H.A. Larson's Blog, page 18

The Magic of Mackinac Island

Last month, I took a wonderful, long weekend trip to the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, Michigan, with my best friend. The Grand Hotel is a piece of luxury from days gone by, but the little island it sits on is a pretty nifty place as well. 
Also, I'm sorry - not sorry that this is basically another photo essay. I mean, when you have such wonderful photos of a wonderful place, it's hard to just pick a few, right? Let's start with our trip to the island.



This is the Mackinac Bridge, a long structure that connects the Lower and Upper Peninsulas of Michigan. We stopped on the Lower side that Friday as there's a state park right on the shores of Lake Huron.



Michilimackinac is that state park and the name is a French rendering of the Anishinaabe Indian word "Mitchimakinak" which means Big Turtle. Incidentally, this is also how Mackinac Island got its name.



The buildings that make up the state park. 



After we left the park and crossed the bridge into the Upper Peninsula, we had to get on a ferry to take us to the island. From the docks, it was less than a half-mile walk to the Grand Hotel.



On Saturday, we had a large portion of the day free, so we headed down to check out the island that's only 4.35 square miles in size! We saw so many neat houses and buildings that are steeped in a history that's nearly as old as the island itself. 



Mackinac Island relies on tourism to keep its economy running, so it's no wonder that the Grand Hotel isn't the only form of lodging on the island.



The Little Stone Church lies within sight of the Grand Hotel. Built back in 1904, it's a popular wedding destination.



A quaint little side street in the downtown area of the island.



As you can see, there are a lot of bikes. This is because cars are not allowed on the island. People get around either by bike or horse & carriage. 



The Haunted Theatre wasn't open as it was near the end of the tourist season, but I would have loved to check it out.



Back during the Revolutionary War, the British built Fort Mackinac on the island to gain and keep control of the fur trade. Below the fort, is Marquette Park with its prominent namesake statue of Father Jacques Marquette. Marquette was a French-Canadian Jesuit missionary and explorer who founded the first European settlement in Michigan, Sault Ste. Marie.



As I walked up the hill to the Fort, I was afforded a gorgeous view of a residential area of the island and their docks.



A view from the top of the island, next to the fort, gives one a glimpse of Lake Huron. You can just make out the two lighthouses in the background.



The preserved American Fur Co. Retail Store.



How interesting is that?


There are no shortages of churches on this little island, and I believe this one is the oldest. It was closed when we were there - again, it was the second to last weekend of the tourist season before the island shuts down to all but it's few permanent residents - but photos I found online of the inside are impressive.



An outside view of the church.



Quaint touristy shops line Market Street.



A view of Lake Huron from the shore shows an incoming ferry - exactly like the one we rode into the island.



This year, I've been to three of the Great Lakes: Superior, Michigan, and Huron, and they all have a rocky/pebble-type shore, although we did see some sand here and there.

Seeing all the things there are to actually see and do on the island, I wish we could have come during the summer months and on a weekend where we weren't attending an event. We could have experienced all the island has to offer that way, but, regardless, I wouldn't have changed our weekend one bit. We still got to see some of the magic of the island. There's still so much of the world to see, but maybe I'll make it back one day.





 

My FIRE Journey: Making More Money

When I started my FIRE journey a few months ago, I realized straight away that I needed to bring in more money. Why you might ask? Well, the purpose of FIRE is to retire early, and in order to do that, you need to have a certain amount of money invested and saved (subjective to each person depending on your retirement goals) that you can live off for the remainder of your life. 
Not only is my income modest, but I am a single mother of one teen who didn't think much about retirement until I hit my 40s. Now, not only as I enter the last bit of that decade of my life, but having a paltry (by most standards) amount of money invested in retirement accounts, I realize that I need more money coming in than what has been in order to achieve my goal of retiring in 10 years. 
There are several ways to make more money. These include, but are not limited to:
Getting a second jobSelling unwanted/unused itemsEngaging in various side hustles - this could range from personal shopping, driving for Lyft/Uber, dog walking, etc. Negotiating for a raiseGetting a higher-paying job
As of right now, these are the ones I'm focusing on:
I'm working a second job. This is currently paying off debt but will provide extra income that I can invest after my student loans are paid off.I'm selling unwanted/unused items. This is working for me in a few ways. Not only am I getting rid of things I no longer want nor need that are taking up space, but I am also making money as I move towards a desired minimalist lifestyle.I'm working on doing some side hustles. Right now, this is minimal, but I have a few plans.
Unfortunately, due to Covid, we are not receiving raises where I work - we are a state entity - so that's not an option for me. I have looked at a few higher-paying positions within my organization as I'd like to stay there. I've been there for a long time, I love the organization I work for, and my benefits are nearly unbeatable. I will keep my eyes open, though. One never knows!

