Bridge, Island, Lighthouses, and Lots and Lots of Water

 June 7 - 11, 2022

Mackinaw City, Michigan

Tuesday we continue north on Highways 127 and 75. More of what I think of as the "green tunnel" with thick trees on both sides of us. The hardwoods are so pretty this time of year! 

We cross the 45th parallel north, putting us approximately half way between the north pole and the equator - the "line" is actually a bit north but the curvature of the earth makes it "buldge" here. It means come Summer Solstice we'll be in an area with close to 16 hours of daylight. Cool!

A glimpse through the green tunnel to more trees at a lower elevation.

We get set up among the trees at Mackinaw City KOA. Mostly level, narrow dirt site with 50 amp FHUs. Upgraded sites with patios and furniture are available as well. No satellite, but we finally have more than a single bar of cellular coverage. The park WiFi works well. Super friendly and helpful staff here.

Tucked in the trees.

Our park is on the same road as Wilderness State Park so we take a short drive to check it out. Laid out in two and three rows between the road and the shore, there is a section with electric and water, one with electric only, and another with dry camping. Many sites accommodate long rigs, all are tight with their neighbors. But the front row are right on the beach, with amazing views and access. I'm sure they sell out for the whole summer very early!

We make a stop at a day use area so Tessa can get long-overdue beach time. The first poison ivy I've seen (ever) lines the trail to the water so getting there she's on a tight leash. I never touch it but still itch for a few minutes :-)

Dramatic skies add to the beauty of this natural cove.

So not interested in the view!

Round and round and back and forth - happy fluffy dog!

Back at home the "sounds of summer vacation" are in full swing with kids screaming the joy of being outdoors with no school for months ahead. A few fire rings smoke with sad attempts at flame. At 9:55 it's like a switch is flipped and everything is completely quiet - ahhhhhh. 

Mackinaw City's downtown is pretty much a staging area for Mackinac Island. There's a similar feel to West Yellowstone. The island is a main reason we're here as well, and Wednesday looks like the best day for our visit. Upon arrival at Shepler's Ferrry we find it's also a good day for two busloads of middle school kids to join us. Apparently they have a few more days of school that the campground kids don't. It really is wonderful they have this opportunity to kick off their summer.

We haven't been in a crowd in over two years so this is like being thrown in the deep end without swimmies on the first day of summer vacation - might as well go big! Once they're all loaded into the ferry ahead of us, we return to a much more manageable level of chaos. 

Four of the morning ferries include a ten minute detour under the Mackinac Bridge. We're in two of the Great Lakes - Michigan and Huron - in a matter of minutes! 

We wave good-bye to all the kids - we'll see all of them later.

With wonderful history and engineering, the Might Mac is a beauty.

A side of the bridge not everyone sees. As we're crossing it on Saturday I'm delighted to see zero rust - it looks brand new.

The bridge-view ferries are no additional cost, and I highly recommend taking one to the island.

A giant oil tanker makes its way from one lake to the other.

Arriving at the island, The Grand Hotel is hard to miss!

A world without automobiles (only one police car and one ambulance) is unique, and really quite wonderful. Love all the parallel parked bicycles :-)

There are several ways to explore the island. The carriage tours are very popular, and the one we choose. It's a two hour wait after we buy our tickets - on a pretty island with pretty things to look at, so who cares?

Inevitable limited forward views. We're the only ones wearing masks, but don't take them off all day. 

Lots of trees in bloom. The Lilac Festival is this weekend.

The cutest post office we've seen. I mail a couple post cards to the older grands.

From native tribes in the 1600s to forts and settlers and tourism, the island is full of interesting history.

Lovely historic homes - both private residences and tourist accommodations. 

Summer

We don't spend the $10 to enter the Grand Hotel, but the tulip garden is truly stunning.

With more horses (650+) than people (400 residents) living on the island, their quarters make up a large number of the out buildings above downtown. There are 4 veterinarians and 1 doctor. 

Change carriages at Surrey Hill with a Monarch Garden, metal forger and gift shop. 

Here we switch to a beautiful Belgian three-horse team for the pull through the second half of the tour. 

This part of the island is the heavy forest of Mackinac State Park. Lots of history and cheesy jokes from the guide (she's on her third day and delightful).

One of three historical cemeteries on the island - the Veterans section includes 100 unidentified soldiers, and is therefore one of five in the country that flies the flag permanently at half-staff. 

The cave's history includes native tribal lore and a couple teenagers with dynamite. 

Spectacular views from Arch Rock lookout point. 

Arch Rock - where a native princess with an obsessive father escapes with her sky-god. Local lore is one reason to take the tour!

Governor's Summer Mansion

Sweet views.

I love Lilacs but have never lived anywhere cold enough for them to flourish. 

