Yesterday was the anniversary of Mike and I getting engaged, and I thought I'd share the story. Rather than reinvent the wheel, I am simply posting a creating writing assignment I wrote a few years ago that tells the story. Following that are some pictures.
An Engaging Weekend
They were headed north, through Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, across the corner of the Upper Peninsula and then into Canada. It couldn’t have been a more beautiful day. The sun shone brightly, glistening off the freshly fallen snow. They alternated between periods of pleasant chitchat and comfortable silent observation.
Laura was impressed with Mike’s planning. For several months they had been taking turns planning a special date each month. Something to get them out of the dinner and a movie rut. Mike had been a little lax in planning his months, so this weekend was special enough to more than make up for the months he has missed. She was excited about their winter getaway, and eagerly anticipated the activities he had planned.
They crossed the Mackinac Bridge and looked in all directions at snow and ice. They could see Mackinac Island off to the east, and noted that there was a well-defined snowmobile path between the island and the mainland. Once in Mackinac City they stopped at a tavern for a break from the road and enjoyed talking with the sociable bartender about the area.
Hitting the road again, they continued north until they arrived in Sault Ste. Marie. Crossing yet another bridge, they went from Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan into Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. They found their hotel and checked in, then ventured into town. They stopped at a local steak house for dinner, and enjoyed watching the after-work crowd looking to wind down on a Friday night. Next was a stop at the town’s large casino. While fun, they didn’t find much success at the slots.
The next morning they were up bright and early. Today was the day. The purpose of the trip. They drove toward the river and parked at the train depot. They were boarding the Algoma Central... the Snow Train. The day-long trip would take them through the beautiful Agawa Canyon.
The train began its journey and before long they were out of the city. The trees glistened in the early morning sunlight; more than six feet of snow had built up during the previous week. The train wound through forests and canyons. Frozen waterfalls could be spotted time and time again. Highlights from the 114-mile trek included towering trestles as high as 130 feet, functioning dams and lands that were once worked by miners and loggers. They enjoyed both breakfast and lunch in the train’s dining car.
Late that afternoon, the Algoma Central pulled back into the station depositing its travelers. Mike and Laura headed back to the hotel to get ready for a night out. Back into town once again, they went to Docks Riverside Grille, a wonderful restaurant along St. Mary’s River. The food was fantastic, and would have been a wonderful ending to a wonderful day in itself... but Mike had more in mind.
After dinner, he became rather serious – talking about love and compatibility and how much fun they had together. Laura looked at him, thinking it was unusual for him to embark on this type of discussion. She listened, hopeful of where the conversation may lead. In a flash, literally, Mike pulled out the most beautiful ring Laura had ever seen. She stared and listened as he asked her to marry him. The answer, of course, was an emphatic yes! She was thrilled. She looked around the restaurant, was it possible all the people here were so unaware that such a momentous event had just occurred?
Laura doesn’t remember much about the drive home the next day... she was too busy smiling and dreaming about her wedding day.
An Engaging Weekend
They were headed north, through Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, across the corner of the Upper Peninsula and then into Canada. It couldn’t have been a more beautiful day. The sun shone brightly, glistening off the freshly fallen snow. They alternated between periods of pleasant chitchat and comfortable silent observation.
Laura was impressed with Mike’s planning. For several months they had been taking turns planning a special date each month. Something to get them out of the dinner and a movie rut. Mike had been a little lax in planning his months, so this weekend was special enough to more than make up for the months he has missed. She was excited about their winter getaway, and eagerly anticipated the activities he had planned.
They crossed the Mackinac Bridge and looked in all directions at snow and ice. They could see Mackinac Island off to the east, and noted that there was a well-defined snowmobile path between the island and the mainland. Once in Mackinac City they stopped at a tavern for a break from the road and enjoyed talking with the sociable bartender about the area.
Hitting the road again, they continued north until they arrived in Sault Ste. Marie. Crossing yet another bridge, they went from Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan into Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. They found their hotel and checked in, then ventured into town. They stopped at a local steak house for dinner, and enjoyed watching the after-work crowd looking to wind down on a Friday night. Next was a stop at the town’s large casino. While fun, they didn’t find much success at the slots.
The next morning they were up bright and early. Today was the day. The purpose of the trip. They drove toward the river and parked at the train depot. They were boarding the Algoma Central... the Snow Train. The day-long trip would take them through the beautiful Agawa Canyon.
The train began its journey and before long they were out of the city. The trees glistened in the early morning sunlight; more than six feet of snow had built up during the previous week. The train wound through forests and canyons. Frozen waterfalls could be spotted time and time again. Highlights from the 114-mile trek included towering trestles as high as 130 feet, functioning dams and lands that were once worked by miners and loggers. They enjoyed both breakfast and lunch in the train’s dining car.
Late that afternoon, the Algoma Central pulled back into the station depositing its travelers. Mike and Laura headed back to the hotel to get ready for a night out. Back into town once again, they went to Docks Riverside Grille, a wonderful restaurant along St. Mary’s River. The food was fantastic, and would have been a wonderful ending to a wonderful day in itself... but Mike had more in mind.
After dinner, he became rather serious – talking about love and compatibility and how much fun they had together. Laura looked at him, thinking it was unusual for him to embark on this type of discussion. She listened, hopeful of where the conversation may lead. In a flash, literally, Mike pulled out the most beautiful ring Laura had ever seen. She stared and listened as he asked her to marry him. The answer, of course, was an emphatic yes! She was thrilled. She looked around the restaurant, was it possible all the people here were so unaware that such a momentous event had just occurred?
Laura doesn’t remember much about the drive home the next day... she was too busy smiling and dreaming about her wedding day.
~~ I will add, Mike had intended to propose on the train, but our car had a loud, boisterous family that could best be described as hillbillies on it. While entertaining, they did not provide much of a romantic atmosphere, lol.
And a picture from the actual big day, seven months later on October 25.
3 comments:
What a great story! Congrats! Is it bad that Luke and I don't remember the day we got engaged? LOL
I never knew that story.... Why couldn't have Craig thought of something amazing like that?
Awwww...like Crystal I dont remeber the exact date of our engagement, I remember all the details of it just not the day. It was November twenty something???
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