Yes, we have survived another adventure at Fort Fright. On Saturday evening, the winds were howling and so were the werewolves. These furry creatures s-c-a-r-e-d me twice. Due to the lack of electricity in the fort, these creatures are camouflaged by the heavy cloak of darkness within the fort walls. The only source of light comes from the lanterns hanging along the paths…if you dare to venture in. So when the fort doors were opened by two skeleton soldiers, I walked in and was promptly greeted by my first werewolf. Our daughter, Sarah, went with me to the fort, and nothing jumped out at her. Inside some of the homes, the women had baked molasses cookies and pumpkin bread and offered us a sample. Other homes had popcorn and candy. In each building we were greeted by costumed interpreters who warned us about going outside . It was so cozy and inviting in these buildings that we did not want to leave. But we did. We were rounding a corner when we were greeted by our second werewolf. We made tracks for the church. We were welcomed by a priest that told us about funerals in the 1700’s and the fact that there were a few hundred bodies buried under the floorboards of the church. Back outside we went again. We noticed there were about four huge fires that welcomed us to warm up and listen to a tale of long ago. We looked up, and finally I captured her. A ghost that walks around the fort carrying a lantern. I have been trying for years to capture her on film. (Maybe I should start Mackinaw Ghostbusters??)
Even though the wind was blustery, the skies were clear revealing millions of stars. Several people were pointing out the different constellations to their children. It is an amazing experience to stand inside the fort at night, with the Mackinac Bridge towers peaking above the walls. It’s a clash of the centuries and all around you are the footprints of those who went before you. This is a fantastic event that I hope you will try next October.