One of my favorite places......

[Mr. 16 gauge]

Over the 4th of July, my family and I went up to the Straits of Mackinaw for a mini vacation. I went to the restored Fort Michilimackinac......first went back when I was 7 years old and the place just never gets old for me. It was originally a French trading post, then became a French fort, then was turned over to the British after the 7 years war. It was captured by natives during Pontiacs rebellion, and during the revolutionary war it was deemed indefensible by the garisson commander, who ordered the fort moved to Mackinaw Island. What couldn't be moved was burned to the ground!
Excavations at the site started in 1959 and are continuing to this day.

The powder magazine:


Flintlock & bayonet demonstration:


Inside the French church:


Cannon firing demonstration:


....and now for something a little different. We went to Traverse City/Leelanau to revisit some of our favorite winerys, and the Cherry festival was going on. I didn't know it at the time, but there was an air show going on featuring none other than THE BLUE ANGELS!!! It was totally cool to watch these big war birds & their pilots perform....made me proud to be an American!