As I navigate my way through FIRE, I'm learning so many things. My only regret in this pursuit is that I didn't start sooner! If you're interested in FIRE, there are so many articles and videos out there to help you learn more and start your own journey, if you're so inclined. I'll be sharing my journey with you as I go along.
Have a great weekend! 

A Luxe Visit to the Grand Hotel

  A few months back, my best friend, Keith, asked me if I wanted to spend a weekend with him at the Grand Hotel. He's a world traveler, but with the pandemic, his international travel plans were squashed. Still wanting to travel, he figured he would go to the place where his favorite movie - Somewhere in Time - was filmed, the Grand Hotel. While I heard of the hotel, mainly from him, I knew very little about it. Regardless, I'm a traveler myself so I was intrigued. 
The original plan was to attend the yearly event held at the hotel in honor of the movie, but Keith wasn't able to get that weekend off from work. Still, there is no lack of themed weekends at the Grand Hotel, so we picked the Murder Mystery: The Roaring 20s weekend instead. I figured I should do my research and found out the hotel was built in 1887 during a whirlwind 90 days. Instead of writing an essay on that interesting topic, I invite you to read about the hotel's history here. 
     

We made the thirteen-hour drive, stopping to see some interesting things both on the way up and on the way back down. I'll post about those separately, but I digress. We crossed the Mackinac Bridge over Lake Huron, which connects the Lower and Upper Peninsulas of Michigan, early Friday afternoon where we boarded a ferry to take us to Mackinac Island. From the docks, it was a quick 4/10ths of a mile walk to the Grand. This was our view as we came upon it. I decided right then that "Grand" was the perfect name for this place.



Each room at the Grand Hotel is uniquely decorated, and this was ours. Those canopies were an interesting throwback to a time when buildings weren't heated well.






The hotel has a strict dress code, resort casual during the day, and semi-formal at night. You cannot enter the main dining room without a tie if you're a man. We had a full-service plating with eleven pieces of silverware that we used throughout four courses. I used all but two! Meals at the Grand are an amazing affair where you are waited on hand & foot by a staff dressed in suits, bowties, and coattails, and the food....my god it was incredible. Unfortunately, I did not think to call ahead to request vegan food - which you certainly can do - so I ate vegetarian the whole time I was there. 



The lounge area outside the main dining hall spans the hallway on the first floor of the hotel. As a note, there is a ground floor as well, which I reference a bit farther below.



A view from my table during breakfast on Saturday morning. You can spy Lake Huron out the window, a place I wish they would have sat me by.



After breakfast, I took a chilly walk along the large front "porch" and the grounds. It's so massive in size but still manages to look comfy and cozy. With sweeping views of the Lake, I would have loved warmer weather in which to sit out here in the evenings after dinner.










There are no cars allowed on this island, so horse & wagon or walking is how one gets around. These horse taxis were ample around the island, helping people get from place to place. 



The grounds were gorgeous in late Fall, so I can only imagine how spectacular they are in the Spring and Summer!



The Theatre was where we attended all the Murder Mystery events. Even this room is grandiose.




This hallway spans the length of the ground floor, providing casual seating in which to sit with a coffee from the coffee shop, or relax after visiting the hotel shops.



One of the hotel's claims to fame is that the movie Somewhere in Time was filmed here. As I mentioned earlier, it's my best friend's favorite movie and the main reason for visiting the hotel in the first place. Fittingly, then, you can find an area on the ground floor that pays homage to the movie that helped put it on the map.



In the movie, Christopher Reeves character lives in 1980 Chicago as a playwright. Having writer's block, he journeys to the Grand Hotel for a getaway. While there, he discovers a picture of Jane Seymour's character as she was in 1912. This is the actual portrait from the film.






Besides all the glorious food that came with our package, we also had a cocktail hour each evening. We decided we needed a pre-cocktail hour cocktail so sat in the well-appointed Audobon Wine Bar, located on the first floor, to have a drink and sink into the big, comfy chairs.



