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Updated 7/14/19
Our locations marked on "The Thumb" and "The UP" for the geographially challenged (I'm talking about myself, BTW)
Macki"nac" vs Macki"naw" - what's the deal? Find out here
We crossed from the Michigan mainland to Saint Ignace on the Upper Peninsula over the famed Mackinac (pronounced “Mackinaw”) Bridge, which at about 5 miles is the longest suspension bridge in the western hemisphere. Locals had regaled us with tales of crossings in windy conditions so severe that a small car had been blown off the bridge (that’s fatal, by the way); but those conditions tend to occur at other times of the year, and our crossing was lovely and uneventful.
Our site on the Lakeshore RV Park Campground was another winner (thanks Dorian!), with the beautiful Lake Huron shore right across a quiet road. Despite the park staff’s warning that “this lake isn’t for playing” and cautions to look out for 5 foot waves from huge shipping vessels, we kayaked up and down the shoreline in clear water that looked great for snorkeling (we suspect this protective staff thought our inflatable kayak was more of a toy than the USCG-approved watercraft it is).
We wouldn't have enjoyed kayaking so much the next day; we were lucky the Coast Guard permitted our ferry to Mackinac Island to make a scenic detour underneath the bridge despite the windy, choppy conditions. If you visit Mackinac Island, take your own bikes like we did to travel the 8 mile car-free loop around the island, or you’ll pay about $70/day to rent one! Mackinac Island offers one gorgeous coastal vista after another. We topped off our island visit with a Big Porch Ale, specially brewed for the actually grand Grand Hotel.
The Grand Hotel on Mackinack Island
Would we come back?
Would we come back?
We'd both love to come back. There are so many things to do here, hiking, sailing, paddle-boarding, kayaking, and so many must-see parks, such as Isle Royale National Park, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, the locks along the St. Lawrence Seaway... To be fair, I guess they aren't must-see, since we didn't see them and we're still alive. But maybe we've been allowed to live because we have good intentions about seeing the must-sees later. Anyway, we'll be back.
Would we live here?
Would we live here?
On Mackinac Island, there were some elegant houses on a hill above the lake, just to the left of the Grand Hotel if you are facing uphill. And they reflected a way of life that causes a certain pang of longing even though, one, the houses were old and totally not a style I liked and, two, when I imagine myself in a house like that, being served tea by a butler, it just doesn't feel like anything I want. And the vision is a bit jarring since, as I see it in my head, the butler is dressed way better than me. And yet, those houses represented the solid, confidently secure ruling class of a century ago. I guess maybe "solid" and "confident" is the attractive part. I've always envied people who don't doubt themselves. Ignorance is bliss.
The winters--and maybe the summertime biting insects--are the only negatives to this area. But the winters are a big negative. And speaking of insects, I should mention that I punched a horse fly to death in L'Anse. (More details detract from the vision of Man v Horsefly, so I'll just leave it at that.)
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