History will again repeat itself next June 22-26, 2011 on beautiful historic Mackinac Island. It was in 1979 or some 32 years ago when The Wheelmen first held an Annual Meet on Mackinac Island. The tradition of The Wheelmen participating in Mackinac meets has continued since then, right up to the present day. Not only will this meet be repeating history, but it will be your passport to another 200 years of history on the world famous Mackinac Island where bicycles and fudge are king.The reason for picking this weekend is that it gives the most availability of accommodations and venues needed for a meet of this size on the Island. As in past Mackinac Island meets, the Murray Hotel will once again be the meet headquarters along with its sister hotel The Inn On Mackinac. Both of these hotels will be offering special discounted rates to Wheelmen members. The Murray Hotel and The Inn On Mackinac will start taking reservations on December 1, 2010. Call 1-800-462-2546 and be sure to mention that you are with The Wheelmen.
Included in the November 2010 newsletter will be a registration form for the Annual Meet and a list of alternate accommodations which will also provide discounts starting on December 1, 2010. This form is available from the menu above. Wheelmen will be responsible for acquiring their own accommodations as well as meals during the meet. Since this is a tourist area, there will be ample choices for lodging (from hotels to bed and breakfast) and countless restaurants and eateries. As in past Mackinac meets, we encourage you to bring your favorite drinks, snacks, fruit, etc. from the mainland since there is only one small supermarket on the Island.
To get onto Mackinac Island, you will need to select a Ferry Boat company. Lines available are the Star Line, Shepler's Ferry and the Arnold Transit Co. In meets past, we have used the Arnold Transit due to their generosity of letting us store our bicycles in their building not to mention their discounted ferry rates. The Arnold has again offered us discounted round trip rates of $21.00 per adult, $11.00 per child 5-12, and children 4 and under ride free. All bicycles in your group will receive a complimentary transportation ticket. You might also want to bring a few bungee cords to help secure your bicycle during the ferry ride.
When you arrive on the Island, porters will be on the dock to take your luggage to your respective hotel. Your bicycles can be tied off in front of the Murray Hotel or in the side yard of the Community Building on Market Street, right behind the Murray.
During the daytime your bicycle is your responsibility. Please note there is an ordinance that prohibits bicycles from being parked on sidewalks and other designated areas. It is advisable to bring a bicycle lock for your added safety and comfort during the day. Night time storage will be in the Arnold Transit dock building in a locked secure setting. New for this meet is the use of an upper level storage area as well as the traditional lower level. As of this article, all bicycles must be removed from the lower level by 7 AM each morning per the Arnold Transit Company. However, bicycles stored in the upper level may stay there 24 hours a day if desired. There is also talk that this might apply to the lower level as well, but at this time it is not firm due to the changes in the Arnold Transit ownership. Please note that if you are staying at the Murray Hotel, bicycles are not allowed in the hotel at anytime. If you are using other accommodations, you may want to inquire about their policy on bicycles being stored in your room.
For your safety, it would be advisable to put a bell on your bicycle. With the high volume of pedestrian, bicycle and horse traffic on the Island, the bell is a great warning device. Unfortunately, horses (and there are a lot of them) do not like bells, so be cautious about ringing your bell in their presence.
Meet registration will be in the lobby of the Murray on several days during the meet. Easels will be setup in the same lobby to keep you informed of meet information and possible changes. Be sure to check these frequently throughout each day.
If you or your family members enjoy shopping, Mackinac Island is your place. Between fudge, boutique and souvenir shops, you are bound to find something that catches your eye. Some Wheelmen make it game to hit the stores immediately upon arriving on the Island to try to be first to buy those bicycle "items" in order to show them off.
On Thursday morning, the 25 / 100 mile "fudge" ride will begin at 6 am and finish at 9 pm. This is the longest daylight time of the year. If you are planning to do the 25 mile ride, it will consist of 3 laps around the Island. The 100 mile ride (century) will consist of 12 laps around the Island. You will be free to ride either clockwise or counter clockwise around the Island as long as you switch directions at the start/finish location. For this meet, the start/finish will be moved to a new location to alleviate traffic congestion in front of the Murray. The start/finish will be in front of The Inn On Mackinac. It will be virtually impossible to get lost on this century route due to the fact that there are no turns. Whether you finish the 25 or 100 mile ride, all finishers will receive a certificate along with 1/4 pound of their favorite fudge.
Friday will be the group photo and OHWT. The dress for both these events is period costume. Later in the day, you can take a turn at casual games so don't forget to bring your helmet. The highlight for Friday will be an evening cruise aboard an Arnold cruise ship. This cruise will allow you to see the underside of the Mackinac bridge at sunset and enjoy numerous other attractions as well as the beautiful shoreline lights.