A lush seating area that we enjoyed cocktails while sitting at. Just beyond those doors was where we had our regular cocktail hour for the Murder Mystery guests.



On Sunday morning, we again made our way to the Theatre to find out just who the killer was! The characters spent their time on stage instead of the crowd due to the pandemic. While it did take away from the overall production, it was still fun to do something like this while being cautious.



Alas, success! My wish was granted and we were seated at a window table for our final breakfast before we checked out of the hotel. While it was dark at first, the sunlight shone just enough before we finished for me to enjoy the view.



One last look at the Grand Hotel from the window of our Ferry back to the Upper Peninsula. I was sad to say goodbye but happy and rejuvenated after such an amazing, luxury weekend at one of the top 500 hotels in the world. This was a place that defies time, holding onto standards rarely seen anywhere else. The employees of the hotel all wore the kinds of uniforms you would expect to see decades ago in a place like this, during a time when traveling to such places was out of reach of common people.
If it wasn't for my best friend inviting me along, I more than likely would never have had an opportunity like this myself. The hotel package was pricey but only cost an additional $100 to add a second person so that was all I had to pay for my stay in this incredible place. I also paid for every other tank of gas and a much less glamorous night at the Econolodge in Rothschild, WI. Ha!
I will never forget this weekend. It marks not only a memorable experience but a new beginning in my life as it came at an opportune time. I hope you get to have your own memorable experience soon, no matter how big or small. No matter what it is, if you go in with the right mindset, it can never be disappointing.






 

Shocktober! 2020

It's that time of the year again! This will be the fifth year that I've done the Shocktober! series. Each year, I watch a selection of horror movies that follow a theme of some kind. The first year, 2016, was classic horror films, in 2017 and 2018 I watched horror movies that were on Shudder, and last year I watched modern classics that I watched when I was growing up. This year, I decided to watch movies that are free to watch on YouTube. So, what did I watch? Let's find out!

An Industrious Time

A lovely photo I took of Lake Michigan

 The last couple of weeks have been busy, to say the least, but also productive and wonderful. My best friend, Keith, and I had a whirlwind trip over a long weekend and I spent the last week and a half getting ready, working a bunch of hours before leaving, and taking the actual trip itself. We arrived back home late Monday night, and while I had Tuesday off from both jobs as well, I had so much to do! There was unpacking, laundry, grocery shopping, food prep for the week (because I was off from both jobs for four + one days, I have to work all the hours the rest of the week), house cleaning, bill paying, and other errands that had to get done before I launched into a busy week. 
It was all well worth it though as my trip was simply incredible. It was fun, relaxing, engaging, interesting, and I got to do so many things packed into a short span of time. You'd think after such a busy schedule over the past few weeks that I would be exhausted, but I'm not. I'm in a good place both mentally and physically so it's easy to be busy. However, it doesn't leave as much time for blogging, and that's okay. I wanted to start the first of my vacation posts yesterday, but with so much going on, it was just impossible. 
I have tons of photos to go through, but the one above is a taste of what I have. I'll publish my first post about the trip next week, while Sunday I'll be posting my annual Shocktober! as well as my latest newsletter. I'll be including the latest installment from my short story, Into the Shadows, in the latter so if you haven't signed up for my newsletter yet, now is a perfect time! 
Until then, have a great rest of your week.


-H.A.  

Selling My Classic Dollhouse

In my quest for FIRE, I've adopted a minimalist lifestyle. This has forced me to deal with all of the things I've kept and collected over the years, one of these being my classic dollhouse. Nearly forty years ago, my dad gave me this dollhouse as a Christmas present. Wide-eyed, enamored, and excited, I lovingly played with and took good care of my favorite possession. When I eventually grew up and moved out of the house, I left the dollhouse behind.
Several years later, when my daughter was about the same age I was when I got the dollhouse, my dad brought it back to me after years of keeping it safe in storage. It was like Christmas all those years before, all over again. My daughter and I cleaned it up and put everything in its place. We then kept it covered on my dresser, only taking it down to play with it once in a while. After a few years, my daughter got older and the dollhouse sat alone.



When I decided to adopt FIRE and minimalism, I knew I was ready to start getting rid of most everything I've kept and collected over the years, and I started with my dollhouse.



Again, I was overwhelmed with nostalgia, reliving my childhood as I cleaned up the dollhouse and put everything back in its rightful place.



