Mackinac Island

Our trip to Mackinaw City was on the day of the "26th Annual Corvette Crossroads Auto Show”.  We saw some really nice corvettes in the show and around the city.  The show was held near the Mackinaw Crossing Mall.  As we approached the entrance to the mall we noticed a living statue.  It was so funny to watch the reactions of people passing by when the statue came to life.

The Mackinac Bridge also known as “Mighty Mac” is located on Interstate 75 in northern Michigan at the Straits of Mackinac.   Two of the Great Lakes, Lake Michigan and Lake Huron are connected by The Straits of Mackinac.  The bridge connects Michigan's upper and lower peninsulas and is the fifth longest suspension bridge in the world.  Mackinaw City is located at the south end of the bridge. St. Ignace is located at the north end of the Mackinac Bridge. The Mackinac Bridge Walk is an annual event held on Labor Day and is the sole exception to the rule prohibiting pedestrians on the bridge. 

We crossed the bridge and had lunch in St. Ignace. We have played it safe when we eating out by ordering fish sandwiches and burgers because the food is so bland here.  Thankfully Tabasco is sold nationwide to spice up this bland food.  After lunch we visited  Bridge View Park in St. Ignace where we were able to walk along the shore of Lake Michigan enjoying the breeze and sunshine. 

The following day we decided to ride the ferry over to Mackinac Island.  The first thing you notice when you step on the island is there are no automobiles.  You get around by foot, bike, horseback or horse-drawn carriages.  We walked down Main Street darting in and out of the shops then toured the Mackinac Island State Park by carriage rides.  There are two things for certain while on the island – the first is you are never too far from a fudge shop and second is you are never far from a horse.  Then there is the smell.  A local candy maker explains the reason for so many fudge shops this way:  “We needed something to cover up the smell of the horses.”  We ate dinner on the island at Goodfellows Restaurant and after dinner bought a few pieces of fudge.  We are now “Fudgies”.  This is the name given to all tourist who have gone to Mackinac Island because usually most everyone buys fudge.

The sun was beginning to set and the air became very chilly as we waited for the next ferry to take us back to the mainland. Once on board the ferry we were able to watch the sun set over Lake Michigan which was the perfect ending to a beautiful day. 



The Mackinac Bridge Parade was held at 7:00 PM with all these corvettes crossing the bridge.

This was our favorite car in the show.

This is Robert Shangle and he has been invited to participate in the 2015 World Living Statue Championship in the Netherlands.  He is very good at his job and earns on average $400 to $500 per day.

 

The Mighty Mac is 5 miles long.  On August 2, 2015 there was a temporary closure of the bridge because of 65mph winds.  Earlier in the year a driver decided to do a U-turn on the bridge because of bad conditions causing multiple accidents.  The whiteout conditions made it very difficult to clear the accidents and keep the bridge plowed. 

 

The Bridge Walk  lead by the Governor of Michigan- the school buses are used to return the walkers back to their vehicles.  (Picture found on  the internet)

 

The people that live in the Upper Peninsula or the U.P. are called "Yoopers" and are proud of it. The people that live on the lower peninsula have been nicknamed "trolls".  Trolls is the Yooper term for Michiganders who live below the Mackinac Bridge because after all, only trolls live under bridges.

 

Lake Michigan

 

While we were visiting the Bridge View Park this couple was getting married.  

 

This memorial statue honors the five men that lost their lives while building the bridge. 

 

The beauty of the flowers were magnificent.  Really enjoyed slowing down to enjoy prettiness of the flowers and the cool breeze coming off the lake.




The Mighty Mac is 522 feet tall and truly something to see.





Wawatam Lighthouse is visible for more than 13 miles out over Lake Huron.



 

The ferry we rode to the Mackinac Island.  It was a 25 minute ride to the island.  The open air upper deck is where we rode going over to the island but of course not without wearing our jackets.  The return trip back to the mainland was nice and warm inside the cabin.




It was an honor to ride the ferry with Old Glory flying high.



Round Island Lighthouse on the Straits of Mackinac.  There is just something about seeing these lighthouses that make you feel as if you have stepped back in time. 




Mackinac Island is about 8 miles in circumference and 3.8 square miles in total area.



Summer homes on the island.



UPS on the island.  The brown trucks are ferried over to the island and remain on the ferry while all the freight is off loaded onto the horse drawn service wagons.



More beautiful flowers.



Arch Rock is a natural limestone formation on the shoreline of Lake Huron that stands 146 feet above the water. This was one of the places we stopped on our tour of the island.  We walked up to an overlook point and really experienced the magnificence of Lake Huron.



These horses work all summer carrying tourist up and down the hills on the island.  This was the carriage we rode on our tour of Mackinac Island State Park.  Our tour guide was very entertaining.  He like the horses leave the island for the winter and return to the mainland but he says he is drawn back to the island each summer because of the peacefulness the island has to offer.