On Saturday you may choose to participate in the Grand Hotel's "Grand Luncheon Buffet". The legendary Grand Luncheon Buffet is one of the highlights of the Grand Hotel experience. Garden-fresh salads, savory cheeses, slow-roasted meats, seafood and more than 20 varieties of fresh-baked pastries are all featured at the buffet. It might be advisable to skip breakfast or skip supper if you attend this function! Prior to the buffet will be a 90-minute lecture and tour, given by the Hotel's resident historian. The lecture will span the hotel's history from the 1887 opening to the present day. Because our uniforms and costumes fit the time period of the Grand Hotel, the Grand has asked if we could dress in period costume for the luncheon. The 1980 film Somewhere in Time, starring Christopher Reeve, Jane Seymour and Christopher Plummer, was filmed on location at Grand Hotel. If you get a chance before the meet, you may want to watch the movie. The Grand Hotel is considered the world's largest summer hotel and will truly be a "grand" experience you will never forget.
In meets past, The Mackinac Island Tourist Bureau has repeatedly mentioned that tourists specifically ask when The Wheelmen will be on the Island so they can time their visit accordingly. To make this weekend even more special, we will do a Public Demonstration Saturday afternoon in period costume for tourists and Islanders as well.
The day will wind down with an evening program and ice cream social. This evening program will be like none other and will include an old-fashioned bathing suit contest, skits and more surprises! Let us entertain you! And, as dark falls on the day, you may want to light up your lamp and go for a ride. What a great way to end the 44th annual meet.
GETTING TO THE ISLAND: To get onto Mackinac Island, you will need to select a ferry boat company. All Ferry Boats are found in Mackinac City (Lower Peninsula) or St. Ignace (Upper Peninsula). Mackinac City is the more popular of the two. In past meets, we have used the Arnold Transit Line due to their generosity of letting us store our bicycles in their building, not to mention their discounted ferry rates. The address for the Arnold Dock in Mackinaw City is 801 S. Huron, Mackinaw City, MI 49701. The address for the Arnold Dock in St. Ignace is 99 N. State St., St. Ignace, MI 49781.To receive these discounted rates you need to mention at the ticket window that you are with The Wheelmen. This will entitle you to a discounted round trip rate of $19.00 per adult, $10.00 per child 5-12 yrs. and children 4 yrs. and under free. And ALL bikes in your party go across FREE. Make sure you mention how many bikes you have, both antique and modern. (Note: These rates have been reduced even more since our meet preparations started.) If you want to use other ferry services you can but you will not receive any discounts. For your ferry trip to the Island, you might want to bring a few bungee cords to help secure your bicycle(s) during the ride, or you may stand on the back of the boat and hold your bike. The ride to the Island lasts about 18 minutes. For a complete schedule, please check www.arnoldline.com
WHEN YOU ARRIVE: When you arrive on the Island, porters will be available on the dock to take your luggage to your respective hotel (for participating hotels only). As soon as you arrive, be sure to take your bicycle to one of the designated parking areas. They can be tied off in front of the Murray Hotel or in the side yard of the Community Building on Market Street, right behind the Murray and to the left on Market Street. Please note there is an ordinance that prohibits bicycles from being parked on sidewalks and other designated areas. (See Mackinac Island’s Bicycle Rules and Ordinances elsewhere in this packet.)
MEET HEADQUARTERS: As in past Mackinac Island meets, the Murray Hotel will once again be the meet headquarters. You can start picking up your registration packets in the Murray Hotel lobby on Wednesday from 4:00 pm to 7:30 pm or Thursday from 12:00 pm to 7:00 pm. For Friday registration, call Bill Smith at (734) 377-6953 to arrange a pickup time.
MEALS: Wheelmen will be responsible for their own meals during the meet. Since this is a tourist area, there are countless restaurants and eateries to choose from. Food costs on the Island are higher than the mainland. We encourage you to bring your favorite drinks, snacks, fruit, century foods etc. There is one small supermarket on the Island (located a few doors away from the Murray Hotel, next to Marquette Park. This supermarket has just about everything including good deli sandwiches. It may also be a good idea to ask other Wheelmen who have attended past Mackinac meets for suggestions on good places to eat. Note: During the century and quarter century ride, you will be on your own for food, snacks and water due to the abundance of eating places every 4 miles on the route.