I then listed the house and all of its contents on ebay, knowing that the complete set (I even still had the silverware!) would fetch a good price. I made a sad post about it on Facebook, and a local friend of mine reached out via messages to inquire as to how much I was asking. After a bit of back and forth, she agreed to buy it from me. 



I was happy to know that it was going to someone I knew. She had a baby girl and she plans on doing some remodeling with it and finding new accessories. I also can rest easy knowing that someone will love it as much as me and it will be used again for the purpose it was intended - as opposed to just sitting on my dresser, covered up!



She picked it up on a Fall afternoon, and I smiled as I watched her drive away with a piece of my childhood. Later that night, I admit...I had an ugly cry. Even now, a few tears are trying to rear their ugly head. It's so weird, this set of emotions I have over a dollhouse. But, it was mine for four decades, and I loved it so very much. It was the only thing I had left that linked my present life with my distant past. Looking at these pictures, I can almost transport myself back all those years ago when I hand-sewed the pillow and blanket for the bed, sewed the cat pillow (it was originally a bed pillow, too), and cut out the bathroom rug you see directly above. 
In a few years, another little girl will create memories of the dollhouse and I will get a few pictures in my inbox. I can't wait to see them together. 


"Parting is such sweet sorrow that I shall say goodnight till it be morrow."
- William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet


 

Gaining Strength from Unlikely Places

Hercules, the epitome of strength.

A few months ago, I began working a second job in my pursuit of FIRE. I've gained financial strength from this choice, as it's allowed me to aggressively work on paying off debts. When I'm done doing that, I can then re-route this extra cashflow into my retirement investments. This has been one of the smarter decisions I've made in recent years, and the financial gains I'm seeing are significant. While I expected the financial gains, obviously, what I didn't expect were the other gains I've seen from working this second job.
First, I've gained physical strength. My full-time job is an office job, so most of my time is spent sitting in a comfortable chair, at a big desk, in front of my computer. If it weren't for the walks back and forth from home to the office and back, or my trips up and down the building stairs as I make my way between the copy room and my office, I would pretty much be sedentary. By contrast, my part-time job is a physical job that requires me to do some lifting and standing on my feet during my whole shift. I have to admit, those first couple of weeks of doing this were tough. I had a moment after my first week when my body was exhausted, stiff, and in pain where I wasn't sure if I could continue. Fortunately, I reminded myself almost immediately that I would, indeed, get used to it and everything would not only be fine but become normal. And, you know what? It did. Not only that, but I can tell that my body is stronger. 
Secondly, I've gained mental strength. This was definitely more of a surprise than the first one - which was somewhat expected after all, even if the thought hadn't crossed my mind. I think it's easy the older that we get, to get too comfortable and to become lazy in our life. Getting a second job really shook things up for me and pushed me out of my comfort zone. This has given me back the raw confidence I had in my 20s to just jump into things. All the fears (no matter how slight) that I had when thinking about pursuing FIRE and making my dream of moving to a foreign country a reality began to melt away. This new-found mental strength has given me the confidence to realize that I can do anything I set my mind to and the ease with which to push aside all hesitation.
Third, I've gained some humility. There's nothing like working a menial job to learn to be humble. Not that I'm much for bragging or thinking highly of myself, but there's always some perspective to be gained in these types of life situations. I work with a lady in my second job who is well past retirement age but couldn't quit if she wanted to. I'm grateful to know that I will not be in that situation myself. I also realize my own fortune in having a career that is better-paid, has better benefits, and gives me a work-life balance.   
Last, but surely not least, I've gained more perspective on myself as an employee. Working a more physically demanding job on top of my regular job has made me understand my own shortcomings in my main job since the pandemic started. It's also given me a stronger drive and a better work ethic, allowing me to do both of these jobs to the best of my ability. 
Who would've thought that picking up extra work a few hours a week could enact such changes? I know it never crossed my mind. Sure, the plan was to make more money, and to that end, I've succeeded, but I've gained so much more. This experience is definitely going to shape me for the better.

Elk City Cemetery: A Return

A little over three years ago, I did an investigation of local Elk City Cemetery. As is the case with cemeteries I have investigated in the past, my M.O. is to spend about half an hour gathering and documenting information. If I find anything, then I plan on doing a longer, more thorough investigation. This is exactly what I did in early October of this year. On a Saturday night with my friend Jayne and our daughters, we spent some time making videos and taking pictures.



There was a nearly full moon out making for some really cool photos. We didn't even need to use flashlights like we do during any other paranormal investigation.



