Michigan Trip--Day 3 (The Grand Hotel)

After we got out of the carriage, we were escorted to the Parlor. They don't call it a lobby.

We were given a special welcome and received our room keys. And, of course, they carried our luggage for us. Every room in the hotel is decorated differently--385 of them. This is one of the more conservative ones. Note the geraniums on the headboards.

Geraniums are a trademark of the Grand Hotel. It has been operating since 1887, and is listed as a "Distinctive Destination" by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Over 130,000 guests stay there each season.

There was a little time to relax and dress for a five course dinner. Casual attire is not allowed in the dining room.

The photo of the group published on this blog earlier was taken in the Parlor as we prepared for dinner. This is Martha Speir with her brother, Steve Wiyatt and his wife Jean along with another relative, Linda Griffy.

Dinner was very enjoyable, and many of us had the Grand Pecan Balls, one of the famous deserts.  More than 50,000 of them are served every season!


This is a view of the porch after dark. There was another group using it earlier in the evening. It is 660 feet long, the longest front porch in the world. There are over 2500 geraniums in the 260 planter boxes on and around the porch. There are over 5200 geraniums in all the flower beds around the hotel!

After dinner there were a couple of bands playing. Some of us gathered in the ballroom, but not many were interested in dancing.

However, Joe and Kathy Harrison and Rick and Mona Diefenbach represented us well.    

There were some comments that individuals didn't know if they would be able to sleep because of the unique decor in their rooms, but all-in-all we had a very restful night--no traffic noise for sure.

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Michigan Trip--Day 3 (The Two Hour Tour)

After spending the morning on our own (shopping & eating) we boarded a horse drawn carriage for a tour of the rest of Mackinac Island. If you click on this photo and enlarge it, you will see from the map that most of it is a State Park. Only a small area along the shore is inhabited by people.





We saw many different animals and types of vegetation in the park. One of the most interesting sights was Arch Rock. It is a limestone arch that stands 146 feet over the Lake Huron shoreline. There was a great view of Lake Huron and Canada from there!             

It took three of the big Belgium Horses to pull the carriage that held about 20 of us. And they were allowed rest stops on the big hills.

As we prepared to leave Arch Rock we had to make sure Joe and Kathy didn't get left behind. Seems they had an issue with the camera.




As mentioned before, there are almost no motor driven vehicles on the island. Even the street sweeper was horse drawn. Looks like they were taking a break too!

There is a fort on the island, Fort Mackinac. It was built by the British during the American Revolution in 1780. Americans took control in 1796. During the war of 1812 the British re-captured the Fort. Americans tried unsuccessfully in 1814 to take it back. However, after the war ended it was given back to the Americans and stayed active until 1895. The fort played an important role in the history of Mackinac Island.

One of the newest buildings on the island is the stable. It is very evident that horses are a priority there! However, most of them leave in winter and snowmobiles are the preferred mode of transportation.


                                                                 

As we came to the end of the "two hour tour" we were taken to the Grand Hotel. This is our first view of it from the carriage. Watch for more next time on our evening at the Grand.

                                                                                                                     

Condolences to the Family of Vic Smith

News of Vic Smith's passing has been shared with some individuals, but here are the details for those who have not seen it yet.

Victor N. Smith, 90, of Champaign passed away on Oct. 11, 2013, at Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana.

Victor was born Oct. 9, 1923, on a farm near Burnt Prairie to parents,
Silas and Emma (Stahl) Smith. He graduated from Fairfield High School and attended Brown Business School in Salem, after which he worked as a bookkeeper for an oil company in Salem.

With the money saved from this job, he enrolled at Southern Illinois University. It was here that he met Betty Marie Russell on a blind date. They were later married on Sept. 9, 1944, while he was serving in the United States Army Air Corps. To this union was born Russell N. Smith, Vicki Lynn Smith Snyder and Linda Sue Smith Snyder.

Victor served in the United States Army Air Corps. He served as bombardier on a B-17 bomber. He was stationed in Foggia, Italy, and took part in 17 missions. On one mission, his plane was shot down over enemy territory, and he was assisted back to his home base by partisans living in that area. He was awarded two flying medals for his missions.

