4th of July Fireworks Cruise!

We still have tickets available for the fireworks cruise that leaves out of Mackinaw City on July 4th at 9:00 p.m. Live entertainment will be provided by Michigan’s own Mike Ridley. We will have a cash bar onboard with beer and wine for purchase. There will also be a snack bar with candy, chips and assorted beverages for sale. The cost is $24.00 per adult and $12.00 per child ages 5-12. Call ahead to reserve your tickets! 1-800-828-6157

MackiTAC_2010
July 31st; 4:00pm – 6:30pm
Mackinac Island

Our facebook and twitter followers asked us for a tweet-up this year and we are listening! What is a tweet-up? Well, it is a get together of fans and followers where they can meet the faces behind facebook and twitter! In cooperation with The Island Bookstore, we are co-hosting the First Annual MackiTAC (Mackinac Twitter Action Corps). The details are still coming in and we will keep you posted as we have new information. We will have some very special guests and will be offering discounted rates on the ferry for those of you that plan to attend. You can “like” us on facebook and RSVP in the events section under the MackiTAC_2010 event. We hope to see you there. It’s gonna be S-W-E-E-T!

Cast Member Spotlight

At Shepler’s we have a saying, “It takes a family to make you feel like family.” That does not just apply to the Shepler family, but also to our cast members. Literally. This month’s cast member spotlight shines on an entire family that works for us. The Inglis family was first introduced to the Shepler’s family 29 years ago when Captain Mark Inglis began his journey with us. As with all of our Captains, Mark started as a deckhand and worked his way up. In his spare time he likes to ride his tractor and take motorcycle rides with his wife, Theresa. They have quite a collection of livestock with two steer, three pigs, 12 chickens, and numerous ducks to keep them busy. The entire family is heavily involved in the Cheboygan County Youth Livestock Program, where Mark served as Vice President for several years. He said that he has seen many people come and go at Shepler’s and that he has been here so long that he remembers when Bill had hair! Wow, that was a long time ago!

Our interview with Mark’s wife Theresa went a little bit differently. For instance, one of the first things that she mentioned was that they just celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary and that coincides with the year that she started working for Shepler’s. Imagine that, a woman remembering to mention their anniversary while the man forgets. Sorry, Mark, I had to get a dig in there. In the off season, Theresa works with the kindergarten and first grade at Westside Elementary School in Cheboygan. Her favorite thing about working at Shepler’s is that she actually gets to see her family. With everyone’s work schedules being so different, it is hard to catch up with them at home. They do have a pretty sweet system though…when Mark works and she has a day off, she fixes his lunch and he does the same for her when she works. Talk about teamwork!

That brings us to their oldest daughter, Courtney. (It should be noted that their youngest daughter, Corinne, has also worked for Shepler’s so it really is a family affair!) Courtney started with Shepler’s in June of 2006 and is in her 5th year with us. She works on the dock, on the boats, in the luggage area, and pretty much anywhere else we need her. You won’t find anyone more enthusiastic about their job than Courtney. Three months before the season started, she already had a countdown going! She is a student at Central Michigan University and she has a diverse course of study. She loves to hunt and fish and bagged her own 8 point buck this past season.

The entire Inglis family is a joy to have working here with us. We appreciate everything that they do and hope to have them on the dock and on the boats for many years to come!