Back in downtown at the end of the tour, I enjoy the views from the back of a store. 

Looking like a scene from a weather catastrophe movie, the clouds dissipate without dropping any moisture. 

17 fudge shops on the three blocks of Main Street. Downtown smells good :-)

Back at the launching area for our return ferry we find - guess who? - all the field trip kids ready to board! Again they fill their own ferry, all looking like they had a grand time on the island. We only saw a few throughout the day. Best of all, many have purchased fun hats and we get the "parade" as they pass by to load. Sombreros, cheeseburgers, purple octopus, jesters, lots of pizzas, flamingos, and at least one hot dog. The hat vendor was a happy seller today! 

It was a fun day on the island, and we return to the mainland before 6 PM. 

Back at the park we see a shuttle for the same ferry company pulling out - good to know! Although the free parking in town with it's own quick shuttle was really easy.

This far north it's still light long after we head for bed - the kids must have had a busy day as the park is nice and quiet. 

Fortunately I notice that my reservations for the first days in the Upper Peninsula don't make sense - before we get up there! Thursday I'm able to make the necessary corrections so we have a place to land in a couple days. Whew! 

We run around town a bit, but mostly hang out at home. As evening approaches the park is filling up fast and getting noisier. Our new neighbors are entertaining when instead of setting up after unhooking the truck, they grab a couple beers and sit in the cab to enjoy them. Must have been a rough driving day :-)))

We laugh every time a new sound is added - couples loudly giving directions for parking, lots of motorcycles, kids screaming, compressors blowing up mattresses, a short burst of rain, back-up beepers, dogs barking, clanging of camp set-ups, doors slamming. Again, at 9:55, the switch is flipped and complete quiet descends - magic! 

Friday is lighthouse day. We're going to see two of them, one with family history for our good friend Jim. Read his post here to learn the fascinating connection he has with Old Macinac Point Light Station.

Lighthouse and bridge, a beautiful place to enjoy perfect weather. 

I feel the sound, and push all the buttons, and make my own lighthouse - very fun!

Fourth Order Fresnel lens. Physics becomes art. 

I can't do the confined space of lighthouse towers, but the guide lets me stick my head in to grab a pic of the spiral staircase. 

Something we haven't seen at other shipwreck exhibits are models of the ships pre and post wreck. Very interesting.

The Cedarville is the largest shipwreck in the Mackinac Strait. 

She sunk in May, 1965, after colliding with another ship in the fog. Witnesses and investigative reports all point to captain's error for both the collision and not reaching accessible shore before she sank.

The grounds are lovely as are the views of the bridge.

Indiana Limestone gives the structure its pretty color.

Another way to see the area.

A quick stop for a Michigan lunch staple, then we're off to check out another nearby lighthouse. During our island tour I heard a local explaining that the best pasties are on "the other side of the bridge" so we'll have to compare!

Our beef pasties with gravy are super yummy!

McGulpin Point (I can't help but think of large drinks from McDonalds) is on the west side of the bridge, and also small in stature. There are lovely Lilac trees, and a small museum about the local tribe's history in the French and Indian War. 

McGulpin Point Light Station

Just down the hill, on the lake's shore, is Chin Sin or "Big Rock". It is referenced in historical journals as far back as 1749, when it was used to gauge the water's depth. It continues doing the same job today. There are records of it being completely submerged, but in recent decades has been mostly above the water.  

Chin Sin at 9' tall, 33' circumference, and estimated at 54 tons - may be the biggest depth gauge on the planet!

We end the day with a couple short stops at Headlands Dark Sky Park and Heritage Village. The former is a very modern, echo friendly event center right on the lake, and focused on astronomy. The area outside of downtown is very different, and quite lovely.

Wonderful interpretive signs along the entrance trail tell stories of the stars through art, information plaques, and recordings. 

The center includes a planted roof with run-off points on each corner that direct water to cisterns for watering the landscaping.

Beautiful blue water everywhere!

The latter is a collection of historic buildings, gardens and equipment, open to the public and free of charge, highlighting how natives and settlers lived here in the 1800s. 

I've never seen a chimney like this one on the "Quarantine House".

This handsome tree spans a huge area.

A cute flower and vegetable garden. Although I suspect the Rainbird sprinkler doing the watering is not "true to age".

Friday night at 10:00 our "sounds list" gets a new entry - 20 minutes of booming fireworks. So blessed that Tessa has no reaction to them!

Last time we were in the area we just crossed over the bridge from the north, and we've wanted to come back ever since. I'm glad we "bit the bullet" and did the tourist thing - we'll do it again at our next stop - and had some time to explore more of the area. The park is pretty, but I hope our people experience here isn't indicative of the rest of the summer. Nothing horrible, just loud and lots of them. 

Saturday we're over the bridge and into the Upper Peninsula for a couple weeks!