Across the UP to Mackinaw/Mackinac

I’m way behind in telling you where we are and what we have seen lately. At present, we are in Traverse City, Michigan. Guess I have been procrastinating about writing since we are going to be here the entire month of July. You know how retirees are…always have tomorrow to do something!*L* But before we get to TC, I have to take you back across the Upper Peninsula and into Mackinaw City.

We left Baileys Harbor on June 27 and spent the night in Rapid River, MI…in the UP…at a little camp called White Fish. Of course it rained that night…par for the course…we have been attracting the rain! The next morning dawned bright and sunny and we continued our journey along the Great Lake. Beautiful drive with the sun sparkling on the water and the white birches rustling in the wind; temperature in the 60’s…we wanted cool summer weather!

Viewing the Great Lakes is Like Looking Out Over the Ocean!




Along the way we kept noticing signs advertising “pasties”. We knew it was a food, but you can imagine how we were pronouncing the word…like something a stripper might wear!*L* Later we learned exactly how to pronounce it…
"pahhs tee"…and what it had in it. We tried a vegetable and cheese and also a chicken; it was kinda like a pot pie…not as juicy… but folded and baked in a crust like a wrap. You could pour gravy over it. Pasties originated as a meal for miners in Cornwall, England and later Michigan’s UP. Wives would bake meat and vegetables in a crust and wrap it in many layers of linens or newspaper for their husband’s lunch. It was a hot and nutritious meal that could be eaten anywhere. The Pasties were good, but I think I would prefer just sticking to a piece of cherry pie if I am going to eat that much crust!!

Continuing on our drive, we finally arrived at the Mackinac Bridge! We paid a $10.00 toll to cross. Now, I have this thing about crossing huge bridges. I worry about Frank looking at the scenery rather than watching his driving. So I usually watch him and miss most of the scenery…I always help him “drive”!*L* There was also the worry about the wind blowing us off the bridge as I had been told that could happen (thanks John), but the bridge would be closed if the winds were that bad…right! Anyway, this is a “BIG” bridge!! It is 5 miles across including the approaches; the towers reach 552 ft. There is 42,000 miles of wire in the main cables and if you decided to jump, you would be taking a 210 ft. leap! The bridge spans Lake Michigan and Lake Huron…hence the Mackinac Straits. I did manage to glimpse Mackinac Island as we crossed. We would later take a ferry over to spend a day there. We arrived in Mackinaw City right over the bridge without any incident; my “driving”, along with Frank’s, was superb!
Going Down and Catching a Great Lakes Freighter Going Under the Bridge


Something I had to get use to was the terminology of Mackinaw and Mackinac! It was a bit confusing: Mackinaw City, Mackinac Island…mostly the endings were “Nac”. We found our campground Mill Creek located right on the banks of Lake…umm…which Lake? Huron I think…that was confusing, too! Anyway, it was a beautiful setting. We could see the bridge from the campground and the ferries crossing to the Island. We set out on our exploration after getting Pearl all settled in.
Mackinaw City was touristy with lots of tee shirt, souvenir shops, and fudge shops galore!! We were definitely "fudged out" by the time we left. Our greatest find along the strip was the Key Hole Bar!

Now, we were told we had to find this place because it had been the local watering hole for a very good friend of ours when he lived in the area…yep…Ron Mott! We stopped in and tipped a few beers in his honor. We even tried to leave our bill on his tab…we heard he had left an open tab there!!


Cheers to Ron from the Old Key Hole!! They Miss You Here!!





Besides the tee shirts, fudge, and beer, we did find history and scenic views in the local parks. A walk around the lake brought us to Wawatam Park and Alexander Henry Park where we found the Old Mackinaw Point Lighthouse and also Fort Michilimackinac. From these points you could walk right under the Mackinac Bridge and listen to the rumble of cars passing overhead. This was also a good viewing point of the magnificent sunsets and the lighted bridge at night. At the time we were wandering along the park’s scenic lakeside, there was a wedding taking place at the old lighthouse. What a lovely setting for this couple’s memories and ours.

Chief Wawatam and Alexander Henry. The Chief, after becoming friends with Henry, saved Henry's life by hiding him a cave when the Indians attacked the fort. Henry was a fur trader.



The Old Mackinaw Point Lighthouse and Wedding at the Lighthouse
Other Things to See in Mackinaw City

Coast Guard Ice Breaker and Ferries Crossing to Mackinac Island
Beachfront is not like Florida!!

Ferry Docking

UP Sunsets


Frank tells me I never let him use the camera; however I must admit that he took the pictures of the sunset and I think he did a very nice job!

Next we travel to Mackinac Island for a day of sightseeing.