Governors' Summer Residence

John F.  Kennedy came to the island in 1960 primarily for a meeting in the sunroom of the Governors’ Summer Residence in a successful bid for a presidential nomination endorsement from Governor G. Mennen “Soapy” Williams. 



Main Street is where one can relive the simple pleasures of life.



Fort Mackinac on the bluffs overlooking the Straits of Mackinac.



The Grand Hotel opened in 1887 and room rates were $3 to $5 per night. It is one of the biggest attractions on the island.  Non-hotel guest pay a $10 admission fee to explore the grounds. The hotel is also noted for serving  brunch at a cost of $50 per person. 

 

As the sun is going down on Lake Michigan your mind becomes clearer increasing your awareness of an inner peace and calmness you feel along with love and devotion to God our creator.

 

The end to a wonderful day on Mackinac Island.

 

Houghton Lake, Sleeping Bear Dunes and Lake Huron

We left home on Friday August 7th with our destination being Decatur, Indiana.

After a brief stay in Decatur, Indiana we decided to escape the hot August days back home and head north to Michigan.  We arrived at Warblers Cove Campground near West Branch Michigan on August 17th.  A visit to Houghton Lake was just a short drive from the campground.  It is the largest inland lake in the state of Michigan and is popular for fishing year round. 

We left for Indian River RV Resort and Campground on August 20th and stayed in the Indian River area for the next 10 nights.  Our day trips were to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Shoreline, Rogers City, Mackinaw City, St. Ignace, Mackinac Island, Cheboygan, and a chartered fishing trip.  A lesson learned when booking a chartered fishing trip is to ask who is in charge of the rod and reel.  We were not thrilled to just reel in the lake trout after the captain or first mate set the hook. Seeing the sunrise on Lake Huron and circling the entire Mackinac Island by boat was worth the time and money spent on the chartered trip.  The first mate, Bob Bach invited us to his home after our fishing trip.  He and his wife Terri live on Paradise Lake. They gave us fresh vegetables from their garden which we thoroughly enjoyed.  Their place on the lake was beautiful.

The legend of Sleeping Bear is long ago, along the Wisconsin shoreline, a mother bear and her two cubs were driven into Lake Michigan to escape a forest fire. The mother bear reached the shore but the cubs were too tired to continue and drowned within the sight of the shore.  The Great Spirit of Manitou created two islands to mark the spot where the cubs disappeared and then created a solitary dune to represent the place where the grief-stricken mother bear waited for her cubs. The spirit of her cubs lives on forever in the beautiful Manitou Islands. 

Walking into Lake Huron and seeing the crystal clear blue green water was fascinating.

Our evenings in the RV Park were shared with Carl and Carole Cryderman from Midland, MI and Suzanne & Wayne Webster from Cheyenne, WY. The cool nights were just the right setting for enjoying a campfire with new friends and of course gumbo.




The natural beauty of Michigan had us wanting to see more of this state.



We found a place to buy elk meat near Warblers Cove Campground.



The fishing lake at Warblers Cove Campground.

 

Beautiful blue skies over Houghton Lake in the community of Prudenville, MI.



Houghton Lake is one of the largest natural inland lakes in the United States.  Its water covers 20,044 acres.



The lake is approximately 7 1/2 miles north to south, and about 4 1/2 miles at the widest point.



 

Stepping into the cold water of Lake Huron.



Lake Huron is the second largest Great Lake by surface area and the third largest freshwater lake on the earth.



Lake Huron has a surface area of 23,000 miles with an average depth of 195 feet and the maximum depth being 750 feet.



Rogers City is the home to two salmon fishing tournaments and the world's largest open pit limestone quarry.

Rogers City Marina



Beautiful clear water



The use of the down riggers on fishing boats to send the bait down 75 to 100 feet.  We found out this is not our kind of fishing.

Our day trip to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Shoreline was rainy but this is Lake Michigan on a rainy day. Just imagine how beautiful this area is on a clear sunny day.



Sand dunes



Lake Michigan Overlook is 450 feet above the lake.  Wisconsin is 54 miles due west but we did not see any "cheeseheads" waving back at us. On a clear day South Manitou Island can be seen 10 miles to the northwest.



Very steep sand dune.  Warning signs all around advising visitors about the 2 hour return climb back to the top and the cost of a rescue fee if needed.



The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Shoreline

 

It is no easy task for plants and animals to survive in the dunes dealing with strong sunlight, poor soils, and constant winds.  The wind alone can dry out plants and expose the root systems as shown in this picture.

We stopped  for lunch at The Empire Inn near Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park.  The Henry on the  menu is a bologna sandwich for the bargain price of only $11.00.