Author: NJ

Mackinac City – Weather Day

September 5, 2017  Wednesday

If a looper doesn’t go out because of weather they call it a weather day. We planned to leave Mackinac City today but the weather forecast kept us in the marina. Fellow Loopers on Steele Away left today but called to tell us we had made the right decision, they made it to their destination but said it was a pretty bumpy ride.

Since we didn’t go out we decided to have a work-day on the boat which kept us busy all day. When we returned to the boat from taking our showers we had a little rainbow. Within twenty minutes the weather was looking a little ominous, hopefully, we can leave tomorrow.

As you can see from the picture it is pretty isolated at the marina tonight. There are 132 slips in the marina and only 4 pleasure boats, we are the only ones on our dock.

Continue reading “Mackinac City – Weather Day”

Mighty Mac on Labor Day

September 4, 2017

Mighty Mac on Labor Day, it’s a tradition! The first Mackinac Bridge Walk was held during the Bridge’s Dedication Ceremony in June 1958. For the 60th time, thousands of Michiganders and visitors gathered together to walk across the Mackinac Bridge from St. Ignace to Mackinaw City. This is the only day of the year that walkers are allowed on the bridge.

Since we arrived we have been watching the preparation for the today’s event. At the Conkling Heritage Park next to our marina, they have been preparing for thousands of people on this side of Mackinac Straits to be bussed to Saint Ignace for the walk and for thousands from the Saint Ignace side to be bused back after the walk. The buses started arriving at 4:00 am this morning and by 4:30 am the first load of walkers left and they continued to leave for the next 5 ½ hours. The walk started at 7:00 am with the Governor and his entourage leading the way. The walk, which is approximately 5 miles takes most participants one to two hours to complete.

All walkers had to be finished by 11:30 am, anyone not off the bridge by then was given a ride in one of the many buses that were used for the event. Normal traffic resumed at noon and by 2:00 pm all of the buses returning walkers to the upper peninsula had left the park.

In terms of overall length, 26,372 feet, the Mackinaw Bridge is the longest suspension bridge in the United States, in terms of the suspension portion of the bridge, 8,614 feet, it is the third longest after the Golden Gate Bridge at 4,200 feet and the Verrazano at 4260 feet.

Mackinaw City, MI

September 2-3, 2017  Saturday – Sunday

What you notice first in Mackinaw City are all the T-shirt stands, fudge shops, hotels, and restaurants. But you soon realize that the village has done a great job showcasing the history of the area. There is a two-mile pathway that displays forty-six markers that feature historical displays outlining the history of the city and the Straits area.

Saturday was the Third Annual National Rally & Pipe Out Paddle Protest in Mackinaw City, Michigan and two of the canoes were launched at our marina. It was interesting to get their perspective on the pipeline and to have a close-up view of their canoes.

From our boat, we can see the remains of the Mackinaw City Railroad Dock and the old Coast Guard Icebreaker Mackinac WAGB-83. The railroad dock is where trains were loaded onto ferries to cross the Mackinac Straits. The A-frame device adjusted the height of the tracks to match the decks of the ships for loading and off-loading the trains. The icebreaker, once known at the Queen of the Great Lakes, is now a floating museum. It was fascinating to tour the ship, see the six massive diesel engines, and learn how the ice is broken. They do no bash through the ice, they are designed to ride up on top of the ice. As the ship moves forward, the hull rides up over the ice and the weight of the boat crushes the ice. This process repeats as the icebreaker clears a channel.

It was interesting to see three of the guns from the most famous ship in the Union Navy, the U.S.S. Hartford in Mackinaw City. You may remember me mentioning the U.S.S. Hartford in December as Rear-Admiral David G. Farragut’s ship in the Battle of Mobile Bay.

 

 

 

Mackinac Island to Mackinaw City, MI

September 1, 2017   Friday

An early morning trip to the post office to mail postcards and we were ready to leave our turbulent Mackinac Island moorage for the calmer waters at Straits State Harbor Marina at Mackinaw City, MI. Wait, which is it Mackinaw or Mackinac? The Natives of this area, the area of Mackinaw City, Mackinac Island, St. Ignace and the Straits of Mackinac, called the land Michinni-makinong, when the French arrived around 1715 they called it Michilimackinac, ending in “ac” but pronounced as “aw,” the name was shortened to Mackinac in 1780. Establishing a city in 1857 the British, hearing the “aw” named the new city Mackinaw. Either way, Mackinaw or Mackinac, they are both pronounced with the “aw.”

This has been by far, our shortest day on the water, only seven miles. We are in calm water, at a less expensive, although better, marina. We will spend Labor Day weekend here and if weather permits enter Lake Michigan on Tuesday.

According to the Mackinaw City Chamber of Commerce, this area has routinely been rated the #1 tourist destination in Michigan, that comes as a surprise to us so it will be interesting to check it out, we are looking forward exploring the area.

