The "Mighty Mac"

31^st July – Mackinac Bridge

We had spent the last week in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  Now we started our journey southwards and drove over the “Mighty Mac”.  This 5 mile suspension bridge links Michigan’s Upper and Lower peninsulas over the Straits of Mackinac, with Lake Michigan on the west and Lake Huron on the east side.  

Our campsite was right on the shores of Lake Huron and we could see people para-sailing over the waters with the bridge in the background.

1^st August – Mackinac Island

In the morning we took the hydro-jet ferry over to Mackinac Island which was completed shrouded in fog. We didn’t see the dock until we were within around 100ft. The Island was originally the second National Park in USA but at the end of the 19^th Century it was transferred over to the state and has been a major tourist destination ever since. 

 

The Island has kept its ‘Victorian charm’ by not allowing any motorised vehicles on the island; so it is back to original horse-power with over 600 horses on the Island.  Even deliveries of supplies are transported from the docks on the back of horse drawn wagons.




We visited Fort Mackinac which had soldiers in period costume giving a variety of presentations including canon firing.




We hiked through the woods to the arch, and also took a self-drive horse and carriage out for just over an hour which was great fun – although we did have a difference of opinion with our horse as to what was a reasonable ‘going home’ speed. We were going to visit "The Grand Hotel" but they wanted $10 each just to walk past the entrance.

 

2^nd August – Rendezvous Fair

The weekend was the 18^th Century Rendezvous in Mackinac City (many towns have these events during the summer).  It commemorates the Fur Trapping and Trading days and people dress in period costume and engage in re-enactments of particular events for the region.  In this case it was the fighting between the local Militia and Native Indians with some British troops, playing bagpipes? thrown in for good measure.  We followed the skirmish, which included the firing of canons and muskets from the Marina into the shopping area with Indians taking cover behind parked cars – which then set off car alarms. Highly entertaining for all concerned!  There was also some (pre-agreed) ‘looting’ from the shops with the bounty being presented to participants later in the weekend.

 3^rd August – Travel South

We drove from Mackinac City to Honor along the western shoreline of Michigan.  This region is well known for growing cherries but it has to be said if you are a Golfer then this area of Lower Michigan is the place to go, as we lost count of how many golf courses we passed.

4^th August – Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

We spent the day visiting Sleeping Bear Dunes.  In places these sand dunes rise 450ft above Lake Michigan.  At one overlook on the scenic drive, the slope down to the water appeared to be almost vertical.  We watched many people going down the sandy slope, swim in the lake and then make their way, laboriously, back up the 450ft climb arriving red-faced and breathless an hour or so later.

We decided to wimp out and opted, instead, for the 100ft sand dune climb further down the road.  We did this bare-foot and half way up discovered the sand was red hot.

Afterwards we visited the villages of Glen Haven and Glen Arbor.  At Glen Haven we walked down to the beach where some people were swimming.  We dipped our toes in the waters of Lake Michigan but it would need to be a lot warmer before we were likely to get further into it.

5^th August – Bass Lake

We took a quick drive around the area checking out the village of Interlochen and Turtle Lake.  In the afternoon we did a 3.6mile hike through the woods around Bass and Otter Lake in the Dunes Park.   
 

At our camp fire that evening we enjoyed the company of Marv and Betty who were staying in one of the cabins in the campground with their two grandchildren.

6^th – 9^th August – Tubb’s Lake

We drove further south to a series of inter-linked lakes, one of which was Tubb’s Lake with a campground right on the lake edge.  We are now spending the next few days exploring the 3 larger lakes via the various channels.