After World War II, Victor and his family lived on a farm in Franklin County. They worshipped at Rend City Baptist Church. He was employed by The University of Illinois Agriculture Extension Service as a youth adviser in Perry County, Extension adviser in Williamson County and livestock specialist in the western Illinois area.

He was junior livestock director at the Illinois State Fair for several years. He also served as a livestock judge in many areas of Illinois.While serving in these various positions, he lived in Macomb. Upon retirement, he moved to Champaign to be closer to his family.

Victor and Betty enjoyed dancing and playing cards. Later in life, Victor enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, specifically their sports activities.

Victor was preceded in death by his parents; his daughter, Vicki Lynn Smith Snyder; and his sister, Eva Curd. Surviving is his wife, Betty Marie; his son, Russell Smith, of Champaign, and his daughter, Linda Terry) Sue Smith Snyder, of Suwanee, Ga. He is also survived by four grandchildren, Melissa (Jeff) Snyder, Cynthia (Tom) Adamek, Erin (Christian) Romeiser and Brent (Allison) Snyder, and eight great- grandchildren.

Graveside service and burial will be held at the Masonic and Odd Fellows Cemetery, Benton, on Monday, Oct. 14, at 11 a.m. In lieu of other expressions of sympathy, the family would appreciate contributions to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, 4600 Park Road, Suite 100, Charlotte, NC 28209.

Morgan Memorial Home, Savoy, is handling arrangements.

Michigan Trip--Day 3 (Arriving at Mackinac Island)

After a continental breakfast buffet in the home of the couple that owned the Bay Inn, we made the short trip to Mackinaw City. There we took the ferry to Mackinac Island. As you can see, those who chose to ride on the top of the ferry had a cold and windy trip. Look closely and you can see how hard Janet and Jody's hair is whipping in the wind as we crossed under the bridge to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Friday was the coolest day of the entire trip, and it was cold on the water that morning!  It is about five miles from Mackinaw City to Mackinac Island. 
 





This was our first view of the houses along the coast of the island. They say it is shaped like a turtle--low on the edges and more rounded up toward the middle. The differences in spelling of Mackinaw City and Mackinac Island are because one is English and one is French.

Here is the view of the street as we walked off the Ferry. There are no cars, of course, just bicycles and horse drawn carriages.





We had a few hours to explore the downtown area and  shop. I believe most of us found some of the world famous fudge to take home. There were lots of other temptations as well. As you can see, this was the carriage for the Grand Hotel. More on that later.         
     
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Most of the horses were large work horses. They told us they were Belgiums, and added an interesting note that Clydesdale horses weren't big and strong enough to pull the loaded carriages up the steep hills. However, there were other fancy, high stepping horses that pulled smaller carriages as well. Perhaps these beautiful blacks belonged to one of the individuals who live on the island. We did learn that the only motorized vehicles on the island are emergency vehicles--ambulance, fire truck, etc.

Update on Dependent Verification for Insurance

Made a phone call today to hms Employer Solutions concerning the dependent eligibility verification process.

I was told that we have all been given an extension until Dec. 6th to get this paperwork submitted. If you call and listen to the message it says send in everything else, if you don't have the tax return transcript, by October 25th. However, the individual I talked to said that wasn't necessary. The Dec. 6th deadline applies to everything.

She also said she knew of individuals who had received their transcript in spite of the government shutdown--unless maybe they were ordered before Oct. 1st.

This is Important: Do It Now!

Do not put off action on the letter you received about verification of your dependents who are covered under the State Employee Group Insurance Plan. As I read it, the required documents must be received by HMS Employer Solutions by October 25th.

Also note that you cannot just copy the front page of your 2012 tax return. The Federal Tax Return Transcript is something that has to come from IRS. Read question #13 for instructions. I did not try the phone number, but  the web site request worked. However, it will take 7-10 days at best to get the form back to you.

If you feel that you cannot get the paperwork submitted in time, there is an opportunity to request an extension. Depending on whether these particular IRS employees are working and how fast they can get these forms to us, we may all need to request an extension--see question #10.

So don't delay!