Day 2 of the Mackinaw City, and the Michigan Upper Peninsula began bright an early on Saturday morning. The rain had stopped, and there were actual signs that the sun may even break out.
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I checked out of the Baymont Inn and Suites about 6am, and decided to first check out the downtown and lakeshore areas of Mackinaw City. As mentioned in the Day 1 summary, the downtown area is filled with plenty of specialty and boutique type stores.
Passing thru the downtown, you come upon Shepler's Ferrys, a shuttle service to/from Mackinac Island. There are numerous ferry services that leave from Mackinaw City, and all are on the eastern lakeshore area.
The shoreline also is filled with hotels and condos which face Lake Huron, and the waters to Mackinac Island.
There is also a HUGE parking lot along the boat ramp, for those who want to set sail on their own. Moored next to this boat launch area is a Coast Guard Icebreaker... I couldn't get very close, but it looks like a huge ship! I should note that all this time there were "thousands" of mosquito/gnat type bugs in the air along the shoreline.... even some of the photos I took, blurred the images with the dots of the bugs in the air... I didn't stay long ... the bugs won this battle!
Ok, its time to explore the historical area of Mackinaw City. The lakeshore area facing the Mackinac Bridge has been converted into a parks and walking trail that includes the Old Mackinaw Point Lighthouse and Fog Signal Station, Alexander Henry Park, Fort Michilimackinac Welcome Center, and numerous areas to picnic or just sit and enjoy the view.
(Click on image for PDF version)This area also provides access to the south end of the Mackinac Bridge. Here's a couple photos of the bridge from the shoreline...
The Old Mackinaw Point Lighthouse is the main focal point of the park area. Since it was before 9am, access to the lighthouse was not possible.
Time to head north.... The drive back across the Mackinac Bridge Saturday morning, although overcast and a bit foggy, provided a fabulous panorama of the Mackinac Straits. The following video shows the six minute trip across the bridge.....
On the North Shore of the Mackinac Straits is the town of St. Ignace. This town also serves as a launching point for travel to Mackinac Island, with multiple ferry services offering transportation, with hotels and shops near the ferry launches. Here's a photo of the St. Ignace harbor...
From St. Ignace I traveled the South shoreline of the Upper Peninsula East to the small fishing town of De Tour Village. There are several small bays and coves along the route. The following photos show a view of Bush Bay, and the view along the coastline.
De Tour Village is located on the Eastern end of the Upper Peninsula. This small town provides ferry service to Drummond Island, as well as boat launching facilities for boating and fishing enthusiasts. It is also at the confluence of one of the passageways from Lake Superior to Lake Huron.
From De Tour Village, I headed North to Sault Ste. Marie, MI via the back roads. Some very serene and picturesque countryside. I should note that cell phone usage in this area must not be a priority, as cell reception was scarce at best. But looking at the lifestyles in this area, I could see that instant communication with others is not a high priority! Below is a shot from the hiway as I approached a small village along Raber Bay.
The next stop was Sault Ste. Marie, Mi. Located on the St. Mary's River passageway between Lake Superior and Lake Huron, and bordering Canada, this city is home to the Soo Locks. All ship travel between these Great Lakes has to pass thru the Soo Locks. Its interesting to note that the original locks in this area were located on the Canadian side of the river. However, due to the increasing ship size, the United States constructed the current Poe and MacArthur Locks, and those now are the main passageway. The shoreline around the locks have been converted into a park maintained by the Army Corps of Engineers, and has "dockside" viewing of the ships passing thru. Due to the rain, I opted not to enter the park, but was able to view a ore freighter and a personal sail boat passing thru from the main road along the locks.
Sault Ste. Marie also has other sight seeing locations which include the Museum Ship Valley Camp and the Tower of History. Here's some shots of both those locations.
With the rain beginning to fall again, it was time for a break, so with my GPS, I looked for casinos in the area and set sites for the Bay Mills Resort and Casino. Located on the shores of Waiska Bay, the resort was hosting a "fishing swap meet" - WOO HOO!! I reluctantly passed on viewing the merchandise in the parking lot tents, and went directly to the slot machines inside..... It was a good decision to wait out the rain in a casino... I left AHEAD $20, and when I walked out, the sun was shining!
Just a short distance up the road was the Iroquois Lighthouse. With the sun shining, I saw a perfect "photo op", and began exploring the grounds. I visited with a man working on the landscaping, who indicated that he and his wife and daughter were caretakers at the lighthouse, and lived on the grounds. He invited me to climb the lighthouse tower to get some photos of the head of the St, Mary's River and the surrounding countryside. This lighthouse served as a guide to ships heading to the Soo Locks. The photos don't capture the setting I was experiencing. The blue skies and water, the perfectly calm (and fresh air) and the breathtaking views... I'm glad I decided to check out this area of the Upper Peninsula!
The final stop of the day before heading to Rhinelander, WI for the night was Marquette, MI. The rain was setting back in so I briefly stopped at their harbor area... One of my favorite sites to visit are the old "ore docks" used to transfer ore from trains to ore ships. Marquette Harbor also has an abandoned dock, which is a main feature of the surroundings.
The downtown area facing the harbor has been reconstructed to integrate into the harbor and park area. A row of new condominiums has been built to provide residents amazing views of Lake Superior and the Marquette Harbor park.
The rain was back bigtime, so after a stop for coffee, and gas, I turned Southwest for Rhinelander, WI. Arriving in the rain about 6:15pm, I was ready to crash. So after checking in at the Americinn - Rhinelander, and then running across the parking lot to grab a "nutritious" Culver's double butter burger with jalapenos for "room service", Day 2 was officially "in the books."
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