Mackinac Island, MI

August 30-31 Wednesday & Thursday

What a fun two days, if you do not count the sleepless nights while the boat was rocking and rolling and the lines were squeaking from the wakes of the ferries coming in and out of the harbor. It is by the ferries that most people arrive on Mackinac Island to enjoy the serenity of life without motor vehicles. On Mackinac Island cars have been banned since 1898 and, except for a few emergency vehicles, the only transportation on the island is by foot, bicycle, or horse, be it horseback riding or a horse drawn carriage, thus the tempo of the island is more comparable to the 19th century than today’s world. At least that is true in the summer, if you look closely you can see a few snowmobiles hidden away waiting for winter. In the winter the snowmobiles are used not only for travel around the island but also to cross the Straits of Mackinaw when it freezes.  The trouble is the Straits have not frozen solid enough the last two winters.

Wednesday we put on our hiking boots and set out to explore the southern tip of the Island. The island is small enough that we could have easily walked the entire circumference, about eight miles, if there weren’t so many beautiful sites to explore along the way: the Grand Hotel which has the longest front porch in the world at 660 feet, Fort Mackinaw a former British and American military outpost, Arch Rock, a natural limestone arch which stands 146 feet over the Lake Huron coastline, and Mackinac State Park to mention a few. We were also enchanted by the beautiful homes and lovely gardens of the island.

Thursday we rented a two person horse drawn carriage from Jack’s Livery Stable to explore the northern portion of the island. We could have rented bicycles but I wanted to have the experience of driving a horse drawn carriage, I don’t think I had fully thought through just what my view would be (see pictures). We had a blast, riding around and exploring the rest of the island, including Harrisonville, nicknamed the “Village” where most of the year round residents live. Most of the 550+ islanders that live on Mackinaw Island year round call the Village home and many of their families have lived there for generations. The island school has about eighty students that either walk or ride their bicycles to school, except in the winter when the snowmobiles come out of hiding to transport students.
As we were going through village a lady run up to our carriage and convinced Rick to give her his camera she then ran ahead of us and took our picture about fifteen minutes later, as we were passing the Grand Hotel she again ran up, took our camera, and insisted we needed a picture of us in front of the Grand. She was such a hoot and I thanked her for going out of her way to get that picture for us.

As we were going through village a lady run up to our carriage and convinced Rick to give her his camera she then ran ahead of us and took our picture about fifteen minutes later, as we were passing the Grand Hotel she again ran up, took our camera, and insisted we needed a picture of us in front of the Grand. She was such a hoot and I thanked her for going out of her way to get that picture for us.

After we returned our beloved horse Barney and the carriage to Jake’s we retreated to Andiamo to get warm and have lunch. Riding around the Island was fun but the wind had chilled us to the bone and we wanted to have lunch where we could control the thermostat.

Our morning might have been a bone-chilling experience but the afternoon had us stripping off our jackets as we enjoyed the tropical heat of the Original Mackinac Island Butterfly House. The museum was the first of its kind in Michigan and is the third oldest live butterfly exhibit in the United States. The 1800 square foot tropical garden is full of tropical plants and hundreds of live butterflies. It was so peaceful to just enjoy watching the butterflies, the exception to that was the boy who was tearing the wings off a butterfly and a mother who couldn’t understand why her daughter could not use her butterfly net.

As we left the tropical butterfly garden we entered the insect world and I marveled, as always, at the way Rick has with kids as he helped them find out how the bees left their hive, where the tarantulas were hiding, and what branch the tree frog was on.

MACKINAC ISLAND’S ORIGINAL BUTTERFLY HOUSE AND INSECT MUSEUM

 

 

 

Presque Isle to Mackinac Island, MI

August 29, 2017

We have been loving the clear waters of Lake Huron and have been told that it is so clear because of the Zebra Mussels that are an invasive species to the Great Lakes. We had our first viewing of the mussels at Presque Isle. While the clear water is incredible, the species is a concern for the area.  The Zebra Mussels clog the underwater tunnels and pipes of city water works and power plants.  They can be so bad that fire fighting tanker planes used in the Great Lakes area have to be completely drained and cleaned before being used in the Pacific Northwest.  The threat of the tunnels of the Hydroelectric power dams on the Columbia River being clogged is too great.

Interesting day, the seas were around 3-feet when left the harbor but were forecast to become 1-2 feet which they did by the time we passed Rogers City. The weather was not bad, but there was enough fog that it made for an eerie day where we could not see land most of the day, it was only as we approached the island that it started to clear.

Tonight we are at Mackinac Island State Marina and are looking forward to exploring Mackinac Island tomorrow. So far we know that ferries come into the harbor every 15 minutes or so and set the boats in the marina to rocking…we have had to tie off on the piling next to us to hold Andiamo off of the dock.

 

Presque Isle, MI

August 28, 2017  Monday

The fact that we are both wearing long pants and have a jacket handy and the fact that the last four marinas we have stayed in were only about 20-25% full, I think, indicates that fall has arrived in Northern Michigan.
Local fishermen went out early this morning but returned reporting waves of three to four feet with white caps beginning to form on top. Their report, verified by the marine weather forecast, led us to sit tight and enjoy the island.

