Mackinac Island is accessible by plane or boat, except in the winter when the water freezes over connecting Mackinac with the mainland. There are no motorized vehicles on the island other than emergency or snowmobiles in the winter. Horses are the main mode of transportation.
Gurney is in northern Wisconsin near Lake Superior. Michael’s father, Jim, grew up here. Jim was born 25 miles away in Bessemer, Michigan where his dad worked in explosives for a copper mine. When the mines started to shut down, Jim’s dad moved his family to Gurney to farm. This was a fortuitous choice since they were self sufficient during the Great Depression.
