottest showers ever, got completely clean and warm, put on fresh, dry clothes, and were all back in the car within 15 minutes. That KOA never knew what hit it. I don't know how we got so lucky, but in that moment we felt like queens.
Our next order of business was food. Now that we were clean and dry, we were HUNGRY. The small snack-lunch we had eaten before leaving the cabin that morning was long gone, and the trail snacks we had brought for our run had worn off as well. We needed to eat. We decided to get out of Mackinaw and head towards home. There had to be a restaurant somewhere, right? After perusing the internet and finding not a lot of choices, we opted for a little place in Cheboygan called Great Lakes Grill. There was only an hour until closing time, and we were happy to have a big table in the back, away from everyone. In an impressive and embarrassing display, we ordered nearly one of everything on the appetizer menu, along with full meals. There was a lot of food. Many of us ordered the house specialty, parmesan encrusted white fish, and it was soooo good.
On the way home in the dark, Amy drove past a Halloween skeleton display. I jokingly said she should turn around so we could check it out, and she did! I was dying laughing as we all piled out of car and posed with the bony characters for pictures.
By the time we made it back to the cabin, we were DONE. Our day that had started with coffee and yoga and included bike riding, running and feasting had completely worn us out. Before we called it a night, though, we decided to load up the kayaks into Lisa's truck. The forecast for the next day wasn't promising, so we tackled the task. Let me tell you, an all-out shitshow ensued. Apparently we were really good at releasing the tiedowns on Friday, but making them re-fasten just 24 hours later seemed like an impossible task. Four women, in the dark, a husband on the phone, and nearly an hour of time later, those kayaks were secure. Hopefully. Ugh.
That night, the cabin got very quiet very quickly as we all fell soundly asleep.
Sunday morning greeted us with rain and coldness. Our plans of biking and running to a local lighthouse were squashed. In its place, Brandy and Lisa stepped in. Brandy led us in a booty-busting group fitness class where I did more squats than I ever care to do again.
And then Lisa pulled out the hula hoops. I didn't know it before this weekend, but Lisa is actually a certified hula hoop exercise instructor. I actually didn't even know that was a thing! We took turns and she taught all of us, even uncoordinated me, how to hula hoop. Wonders never cease! The best part, though, was watching Lisa put on a show for us. I'm telling you, that girl could take that show on the road! We were all mesmerized watching her pull off all kinds of amazingness!
Sadly, after that, it was time to wrap things up. We all packed up and loaded our cars. We gave our hugs and goodbyes and our thank yous for a weekend to remember. In a time when things have seemed to change nearly by the day, I am thankful for a weekend of "normal" with these amazing women. It truly was soul food in this time of COVID.
