Our first camping trip of the year took us up to the tip of the Mitten. It was the furthest distance we've driven to camp, and though I knew it would take 5-6 hours, it sure felt like a longer drive than I anticipated. When we camped last summer in Ludington, I left there saying, next summer, we need a bigger car and a bike rack - Voila! Thankful for planning those dreams into reality.
It seemed precarious, but our 4 bikes stayed securely attached - thanks to Burke's skills.
My new favorite state camp ground - well-behaved, respectful campers, we could hear the waves of Lake Michigan from our tent. I'd love to go back sometime for the serenity and to explore more.
tent cuties
The boys played a lot of catch, and rode their bikes around the loop. Evan observed the "girly girls" riding their bikes, and they made a friend named Andrew from Ann Arbor.
Sunset over Lake Michigan.
Burke also has sunset photography skills.
Photo credit: Burke
Baggie omelettes for breakfast - so yummy! Burke takes good care of us when we camp in many ways, including meal planning and preparation.
We hiked some trails at the state park.
One of the trails had this clearing, and there were all sorts of milkweed and other flowers. There were many monarchs flying all around us. It was a beautiful moment.
After we hiked, I needed to put my feet in the water (wearing crappy shoes). Evan and Burke were brave enough to get in the chilly water. We were struck by how clear the water was. Ryan said it looked "tropical" in its clarity.
Later, we rode our bikes a bit exploring the state park grounds.
We couldn't see the Mackinac Bridge from our campground, but when we went on our bike ride, we stumbled on a boat launch, and from there... our first glimpse of Michigan's beloved Mackinac Bridge. We were about a 20 minute drive from Mackinaw City, the foot of the bridge on the lower peninsula.
Sun sets on day two.
The next day was our big adventure to Michigan's renown Mackinac Island - a little resort island in Lake Huron between the upper and lower peninsulas. We were lucky to be on a ferry that took a little detour directly under the Mackinac Bridge.
We learned that when the bridge was opened in 1957 it was the longest suspension bridge in the world - now it's #20 in the world, #3 in the U.S. Also, the bride serves as the dividing line between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.
There were military forts in Mackinaw City and on Mackinac Island, which saw some action in the War of 1812 - occupied by French, British, and American troops at one time or another. Mackinac Island was the U.S.'s second national park (second to Yellowstone), and soldiers were mostly stationed here ceremoniously than anything. [Eventually, the U.S. turned the park over to the state of Michigan, so it's a state park now.]We toured Fort Mackinac on the island. We got to watch a canon demo. It was an interesting tour. There were some boy scouts there, working for the historic sites. They happened to be from SJ and Burke new a lot of them from his ensembles. Small world!
view from the fort
soldiers
outside the fort
The island's economy first revolved around the fur trade, then fishing, and now tourism for the past century or so. The Grand Hotel, built in 1887, is an iconic Michigan structure. We paid quite a bit for admittance on the hotel grounds, and to eat lunch at their infamous Grand Hotel Luncheon Buffet. It was impressive, and something that has to be done at least once.
The Grand Hotel is famous for it's long 660-foot porch of rocking chairs and spectacular views. We felt perfect to be there on a perfect weather day!
After lunch we hopped on our bikes to explore the island.
The boys were compelled to climb the rocks, of course.
We parked our bikes and climbed the 200+ stairs to view Arch Rock - a notable geological formation on Mackinac Island's southeast side.
Boys look up from road level at Arch Rock.
We stopped for a break at the north part of the island to skip some stones.
Near the end of our ride was another geological site called Devil's Kitchen. A nice family [with 5 children!] took our picture, and we took one of them. Whether you're a family of 4 or 7, you rarely get a full family photo when you're on vacation - so we were thankful for that little interaction.
After doing some research on Yelp, and waiting too long, we finally ate dinner at Seabiscuit Cafe. Ryan didn't care for his choice, but the rest of us were quite happy, and the servers were so nice. After dinner we stopped for some famous Mackinac Island fudge.
Alas, time to hop back on the ferry and head back to the mainland.
The sun was setting over the bridge on our way back to the lower peninsula. Burke captured this moment at the end of our third day. The next morning, we packed up our tent and headed home.
MI
Michigan's postal abbreviation in flowers on the island on the grounds of the governor's summer residence. I'm thankful we were able to visit this quintessential midwest summer vacation location, and have such a great time.
Some Michiganders go year after year, and I can see why. Perhaps we'll return.
