Unlimited Mileage - Part 1

Early,
on a 'white cloud, blue sky' summer morning,
I took my new car to the dealership for "recall" repairs.  

They informed me the work would take a while
and provided me with a rental.

The first was a tiny car,
just big enough for me and my purse,
so I upgraded.  

I had a rental car with unlimited mileage,
a beautiful day,
and no children under 19 to care for.  

In other words, 

I was as free as a bird!

So...

I decided to fly north.

What a beautiful flight it was.  

Traffic flowed uninterrupted
for the most part.

One hour in, 

I stopped at my favorite outlet mall to make sure I hadn't missed anything.  

Then, I texted my family to let them know I wouldn't be home for dinner.

On the road again, 

I passed miles and miles of Michigan beauty.

At times, it looked like northern Arizona, 

then
the land stretched out and became hilly.   

My ears popped.

Finally, I saw...

the majestic Mackinac Bridge.

 I exited at Mackinac City, 

stopped long enough to buy salt water taffy for my brother, 

and gather information about ferry rides to the island.

Then, I drove to the dock, 

purchased a round trip ticket, 

and sat to wait. 

 

The ferry arrived 

and it's passengers disembarked.

  

 

 We boarded. 

I sat on the upper deck for a better view. 

The captain pulled back, 

turned the boat around, 

and headed for open water. 

 

 

The sun was warm.

The wind was cool.

  A noisy spray from the boat 

created a calmness within me.  

 

The sky's only rival shimmered in blue around us,

the Straits of Mackinac.

As we neared the island, 

the Grand Hotel and charming homes came into view.

The captain navigated a turn toward the dock and we were greeted by these spectators.

 

Safely docked, 

I took in a few sights 

as I waited to disembark.

To be continued...