Somewhere in Time

Last weekend, my husband and I went up to the Upper Peninsula to enjoy some fall color. We met with some cold and rainy weather instead.

Here we are, crossing the Mackinac Bridge.

For those of you not familiar with our state, the Mackinac Bridge, built in 1957, is a 5-mile-long suspension bridge that connects Michigan's upper and lower peninsulas, as you can see by our GPS. 

The little town of St. Ignace, on the northeast side of the bridge.

You can see the beautiful pines in the background.

We stayed on Trout Lake, at a lovely little restored motel and inn called Birch Lodge. The owners are working hard to re-create the atmosphere it once had, back when one of them stayed there as a child. 

Here are a couple jukeboxes they have kept in working order. They even provide the quarters. For a quarter, you get five songs. I played These Boots Are Made For Walkin' by Nancy Sinatra.

Check out these old menus they've kept, and the prices!

And this breakfast, all for a dollar . . . 

And everything typed on a manual typewriter . . .

This is the old bar area, with a canopy made of small birch logs. An old cash register, advertisements, cigarette and Alka-Seltzer dispensers . . . 

Remember these old lights? And check out the wallpaper . . . 

The inn was originally built to be a TB sanitorium, but it never opened. The rooms, which are being restored, have beautiful old wood floors and lovely antique furniture. The owner showed me cupboards full of old restaurant crockery, some made by Hall, and pristine percale sheets, hand-embroidered with Birch Lodge on them. They were washed in the old way, with a wringer, and then all ironed in a press.

A beautiful long balcony overlooks the lake. I can imagine the original idea was to allow TB patients the opportunity to sit in the fresh air and sunshine, perhaps with a nice warm blanket spread over their laps as they rocked in comfortable rockers and enjoyed the view.

And, oh my, check out these fabulous old advertisements for Spry, found in some of the many old magazines the owners still have at the lodge.

I can't help it -- the editor in me has to say "WE ladies"!!

Now that we're home, the weather is beautiful again.

(The title of this post is from the movie Somewhere in Time, starring Jane Seymour and Christopher Reeve, and set on our very own Mackinac Island, which you can see from the bridge, and visit via a ferry. Very charming, with no cars allowed, only horse-drawn carriages, and famous for its beautiful lilacs, Victorian homes, and fudge.)

Have a lovely weekend, friends.