Eleven thousand years ago in prehistoric times, not long after the retreat of the last glacier, aboriginal natives stood on the mainland shore, looked out over the Straits between two newly formed great lakes and saw an island with unusually high bluffs. They thought it resembled a large reptile and called it mish-la-mack-in-naw or big turtle. When they explored it, they marveled at its unusual natural limestone formations and buried their dead in the Island's caves. Last weekend (September 25 and 26), I tramped up to Arch Rock on Mackinac Island at dawn with 13 other women, to watch the sun rise on the water.
Although at first I struggled to leave my warm bed, I was glad I made the trip as we stood on the lookout deck (top right in the photo) and our weekend host, Darlene Sowa, struck Tibetan sound bells together and called out to the four winds. It was a moving experience, but not the only one I was to enjoy that weekend!
Before I left for the trip, my stylist Daniel Zavala at Azenza Salon opined that Mackinac was nice to visit every 10 years or so, "But I can only eat so much fudge." I myself griped about the drive, trying to figure out an alternative to the 4 and 1/2 hour road trip. Little did I know that the drive itself would be a delight! Listening to crunchy tunes on the radio, I cruised along and marveled at the changing colors all along the tree-lined highway. It reminded me of something a friend said was his favorite pasttime--chasing leaves (i.e., following the changing fall colors as the Michigan landscape transforms before your eyes).
I haven't been to Mackinac since I was a kid, when we rented a bicycle built for two and pedaled around the island, arriving back just in time to catch the boat to the mainland. I had no idea what to expect. I signed up for Darlene's weekend adventure after seeing it promoted in the Body, Mind, Spirit Guide, but by the time it arrived, I remembered it as being a "listening workshop"!
I did do a lot of listening, but a lot of talking too as we explored the woods of Mackinac, and visited Sugar Loaf "Mountain," a relatively small but quite tall piece of limestone with nooks, crannies, and caves in it. This was an area where the local indian tribe commended the spirits of their dead, and it is a very special place.
We walked The Labyrinth at the Grand Hotel, had a pampering night with foot rubs, shoulder massages, and Reiki. And lots of laughter. Though few of us knew any of the other participants, by the end of the weekend we became fast friends with promises to stay in touch and to join together, spiritually and in person, to promote peace and well-being for our beloved Mother Earth and all of her inhabitants.
At the B & B Chateau Lorraine where we stayed, there was a piano with a plaque which proudly proclaimed it to be the one used in the movie "Somewhere in Time." Next to the plaque on top of the piano was the photograph of a gorgeous women in period dress. I thought it was the first owner of Chateau Lorraine, but in fact it was Jane Seymour! Gosh, she is beautiful.
Together the 14 of us explored the woods as well as the town. All weekend long we heard the clip-clop of horses hooves (the only transportation on the island is horse and carriage, horseback, or bicycle). Some of us were going through traumatic times, others were there just for a little R & R. Yet each one of us seemed to get just what we needed from the adventure.
For women going through divorce, I highly recommend this kind of getaway. You will return renewed, refreshed, and all the wiser from the insights you've gained on the trip, at a surprisingly affordable price.
