2017.09.9-Mackinaw City MI

This was easily one of the most commercialized tourist areas we’ve been too.  That’s not to say it isn’t beautiful, interesting and enjoyable, but after three months in the Great Lakes we’ve already seen so much of this.

We started our adventure here by walking around the Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse on the Lake Huron side.  It was very nicely restored and kept up, but seemed oddly short for a lighthouse to me.  It does have the look though.

Then our day took us on a comprehensive tour of the old fort at Colonial Michilimackinac, on the Lake Michigan side of the 5 mile long Mackinaw bridge.  There were a number of restored buildings illustrating life at this 1700s British fort and trading center.  We watched musket, mortar and artillery demonstrations and toured through the Commander’s House, Blacksmith shop, barracks, fur traders seasonal homes and several others.  Very interesting and all well done.  We’re at the end of the season so the crowds are much smaller and the historical interpreters all had their parts down very well.  I never knew, for example, that it was the Indians that taught colonials how to make maple syrup or that “wampum” was actually beads woven into belts that documented events, details and treaties of Indian life.  Imagine a binary series of colored beads forming words.  Here are a couple other views of the old fort.

Mackinaw Bridge on Lake Huron side

South Rowhouse within the British Fort Michilimackinac

Live Musket fire

Notice the Union Jack flag

Obviously there are lots of lighthouses around the Great Lakes and the Old McGulpin Point lighthouse is one more example we couldn’t pass up.  This one was interesting because it’s location was more political than practical; notice how short it is and then know that it’s placement prevented it from being seen by ships during half their journey around this point!  We found an interesting tree carcass on the grounds, notice how the branches extended into the inside of this white cedar log.  I never realized they grew as spokes in a wheel.

branches grow like spokes on a wheel

Lighthouse at McGulpin Point

Another day we took the ferry to the ultra tourist destination of Mackinac Island.  No motorized vehicles allowed on the entire island.  Except for EMS everyone either walks, rides a bike or takes a horse drawn conveyance of some sort.  Interesting history and stories surround this place but you can find all that on-line and at your fingertips.  Here are a few of the sights which caught our eye.

Arch Rock on Mackinac Island

All aboard to the Grand Hotel

don't miss the kitty at the front door

notice how the leaves are turning and the flowers continue to bloom

So now we’ve spent time on Lakes Superior, Huron and Michigan and visited the critical connecting points of Superior to Huron, and Huron to Michigan, all very interesting.  Our next stop will be much more rural and is about a hundred miles west and slightly south of here.  Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is on the eastern banks of Lake Michigan.  Oh and for those interested, details of our fall jobs with the Amazon camper-force in Kentucky are beginning to firm up.  We’ll get back with you in a few days.