Chick Lit Cheerleader: "Mac" attack...plus a special giveaway

When I was a kid, my family and I would go to Barefoot Bay in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin for a long weekend with some family friends. My sister and I would spend our days swimming in the pool or lake (or going tubing when we got older) and our nights doing fun activities with other kids our age or going to shows with our parents. There was also shuffleboard! For meals, we'd eat in a big dining hall while being served by waitstaff. I don't think a night would go by where someone in our group of family friends wouldn't spill their drink. It became a running joke after a while.

Today, Chick Lit Cheerleader Jen Tucker is taking us to her favorite vacation spot and she even has a special giveaway to go along with it.

We'll leave her to it....

No Cars Allowed

“You can’t drive on the island, Mike. No cars allowed. I’m dead-serious!”

It was early October in 1998. Our son, Wil, was two-years-old and my ever expanding waistline was the result of waiting for our newest Tucker addition, Ryan. My parents wanted to whisk us away to Mackinac Island for a long weekend. My husband, Mike, had never been.

Mackinac is one of my favorite places in the world. I’ve been ferry hopping over to the island since I was a toddler with ringlets. Although, back then, you rode on the slowest boat, of all boats, that were ever boats and were seasick upon disembarkation. Today’s steady and speedy ferries make the trip more palatable to those who are queasy. The voyage only taking minutes rather than hours. Was that wrong? Should I have said “palatable” and “queasy” in the same sentence? Sorry about that.

Grand Hotel

Exploring the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (UP) was the summer makeup of my childhood. Being the child of Michiganders—Kalamazoo for my mom, Battle Creek for my dad—I have fond memories of the picturesque cities and dreamy towns that dot the state’s glove shaped map. I’ve dipped my toes into the waters of all the Great Lakes. I’ve also failed miserably to learn the art of skipping stones across those same waters. What my grandfather saw as my only epic fail in life—God rest his soul.

Downtown

I was explaining to Mike what visiting the island was like. The fact no cars occupied the island—mind blowing, I know. He has a “look” he shoots my way when he thinks I’m acting a little bit crazy-ridiculous; what I’m saying makes zero sense to him. Wrinkled brow. Squinty eyes. There might be a little Elvis lip curl in there accompanied by the word, “What!?” when he really can’t comprehend what I’m saying.

“What!?” he snarled.
See? Told you he’d say that.
“No cars? Ever!?” he asked defiantly. “I find it hard to believe no cars have ever been on the island, Jen.”
I pondered that challenge. “The movie, Somewhere in Time, was filmed there and Christopher Reeve drove his car up to the Grand Hotel, yet that’s not the day-to-day action on the island. Horses, bicycles, and your feet—only modes of transportation.” He didn’t seem sold. For a guy who hiked the Grand Canyon, he seemed like a stick in the mud about this whole idea an island that could shun Henry Ford’s invention. Then, I gave him my best sales pitch:
“Every other store on the island is a fudge or ice cream shop, so it’s basically paradise.”
“Hmm…And the other shops?” he asked.
“Aren’t fudge or ice cream shops,” I snickered.

Mmmmm...fudge

And we’ve been returning as often as possible for fudge and ice cream with our children ever since. And, yes, there is a lot more to behold on the island than just a sugar rush. The sweet cottages and immense homes that line the bluff. The historic fort and the informative carriage rides. The butterfly gardens and hiking paths that wind through the woods. The tourists who’ve never seen so many horses and lilacs in their lives yet risk it all just to take a selfie in the middle of Main Street. Not the best plan for a picture op where cyclists and horses can’t always come to an immediate halt.

This is one of my happy places. One that fills decades of memories for me that I love sharing with my children and I want to share that island magic with you, too!

My new children’s book, A Visit to Mackinac Island was released on August 1st. Jennifer Powell, an über talented paper crafter, and Mackinac Island aficionado, illustrated the book which takes place on our beloved island—besides names, loving Mackinac and its surrounding cities is something we have in common. I’m packing up to hit the road on tour with Jennifer in northern Michigan and thought I’d bring home some Island for one lucky winner! An autographed copy of our new children’s book, a DVD of Somewhere in Time (the movie filmed on Mackinac), some decadent fudge made on the island, and maybe some other goodies Jennifer and I pick up along the way—you never know. All you have to do to enter is share with me a memory of the island if you’ve ever visited, or tell me about a place you visited as a child that you’d love to spend time again. (Sign up through the Rafflecopter for your entry to count.) Good luck!

XOXO,
Jen

How to win: Use Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. If you have trouble using Rafflecopter on our blog, enter the giveaway here. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Giveaway ends August 23rd at midnight EST.

Jen Tucker is the author of the funny and true stories, The Day I Wore My Panties Inside Out and The Day I Lost My Shaker of Salt. In September 2012, she had her children's book, Little Pumpkin published as an e-book. She also blogs monthly for Survival for Blondes. She currently lives in Indiana with her husband, three kids and two dogs. You can find her at Twitter, Facebook, her blog and on her website. And in case you missed them. check out her previous Chick Lit Cheerleader posts here.