BICYCLE RESPONSIBILITY: During the daytime your bicycle is your responsibility. It is advisable to bring a BICYCLE LOCK and RAIN COVER for your added safety and comfort during the day. Night time storage will be in the Arnold Transit dock building (both upper and lower levels) and the public school “small” gymnasium. All locations are locked secure sites. If your bicycle is stored in the lower level of the Arnold Transit building, it MUST be removed by 7:00 am each morning in order to allow dock workers to conduct their business. However, bicycles stored in the other two areas may stay there 24 hours a day if desired. Please note that if you are staying at the Murray Hotel, bicycles are not allowed in the hotel at any time. If you are using other accommodations, you may want to inquire about their policy on bicycles being stored in your room.
FOR YOUR SAFETY: For your safety, it would be very advisable to put a bell on your bicycle and a helmet on your head. With the high volume of pedestrian, bicycle and horse traffic on the Island, the bell is a great warning device. Unfortunately, horses (and there are a lot of them) do not like bells, so be cautious about ringing your bell in their presence.
SHOPPING: If you or your family members enjoy shopping, Mackinac Island is your place. Between fudge, boutique and souvenir shops, you are bound to find something that catches your eye. Some Wheelmen make it game to hit the stores immediately upon arriving on the Island to try to be first to buy those bicycle "items" in order to show them off.
BRITTON BLACK’S BICYCLE GALLERY PROJECT: Britton Black, a Chicago area art/portrait photographer, who is a student and associate of famed portrait photographer Marc Hauser, is embarking on a project to photograph modern photos of antique bikes with their riders. He intends the style to be reminiscent of the antique sepia photos such as we have on our Wheelmen website, but in color and with better quality. The images will be used for a future photographic show as well as a new book he is writing. Britton will be on the Island starting late Wednesday afternoon through Saturday, and will be taking photos approximately 10:00 am to 5:00 pm each day, excluding times when major meet activities are being held (i.e. Group Photo, OHWT, Grand Hotel Luncheon, etc.). Wheelmen who want to participate in this project during the Annual Meet will need to sign up for a time slot with Carey Williams or Cidgem Tunar (Illinois Wheelmen). The location for the photographic shoot will be announced at the meet. All participants will need to sign a basic release. For more details on the Bicycle Gallery Project, check out the Wheelmen message board and Britton Black’s website at: http://www.thewheelmen.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=3393 or http://www.brittonblack.com/
WEDNESDAY, 4:00 – 7:30 pm, Meet Registration Begins, Murray Hotel Lobby: Check the itinerary for other registration times. You will need to check in with us even though you are registered for the meet in order to pick up your complete meet packet (t-Shirts, meet memorabilia, etc.) and sign the meet release form. Easels will be setup in the same lobby to keep you informed of meet information and possible changes. Be sure to check these frequently throughout each day.WEDNESDAY, 8:00 pm, Century and Meet Informational Meeting, Community Building: This meeting will be for EVERYONE attending the meet whether you are riding the century or not. It will include last minute meet updates and a general orientation to the Island. It is recommended that you attend this meeting.
THURSDAY, 6:00 am – 9:00 pm, 25 / 100 Mile Rides, Bike Path around Mackinac Island: This is the longest daylight time of the year. If you are planning to do the 25 mile ride, it will consist of 3 laps around the Island. The 100 mile ride (century) will consist of 12 laps around the Island. You will be free to ride either clockwise or counter clockwise around the Island as long as you switch directions at the start/finish location.
You will be on an honor system to check in and out on a chart as you complete a lap and start out on another lap. This system will tell when the rider left and which direction he is riding.
For this meet, the start/finish will be moved to a new location to alleviate traffic congestion in front of the Murray Hotel. The start/finish will be in front of The Inn On Mackinac. It will be virtually impossible to get lost on this century route due to the fact that there are no turns. Whether you finish the 25 or 100 mile ride, you will receive a riding medal along with a "fudge" certificate for a 1/4 pound of your favorite fudge (excludes premium flavors). Fudge certificates and riding medals will be handed out at a designated time to be announced at the meet. See “Rules and Tips for Century and Quarter Century Riders” elsewhere in this packet.
THURSDAY, 8:00 – 9:30 pm, Executive Board Meeting, Community Building: All officers, state captains, and committee chairmen are encouraged to attend.
FRIDAY, 8:00 – 8:45 am, Group Photo, Marquette Park: The dress for this event is period costume. If you are not dressed in period costume, you will be asked to stand back in the group with only your head showing. It is not necessary that you have your bike as only a limited number of bicycles will be allowed in the photo. Please remove your sunglasses for the photo! Since this will be the first time we will all be together since the Wednesday evening meeting, announcements and other pertinent information will take place immediately following the photo. If you have ordered a Group Photo, you will receive it before you leave the meet.
