Stranded

Last week we had a just awful weather. It was either foggy, snowy, rainy, or a combination of the three. None of which are good for flying or crossing the ice bridge, so numerous people got stranded; some in St. Ignace wanting to get home, while others were on the island wanting to leave. I was glad both of my kids managed to fly home before the fog hit.

The occasional plane was able to take off, but not often enough to make a dent in the seventy plus people waiting to get back to Mackinac. Some of them had to wait six days - SIX DAYS before the weather improved enough for regular flights to resume. I was stuck on the mainland once, for three days, and I thought that was bad.

Getting stuck is one of the risks you take when you live on Mackinac Island. This time of year, if I leave the island, I always have extra undies, a toothbrush and several days of medication in my backpack - just to be safe. You never know when Mother Nature will decide to hamper your travel plans.

The first picture is of one of the planes bringing people home after that week of not flying. The tiny speck, inside the circle, is one of the planes that shuttle people, mail, and freight to and from Mackinac during the winter.  This year, a round trip flight is $118.00. The first 50 pounds of freight is free, but it's $0.50 per pound after that. You can see why the ice bridge is so appealing - no freight charges and no schedule!