Mackinaw Trip 2011 - Part 3

Happy Memorial Day!  This holiday isn't just about having a three day weekend nor is it about the official opening of swimming pools, it's about remembering those who have fought and died for our country.  Growing up, I can still remember marching in the parade in Homer as a Bluebird or Campfire girl and later in the marching band.  We would make our way to the circle in the town center where the VFW would lower then raise the flag then on to the cemetery for the final tribute.  I get chills every time I hear Taps, even if it's from a beginning Trumpet player.


While visiting Mackinaw Island last week with Sister Bear and her classmates, we made the awful walk up the hill of death (my words, not the island's) to visit the cemetery.  Some of the tombstones date back to the early 1800's.  One part of the cemetery was dedicated to the unknown soldiers. 

Did you know that the cemetery in Mackinaw is only one of four that is allowed to fly the flag at half-mast all year long?  I didn't either.  There are so many unknown soldiers buried on the island that it has that right.  I thought that was interesting.

While visiting the cemetery at dusk, the sun was shining through the trees just so and I got this beautiful photo.

We passed Skull Cave on our "walk of death" to the cemetery.  Yes, I was still hacking up a lung from the awful walk uphill.  Apparently, I'm out of shape.  Who knew?  Um, the mirror?

Fort Mackinaw - View from the ferry.  

Hopefully as the students were walking through the cemetery, they listened to what their teachers said about the soldiers who fought so that the beautiful island we were enjoying along the great state we live in and more importantly, our country would become the land it is today.