FRIDAY, 9:15 am – 11:15 am, OHWT, Bike Path Around Mackinac Island: The OHWT (Official High Wheel Tour) is open to highwheels and safeties alike and will begin after the Group Photo. The dress for this event is period costume. The OHWT will be a little over one time around the Island with a bathroom and water break 1/2 way around (known as British Landing). As tradition, we will try to place the high wheels in the front and the safeties in the rear, riding two abreast if possible. The group will be led by a bugler and the Commander. Always look for and be aware on-coming bicycle and horse traffic. During this time, single file riding is advised. Due to the size of this meet, it will be hard to keep everyone at a steady pace so when we arrive at the half way point around the Island (British Landing), we will re-group before starting the last half of the ride. All those completing the OHWT on period style bicycles and dressed in period costume will be awarded a riding medal to be handed out at a designated time to be announced at the meet. The OHWT should be quite an impressive event for Wheelmen and tourists alike to see.
FRIDAY, 2:00 – 5:30 pm, Casual Games, Public School Basketball Court: Casual games will be for both children and adults. Don't forget to bring your helmet. The Wheelmen will provide a limited amount of helmets as well. Anyone not wearing a helmet will be asked not to participate in the games. For the Mackinac meet, you need to choose to participate in either the highwheel games or the safety games, but not both due to time restraints. Classes will be adult highwheel and safety (13 yrs. and older), child highwheel and safety (12 yrs. and under) and child tricycle. Award ribbons will be handed out at the game site.
FRIDAY, 7:00 – 8:00 pm, Grand Luncheon Buffet Ticket Pick Up, Murray Hotel Lobby: If you have signed up to attend the Grand Luncheon Buffet on Saturday at the Grand Hotel, please pick up your ticket(s) at this time.
FRIDAY, 8:30 – 9:30 pm, Boat Cruise, Arnold Ferry Dock: The highlight for Friday evening will be an evening Boat Cruise and Ice Cream Social for all meet registrants aboard an Arnold cruise ship. Boarding starts around 8 pm (please be prompt!) and the cruise will start 8:30 pm. This cruise will allow you to see the underside of the Mackinac Bridge at sunset and enjoy numerous other attractions as well as the beautiful shoreline lights. Note: The Ice Cream Social has been moved from the Saturday night evening program to the Boat Cruise.
SATURDAY, 8:30–10:00 am, Annual Business Meeting, Community Building: The Annual Business Meeting will be held in the Community Building. All Wheelmen are encouraged to attend.SATURDAY, 11:00 – 12:30 pm, Lecture on the Grand Hotel’s History, Grand Hotel: If you have chosen to take part in the “Grand Luncheon Buffet”, you are entitled to attend a 90-minute lecture given by the Hotel's resident historian (Bob Tagget), which spans the hotel’s history from the 1887 opening to present day. Because our uniforms and costumes fit the time period of the Grand Hotel, the Grand has asked if we could dress in period costume for both the lecture and the luncheon.
SATURDAY, 12:30 pm, Grand Luncheon Buffet, Grand Hotel: Immediately following the lecture, our group will proceed to the Main Dining Room for the Grand Luncheon Buffet. The dress for this event is period costume. The legendary Grand Luncheon Buffet is one of the highlights of the Grand Hotel experience. Garden-fresh salads, savory cheeses, slow-roasted meats, seafood and more than 20 varieties of fresh-baked pastries are all featured at the buffet. It might be advisable to skip breakfast or skip supper if you attend this function!
SATURDAY, 2:00–2:30 pm, Public Demonstration, Public School Basketball Court: SATURDAY, 7:00–9:00 pm, Evening Program-Bathing Suit Competition, Community Building: The day will wind down with an evening program like none other and will include an old-fashioned bathing suit contest, musical entertainment, special awards, door prizes and more surprises! Let us entertain you! The vintage bathing suit competition has been a popular event at past national meets. Since this is a waterfront venue, we thought it would be appropriate to include this event again. Classes for the bathing suit competition (1st, 2nd and 3rd) are as follows: Couples, Men, Women, Boy’s (12 yrs. and under), Girl’s (12 yrs. and under).
SATURDAY, 9:30 pm, Lamp Light Ride, Inn On Mackinac: If you have a lamp and you would like to participate in the Lamp Light Ride, you will need to take your bicycle to the Inn On Mackinac to stage for the ride. The ride will make several passes through the downtown area. If you don’t have lamp but would still like to participate, please ride at the end of the group with extreme caution.
SUNDAY MORNING, Church Services: If you wish to attend Church services, there are numerous churches on the Island to choose from.
SUNDAY MORNING, Departure from the Island. The first Arnold Ferry boat leaves at 8:00 am for Mackinac City. For a complete schedule, please check www.arnoldline.com
For questions, email Bill Smith or call (734) 377-6953 (cell).Bill Smith and Karen Turner
Meet Captains
Last updated on June 15, 2011