Presque which is French for a peninsula literally means “almost an island.” Only a narrow strip of land at the southern end of Presque Isle connects it to the mainland, we are close to the northern end at Presque Isle State Marina. We spent the day hiking and visiting two of Michigan’s 149 lighthouses. Michigan, with its 3,288 miles of shoreline, has more lighthouses than any other state and touring them seems to be a favorite past time in this area.

The Old Presque Isle Lighthouse, 38-feet tall, was built in 1840 to guide tall ships into Presque Isle Harbor. Although there are many man-made safe harbors on Lake Huron today, at that time, the only natural harbor between Detroit and Mackinac was Presque Isle Harbor. With the growth of the lumber industry on the peninsula it became necessary to have a lighthouse that not only provided guidance to Presque Isle Harbor but also to the lumber yards north of the harbor, hence in 1870, a 113-foot “New Presque Isle Lighthouse” was built a mile north of the “Old Presque Isle Lighthouse.”
We climbed the one-hundred-thirty wrought iron steps to the catwalk of the new lighthouse for a wonderful view of Lake Huron and Grand Lake. After descending, we visited the museum and hiked to the old light house for a quick tour. The hand-hewn stone steps ending with a ladder to the catwalk proved more challenging than the one-hundred-thirty steps at the new lighthouse. We ended our hike with a walk on the harbor seawall delighted to have spent the day here.

We climbed the one-hundred-thirty wrought iron steps to the catwalk of the new lighthouse for a wonderful view of Lake Huron and Grand Lake. After descending, we visited the museum and hiked to the old light house for a quick tour. The hand-hewn stone steps ending with a ladder to the catwalk proved more challenging than the one-hundred-thirty steps at the new lighthouse. We ended our hike with a walk on the harbor seawall delighted to have spent the day here.

Harrisville to Presque Isle, MI

August 27, 2017  Sunday

We always check several marine weather forecast before departing and reports were contradictory this morning. Some favorable to our location and one with small-craft warnings. Knowing that we had safe-harbors along the way, we took a chance and left at sunrise hoping to make it the Rogers City. As we approached Presque Island, 14 miles from Rogers City, the winds and waves were on the increase and we decided to spend the night at Presque Isle State Marina.

The west side of Michigan, from Port Huron to Mackinaw City, is often referred to as the “Sunrise Side” were some sunrises are an explosion of pastels, or yellows and gold, others bright red, while some are a combination of all. A combination of all was our experience as we left Harrisville Harbor this morning. Hope you enjoy the pictures.

Harbor Beach to Harrisville, MI

August 26, 2017  Saturday

As predicted, today was a perfect day to cross Saginaw Bay, forty-two miles across makes this the second longest crossing of our trip, the first was our Gulf Crossing at 182 miles. The lake also got deeper, the deepest point of the crossing was 229 feet, which is the deepest water we have seen on our Great Loop Journey, we have been in less than 50 feet of water since we left the Hudson River.

Port Sanilac to Harbor Beach, MI

August 25, 2017  Friday

Up before sunrise, Rick checked a couple of weather reports and we made the decision to head north to Harbor Beach. Heading south, The Pride of Michigan pulled out just ahead of us with plans to do one last shipwreck dive before returning to home port. The seas were at one to two feet when we left the marina, however, by 9:00 we had large rolling seas that, although not dangerous, was a bit uncomfortable and we were happy to pull into the Harbor Beach Municipal Marina just after noon.

A paved walking trail runs for about a mile from the Harbor Beach Marina to the downtown parks with plaques all along the way sharing the history of the area. Several of the plaques addressed many of the shipwrecks on Lake Huron, which of course, was extremely attention-grabbing to us. “The Great Storm of 1913,” referred to as a “White Hurricane,” a storm on fresh water with winds of hurricane intensity, is known as the deadliest and most destructive storm to ever occur on the Great Lakes. The 1913 storm left in its wake 19 vessels lost, 19 vessels grounded, and an estimated 248 sailors killed, of course, no one will ever know the true number of those lost at sea during that storm.

Typically storms of this magnitude on the Great Lakes last four or five hours, the Great Storm of 1913 lasted for over three days, one can only imagine the havoc the storm caused. Lakeside communities in both Michigan and Ontario were paralyzed with several feet of snow, the high winds caused huge drifts, docks, homes, and boats along the shore were damaged or destroyed. As I write this, I cannot help wonder about the destruction that is being caused by Hurricane Harvey in Texas and Louisiana.

The Friday Farmers Market is held in the park next to the Frank Murphy Memorial Museum. Frank Murphy, a member of the Supreme Court, was a strong defender of civil rights and wrote the dissenting vote in Korematsu vs. the United States. Murphy criticized the majority vote, in which the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II, as “legalization of racism.”