I assumed this was a caretaker's shed, but in looking at the crescent moon at the top, this looks more like an old outhouse. Either way, it was donated at some point in time according to the plaque on the side.



If you'll remember from my last investigation here, just down the gravel road - about a 1/4 mile I would say - is a church and a town hall. On this night, there seemed to be a wedding or other major event going on there as there were a handful of RVs and a bunch of people making noise.



On top of that, a drunk gentleman was walking up and down the gravel road between there and the cemetery while talking loudly on his phone. Combine that with an unusual amount of cars driving on this normally quiet road, and it made for a lot of noise pollution.



This Virgin Mary statue was ethereal-looking in the moonlight.



My trusty EVP recorder died awhile back so I had to use my phone to merely take videos. This, in conjunction with the aforementioned noise pollution, and I didn't capture (at least that I could detect) any evidence. This was a disappointment, for sure, as I had gotten so much EVP evidence in a short amount of time the last time I was here. 
I'm not giving up, though, because I know what this place has: ghosts. I'm going to invest in a new EVP recorder and come back out here again when there's not so much activity going on around the cemetery.


Here's to hoping your weekend is great! And congrats to Felicity for winning my Ipsy giveaway! I popped that in the mail and it's on its way.

Fall Hiking has Returned!

In my opinion, there's no better season to hike than in the Fall. It's with happiness and excitement, then, to see the foliage starting to change lately on my hiking outings. Maybe it's because of this that I've been honing my amateur photography skills, or maybe in spite of it, but either way, it's been cool seeing those skills develop.



The changing of the seasons is on full display here and it's gorgeous.









I love early Fall mornings where Summer's presence is still visible, but the leaves are falling, the air is cooler, and the sun peeks through the thinning tree line.






I've really begun to put effort into figuring out perspective. How you shoot the scene, and from where makes a huge difference. I love how this one turned out.



Half of the wildflowers are dying off while the other half still have some life left.






This is not only my favorite shot from this day but one of my favorite shots period. Not only is the perspective perfect and the colors radiant, but I captured this insect as it was flying towards the flower. I'm guessing it's a dragonfly, but I can't tell for sure. Be sure to comment if you know!


It's wonderful to be outside at any time, but even more so during my favorite season. I'll be soaking in as much as I can before Winter comes. How about you?


Make sure to check back here on Saturday, it's Shocktober! after all.  





 

The Mysterious Case of Seven

Back in October of 2016, I investigated Edinburgh Manor in Scotch Grove, Iowa. It was one of the coolest experiences of my life and I still think about it from time to time. Something that has always stood out to me about that investigation was my encounters with "Seven". 
Seven was the name the spirit who resides in the basement of Edinburgh Manor refers to themselves as. From my first EVP session down there to a short clip near the padded cell, from a yell from the recesses of its basement-dwelling when were investigating the second floor all the way to our EVP session at the end, Seven let me know they were there.
But, just who is Seven? It's not a name that people give their children nor one that I wouldn't suspect most people nickname themselves, so why Seven? It was definitely a man's voice, but are they referring to themselves collectively? I don't know.
I've done plenty of internet research since that time, trying to find information. I've even reached out to my local paranormal group's founder to see if he could shed some light on it. All the answers I can find or have been given are just vague or symbolic religious references to the number itself and it's meaning within that religion. While interesting, it doesn't answer the question about how or why this spirit refers to itself thusly.
Besides all the religious meanings, the number seven does have other interesting connotations to it. For instance, seven is the typical amount of numbers that people can generally remember at one time; there are seven continents, seas, and days of the week; and seven has always been perceived as a lucky number - as evidenced by slot machines around the world.
So, in an attempt to find more specific information about my friend Seven, I did a general search for people named Seven. During this search, I found an article where the author "Whatever the reason for the name, Seven has made a home for themselves in the recesses of my mind. I often wonder about this spirit. Who were they? Why do they stay in the dark corners of the basement of Edinburgh Manor? Who knows?
At any rate, I've decided that I will return to Edinburgh Manor one day and ask the source. Until then, I will ponder on the Mysterious Case of Seven.


It's Shocktober! y'all! I'll be posting fun, spooky, and/or Fall content all month. I also just released the third installment of my latest short story series "Into the Shadows" via my newsletter so make sure to sign up for that if you want to read the next one. If you sign up this month, I'll even send you all the back issues so you can catch up with the series. 
Have a great weekend!